My This N That Life

Stinky's big day

2012-02-26T07:30:00.000-05:00

Stinky was due on St. Patrick's Day, 3 weeks away and ~~still barely a blip on my radar~~ constantly on my "Am I really going to be a mommy of three?" mind.

In all my "barefoot and pregnant" glory, 36 weeks huge.

I went to bed, thinking about all the things I hadn't gotten done that day, and all the things I had to do tomorrow. Tomorrow came and I went about my (very hectic) day...First Steps (early intervention) transition meeting for Bugsy, 8 hours of work teaching 3 and 4 year olds, a quick lunchtime shopping trip to buy hats and socks for the baby, a quick dash home to make a mac-n-cheese dinner for the kids, and as promised, a "Getting ready for Kindergarten" program for Little Lou, all the while secretly having contractions every 4-5 minutes.

I'd known since early morning (probably 9 or so) that I was in the early stages of labor. It was hip cramping, I can't walk right now, labor. I didn't tell anyone, just kept my smile one. I knew if I told, they'd make me go to the hospital, and I was just plain too busy. That's how I am, folks. These things should happen when they're supposed to, or I just might not have time!

At 8pm, when I finally took myself to the hospital, I was exhausted, nervous, and 6 cm dilated. A friend met me at the hospital to take my kids until my mom could get there, and my husband was there a few minutes later. My blood pressure was up, so my doctor, conveniently the doctor on call, decided to keep me overnight.

I crashed, hard, and when ~~I woke up~~ the doctor woke me up the next morning, I was...6 cm dilated. Labor had paused overnight. She debated sending me home, but a major snowstorm had started overnight and, once I am in hard labor, my labors tend to be speedy. She didn't want me giving birth on the road, so she kept me and observed me.

Around noon, my doctor broke my water, and I began having a few contractions again. Around 2:30, I still wasn't in "hard labor," just sporadic contractions, and was 7 cm dilated. The doctor ordered pitocin. At 3:50, I was still 7 cm dilated, and pitocin was started. At 3:11, Stinky made his appearance. Did you see that? 20 minutes earlier, I was 7 cm. I'm telling you, my labors are fast and furious. I DO NOT recommend labors like that! I'll spare you the details, but it's not pretty.

Stinky was born, one day shy of 3 weeks early, on a Friday afternoon.

He was 7 pounds, the smallest of my babies by far. (Little Lou was 8 lbs 1 oz, Bugsy was 8 lbs 14 oz!) He was the earliest baby, and the only one that decided for himself when he'd make his debut. Bugsy and Little Lou were waiting in the waiting room with Nana and Poppy to meet their new little brother, and were super excited to push the "new baby" button to play Brahms Lullaby and let the hospital know a new baby had been born.

They were so tiny!

And just like that, we became a family of five!

People, they grow fast! Today, Stinky is wild. He's full of never-ending energy from sun-up until well after sun-down. He's a lover, constantly telling all of us, "Lu-you too!" He's a climber who I am constantly removing from the kitchen table. He literally dives head first of the the furniture. He's the first to start a wrestling match with his siblings, and the last to stop. He loves his dog. He won't touch a vegetable to save his life...unless you consider chocolate a vegetable, then he'd eat them all day long. He loves to sing and wants me to "spell dat, mommy" all the time. He's trying to hard to potty train. He loves trains and dogs and babies. He's canine as often as he's human right now!

I'm in that swinging denial stage, folks, where I zip back and forth between, "Wow, guys! Stinky is two!" and "Wow, guys...Stinky is two." But he's two. He's VERY two, and he's ALL boy. I love that little monster more than I can ever say!

Happy Birthday, Stinky! Mommy loves you!

I wish I had a better picture for you, but this little guy doesn't stand still long enough!

Presidents' Day Grace?

2012-02-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Presidents' Day, a day to honor the birthdays of presidents long gone by doing nothing spectacular except for maybe hitting a few sales and definitely waffling over what to do with the extra kids that are home from school for the day. Am I right?

So, yesterday Little Lou was home from school all day and I didn't babysit. It was a gloriously perfect day with all 3 kids, where they slept in until 9 and we lounged around all morning, then we played outside in the beautiful sunshine all afternoon and had a picnic dinner.

In my dreams.

In reality, it was a remarkably normal day, where we were all awake by 6:30, I fed and dressed 3 kids, made a grocery list, went to the grocery (3 kids is way harder than 2 at the grocery!), served lunch, and put Stinky down for a nap.

See, the thing about national holidays is that mommies don't get holidays. Mommies get to work overtime...or a double...or something...on national holidays. Our workload multiplies. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. It's the job we signed up for, though, so we do it regardless.

Yesterday was Presidents' Day and I had the grand pleasure of toting 3 kids to the grocery store. Those fancy carts with the bench in the back where Little Lou and Bugsy could have sat together while Stinky sat in the cart's seat were all taken, presumably by other moms who were caught with their guard down on grocery day by an extra kid or two tagging along! No big deal, though. Little Lou and Bugsy are big enough to walk silently by the cart, neither one stepping out of line, nobody touching anything breakable, everybody being kind. Angels! In my dreams. Reality looks a little more sloppy than that.

Yesterday, I made a promise to my kids, a premeditated promise, a hopeful promise, that if they behaved well at the grocery (PLEASE behave at the grocery!) I would reward them with a surprise! (No, Bugsy, the surprise isn't a new puppy. Sorry. No, Little Lou, I will not tell you in advance what the surprise is, because I don't want to hear the screaming ~~when~~ if the prize isn't earned. Yes, I promise that if you earn the surprise, you will get it as soon as we get the groceries unloaded!)

People, I was going to take a germy risk and feed my children cookies in the McDonald's PlayPlace!

Reality is sloppy.

Stinky sits in the cart at the grocery, no questions asked. Little Lou and Bugsy have to walk. (No, you cannot sit in the cart with the groceries!) Everything goes great for the first 15 seconds and then the two older kids run in five different directions, each yelling that the other one is out of line. Bugsy wants to see the fish. (We won't have time for the surprise.) Little Lou wants to look at the earrings. (WHY can't I get my ears pierced today?) Bugsy has to potty. (I sent you to the bathroom right before we left the house!) Bugs is touching everything. Little Lou is sitting on the floor to check off the grocery list. All, of course, at roughly twice the approved grocery store volume. Mommy gets frustrated. My children have NOT earned a surprise, and they know it.

They tell me that they don't deserve it.

Then, they throw me the zinger. Little Lou does. She's a smarty, and she's getting wise to my "teachings." She's paying attention at home and at church and sucking everything up like a sponge. So, she looks at me with those big brown eyes and says, "Mommy, don't you think you could give us a little grace or mercy or something and give us the surprise anyway?"

Ugh.

My children have a LOT of chances to earn rewards. There's a daily chance to earn a Squinkie. There are opportunities to earn special treats and trips to Mamaw's and all sorts of other great things. Sometimes they earn them, sometimes they don't. Life's like that. We have "good" days and we have "bad" days. So, every time my kids don't earn a prize, my mom and my sister make comments like, "You know, sometimes it's okay to show them a little grace." "You know, sometimes we all need a little mercy." You know, things like that.

People, my kids get the grace and mercy talk a LOT. If they didn't, Little Lou wouldn't have thought to throw that one at me!

So, this morning I was thinking about this "grace and mercy" thing. Friends, my God is big and great and powerful and jealous and demanding. He loves what is good and hates what is evil. I am a human, people. The thing about humans? We're evil. Don't you go trying to get out of that one. We all are, unfortunately. God has every reason to hate us, but somehow he finds the strength to love us.

So, you see, the thing about us humans is that we have this wretched habit of messing up. Maybe it's not the same thing every day or the same thing every time, but we mess up. We sin. We walk right away from God's plan, God's definition of right and wrong. We have come to expect that God's going to forgive us and accept us. And He WILL! Every time we ask Him, as long as we ask with sincerity and really intend to make a change, He'll forgive us every. single. time. He shows us grace and mercy a billion times over; He shows more grace and mercy than we will ever know!

I was thinking about that this morning, and debating with myself how I can justify, then, how I can ever say "no" to my kids when I've promised them a reward and they don't deserve it. I mean, wouldn't God give them another chance? Wouldn't he say, "Okay. You've asked me to show you grace this one time. Here you go." Wouldn't He?

People, He would. And then He wouldn't. I believe that God will give us grace and mercy and forgiveness and chances right up all the way until the end, and then He won't. I believe that if I'm 8 or 18 or 88 and I say, "God, I really screwed up! I've been doing everything wrong. I REALLY want your eternal prize, and I am going to live for you from now on. Take over my life and make me whole," He will do just that!

But there will be a day when you reach the end, when I reach the end, and we'll each stand before God. He'll look at each of us, He'll look at ME, and He'll remember my "day." He'll look back and He'll recall where I've been and what I've done. Have I run away and run away and run away? Have I tried, really really tried, to follow His lead, or have I done my own thing and begged for forgiveness, begged for grace and mercy, when I really started to feel the "crunch?" And God's going to make a decision, based on my decision.

There will come a day, a moment, when we all run out of time. There'll be a day when what we've done and how we've walked will matter. For eternity. I don't believe God expects perfection; I believe He expects our very best.

In parenting, as in life, I believe it is my job to be as Christ-like as possible. I believe that it's okay (even essential) that I show my kids a fair bit of grace and mercy. But friends, I also believe that, when it comes down to it, at the end of the day, I have to teach my kids to be grown-ups--God-fearing, Christ-following, grace-giving grown-ups. Sometimes, it is my job to look back on the day and say, "I'm sorry, kids, but you chose to take your own path today and not follow what I wanted for you. Today, you do not earn your prize."

Sometimes.

And sometimes, it's my job to look back on the day, to hear their humble pleas for forgiveness, their promises of future perfection, and take them to McDonald's even when they don't deserve it.

Zooper Bolero Review and Hook-On Chair Giveaway!

2012-02-17T16:26:00.001-05:00

Confession time: I think strollers are cool, and even if I don't NEED a new one, it's fun to HAVE a new one. Are you with me?

I told you last June about my amazing Phil&Ted Sport double jogging stroller, which has been WONDERFUL when I want to go out and get a little exercise in, but I don't really want Bugsy (aka Mr. Short-legs) slowing me down! That stroller has afforded me tons and tons of workout time that I wouldn't have otherwise had, and I am SUPER grateful for that!

Today, though, I want to tell you about another amazing stroller...the Zooper Bolero!

You see, the double jogger is great for, you know, jogging. (It's good for other things too, just a bit long front to back.) I've been mostly using a cheapo umbrella stroller, though, and honestly it hasn't been nearly as great at maneuvering as I would have liked!

I can't tell you how excited I was when Zooper asked me to review their Bolero stroller in Ocean Blue! I had been looking all over the Zooper website, and it looked like the Bolero would be a super compact folding full-sized stroller! I was SO excited when the box arrived! So was Bugsy! ("Mommy, this box is almost as big as I am!")

It was so easy to put together that even Stinky was able to help a bit! It probably took me about 20 minutes to put together, but had I been working by myself I probably could have done it in 10-15 minutes. The instructions were very clear and very helpful!

The first time I opened the Bolero once it was put together, I didn't get it fully engaged. Be careful about that. After the first time, though, it hasn't been a problem. I also struggled to pull the handles fully apart the first time, and popped myself in the chin trying! Again, this was only a problem the first time, and it has gotten easier to open each time. I think it's just tight because it's new!

The Zooper Bolero is very roomy! Stinky weighs about 28-29 pounds, and he has a TON of room in the Bolero! Bugsy tried it out too, and at 47 pounds he's got room to move! It's just as easy to push with EITHER of them inside. The first time I used the Bolero, I was racing my sister through the neighborhood. I commented to her several times about how hard it was to turn and how awful the clicking noise was around corners. When we got back to my house, I suddenly remembered having read something about locking front wheels. I unlocked them, and it is AMAZING the difference it made! This thing corners like a champ! I love how smooth the ride is with the Bolero! It is seriously the easiest, smoothest stroller I have ever pushed.

I LOVE the "sleeping bag" attachment that keeps my little guy toasty warm on cool days! (He wasn't as thrilled about it as I was at first, but he DID love that he didn't have to wear a coat. It was 45ish degrees in this picture, so it wasn't a big deal for him to wear a coat anyway!)

The Bolero lays totally flat in it's most reclined position, and it comes with a bassinet for your newborn! I haven't had the opportunity to use this feature yet, and honestly haven't tried putting it together. It has its own set of instructions, though, and it looks like it would be easy! I love that the bassinet can go forward or rear facing, so mommy (or daddy) can see baby the whole time! It is snugly warm and would be perfect for a newborn! (Stinky, a week shy of 2, doesn't care to lay down when he rides.)

I really love how compactly the Zooper Bolero folds! We traded in our Ford Expedition (HUGE vehicle, tiny amount of cargo space) for a Ford Focus Wagon (tiny vehicle, huge amount of cargo space) a couple of weeks ago. Even with the Bolero in the back, there is more than enough room to load up a week's worth of groceries! (Currently, it's riding in the back with a folding chair, an extra carseat, a case of girl scout cookies, and a diaper bag...and there's TONS of room to spare!)

My ONLY real complaint about the Bolero (the rest have all be more user-error issues that have been quickly resolved) is that the basket underneath is small. Yesterday I took it along to the doctor's office. I was toting 2 sick boys and didn't want 2 sick boys running wild through the office, so I stuck Stinky in the Bolero. I put my small purse and a cinch sack style diaper bag in the basket, and it was packed pretty full. I had to unsnap the side of the basket to put them in! I wish the basket were a little larger...BUT the Bolero does make up for the small basket with the "All Purpose Canopy Pocket."

There are actually 2 pockets on the back of the canopy, which, if you plan ahead, would be perfect for your wallet, keys, and a few diapers and wipes! You could essentially leave your purse and home and your diaper bag with a few spare items in the car, and just take your stroller along! If you live in an area where you do a lot of walking rather than driving, this would really be perfect!

All in all, I LOVE the Zooper Bolero a million times more than I expected to! It is definitely my go-to stroller! I would highly recommend it to any of you! You can visit Zooper to find out where there's a retailer near you! (The suggested retail price is about $400, but I have it on good authority that you can get one on sale on amazon.com for about $300 right now!)

Zooper makes amazing products, people. One of those amazing products, one that I'd like to give to one of you, is the Zooper Hook-On Chair, which retails at $49! This cute little high chair folds flat for easy carrying, has a 4-point harness, and works for toddlers up to 30 pounds! This high chair is great for at home or when you're out and about! Enter below on the super easy Rafflecopter form for your chance to win!

Wanna know something REALLY cool? Right now, through the end of February, Zooper is donating $1 worth of Zooper products to Doernbechers Children's Hospital in need for every new Facebook like! That's potentially a lot of dollars! Simply by entering this contest, you could be helping Zooper reach out to people in need! I think THAT is awesome!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MS. Understood

2012-02-16T21:42:00.000-05:00

I Fight Because...
...having multiple sclerosis means that I may not be able to walk when I wake up. Or that I may suddenly have impaired vision. Or that my memory will fail me for no apparent reason. The symptoms of MS are different for everyone - the only certainty is that we are making new strides every day in the fight against MS.
...my husband and 3 children shouldn't have to take care of me. MS research is ongoing, and hopefully someday there will be an answer, a cure.
...I have to!

I Walk Because...
...I want to do something for the people, like me, living with multiple sclerosis. Today, there is no known cause or cure for MS. With a diagnosis occurring most frequently between the ages of 20 and 50, many individuals face a lifetime filled with unpredictability. I was 30.

Every hour of every day someone is newly diagnosed with MS. I am walking for them. I walk for ME.

Donate Because...
...the National Multiple Sclerosis Society uses funds collected from Walk MS to provide help for today through programs and services and hope for tomorrow through ongoing research for a cure.

Because we choose to walk for those who sometimes can't, because we choose to donate to Walk MS, we are getting closer to the hour when no one will hear the words, "You have MS."

~~~~~

On April 28th, along with family and friends, I will be walking...for me...at WalkMS Indianapolis. My team, MS. Understood, has a goal of raising $1000 for the National MS Society, and my personal goal is to raise at least $500 of those $1000.

People, MS is real. MS is exhausting. MS is sometimes painful. MS is heart-breaking. MS is not understood. It's not curable. It's a life-changing diagnosis. MS is real.

I'd love to have you join my team! If you're "local" and have a spare morning on April 28th, I would LOVE to have you join my team and walk alongside me! You can sign up to walk here.

If you're not local or don't have the time, I'd love for you to donate to my team! Each team's donations help to fund research, through the National MS Society, which could someday find a cure for, or at the very least a reason behind, MS. Please, consider a donation to team MS. Understood! You can donate here.

~~~~~

Some of you need more options. Here are a couple:

For the month of February, EatSmart will donate 50 cents to the National MS Society for every new Google+ "like." It's easy and FREE for you! Run on over to EatSmart's Google+ page, like them, and "donate" 50 cents! (Wanna know more about why? Check out my post on the EatSmart blog!)

Now through the end of April, WunderUnders will donate $5 of EVERY embellished trainer to my team's fundraising efforts! Danielle from WunderUnders is an amazing, sweet mama. She'd love love love to make you a cute trainer (or 5) and she'd also love to donate to my team! Please visit WunderUnders on Facebook and make your purchase today!

~~~~~

Friends, I am so very thankful for each and every one of you and your support over the last few months! You've all shared some great, inspiring words with me! I appreciate each and every one of you!

If you can, I'd love to have you walk alongside me or donate to my team. I am forever grateful for the love each of you show every day!

MS. Understood

My boys

2012-02-16T21:13:00.000-05:00

Those two little boys are my favorite two little boys in the whole wide world. That one is the sweetest, most compliant kid you've ever met, and that one is a royal stinker. I'm not telling which is which. That one loves music and that one loves video games. That one loves numbers and that one...loves numbers. They're amazing. They've been entrusted to me for a time. I wish I could say they're mine, but they're not...they're His...and I'm sort of glad about that, because it's a hard enough job just to raise them!

It's especially a tough job raising them when we're not sleeping.

People, they don't tell you this in the instruction book, but 2 year olds (almost!), 4 year olds, 6 year olds...31 year olds...they ~~don't always~~ often don't sleep through the night! I hate to disappoint you if you are still in the hopeful stage, with one baby who doesn't sleep through the night yet, and are dreaming of the days that you'll get actual rest every night. Friends, it can happen. I've heard lots of stories about it happening. I have, on occasion, experienced a night or two in a row of actual sleep. Now, let me be clear, here. The 6 year old almost always sleeps through the night--probably 95% of the time. The 4 year old sleeps through the night at least 80% of the time. The 2 year old sleeps through the night at least 25% of the time. If you add that up, it means that approximately 100% of all nights, someone wakes me up. (I'm not making this stuff up, people. Those rare occasions when everyone actually sleeps through the night? Those are totally offset by the nights that 2...or 3...or 15...of my kids are up in the same night.)

Those two little boys up there? They're both sick right now. Remember how I said I'm not sleeping well 100% of the nights right now? Yeah. About that. When you're not sleeping well, you're a little on the...testy...side sometimes. (I am, anyway.) And when you're not feeling well, you're a little on the testy side sometimes. (They are, anyway.)

That cute little blonde? He's got croup. He's a wildman by nature, but add steroids to the mix and he's literally bouncing off walls and rolling headfirst off of furniture. At 9pm. Two hours past bedtime. And he's good at it!

The little boy next to him? The one with the deepest dimples you've ever seen and more surgeries under his 4 year old "belt" than either of his parents? He's got a raging ear infection...in the ear that no longer has a tube. There's pus and ooze and drainage and very much crying.

Folks, this mama is tired. These boys? They're needy. That combo isn't always the most...forgiving of combos. Against all odds, though, I promised myself this morning that it would be a good day. While overall the day was mediocre at best, I maintained a (mostly) positive attitude. I showed those boys tons and tons of snugly love. I pinned the big one down, forced antibiotic drops into his ears, and he screamed and screamed. When it was over, he hugged me and told me I'm the best mom ever. See why I say he's the sweetest kid you've never met? God made him with an extra big heart, that one.

Friends, pray for us today. The boys (and the mama) need sleep. Not just sleep, though...REST. By the grace of God I've survived the last few days with relative ease, but a good solid sleep would be a huge help. Pray especially for my sweet boys tonight, that they would feel better quickly! If you can spare one more minute, throw a prayer my way, too. My level of grace and mercy may not be nearly as big as His, but with His help, I will survive and my relationship with my kids will thrive.

Thanks in advance for your prayers for my family!

Wordless Wednesday: I may be crazy.

2012-02-15T17:08:00.000-05:00

Wipes cases don't have to be ugly! Shiny Hineys review and giveaway!

2012-02-13T19:59:00.002-05:00

When Little Lou was born, we bought "top of the line" diapers and "name brand" wipes. The wipes came in the BEST case, too.

By the time sensitive-skinned Bugsy was born, diapers had been renovated and so had the wipes cases! I was SO excited to buy wipes!

(It's the little things, okay?)

And then Stinky was born. The diapers and wipes were the same...until we went from using diapers that look like this:

To diapers that look like this:

Because it's what I had, I put Stinky's pretty cloth wipes in this:

But that's not pretty! Brittany from Shiny Hineys fixed that problem for me!

Brittany makes super cute wipes cases like this:

Isn't that pretty?

She makes tons of other cute patterns, too, and travel cases!

Not only are the wipes cases from Shiny Hineys adorable, they're very well made as well! I have been using mine for several months now, several times a day, and it still looks brand new! The fabric and edging are still perfectly adhered to the box, and it still works great! It's SO much cuter than that old white box...or even the newer commerically made polka dot box! What a nice addition to my cloth diapering routine!

My ONLY complaint about the Shiny Hineys wipes case is that it's hard to open. I just leave mine unlatched, though, and don't have any trouble at all! It works great!

Shiny Hineys cases are a great deal as well! Ranging from just $10 to $16.50 at the Shiny Hineys Etsy shop, they're worth every bit of the cost! You'll love having one of these adorable cases on your changing table along with your cloth OR disposable diapers! (View over a hundred designs at www.shinyhineysblog.blogspot.com where you can follow her blog and also purchase the wipes cases along with matching burp cloths, changing pads, diaper envelopes and car seat covers. You may also want to become a fan on facebook.)

Brittany from Shiny Hineys has agreed to give one of you a travel wipes case of your choosing! You'll be so excited about the quality and cuteness of your new case, you'll NEED to buy a nursery-sized case to go with it! You'll be so glad you did!

I was given this item at no cost in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Proud

2012-02-11T19:59:00.001-05:00

That, my friends, is the proud, squinkie-loving face of a little girl who didn't scream at anyone for an entire day.

And that is the object of her affection.

People, she's the object of my affection. And she's worth it.

The day wasn't perfect, but it was beautiful, just like that sweet squinkie-loving baby girl up there. Not perfect, but beautiful. And also? Beautifully perfect. And worth it.

Squinkie Love

2012-02-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

I don't understand Squinkies.

Have you seen them? Do you have a million of them rolling around at your house? Here's what I think. When I was 6, I used to beg my mom and dad for a quarter to buy something out of the gumball machine. Out would pop a little ball of...something...often a miniature figurine of...something. It was a 25 cent "investment" to keep me happy for the car ride home, and was inevitably lost within the hour. Now, though? Now they SELL those things! In the toy department! For almost a DOLLAR a toy!

Squinkies are really popular. Some of Little Lou's friends have literally hundreds of these these little gumball machine toys. Little Lou has about a dozen or so, which she received as a gift from someone other than me, because, as I said, I just don't get it!

We've been having some trouble lately, Little Lou and I.

The thing about kids is that they tend to have one place that's their "safe" place, and that place tends to be home. They feel comfortable at home. Kids like Little Lou, the emotional type, tend to take their emotions to extremes when they're in that "safe" place. They know and understand, whether consciously or not, that mommy and daddy are going to love them no matter what, and they tend to respond accordingly.

Little Lou is no exception, and mommy is the only one around most of the time right now while daddy is in school and working full time, so mommy tends to feel Little Lou's "wrath." We sat down today after school, after a particularly ugly interchange, and discussed behavior. Little Lou doesn't know why she gets angry and she doesn't notice she's getting angry until she's over-the-top angry. We've discussed this. It's what she tells me and I believe her. Emotions are so hard to understand!

Little Lou and I are going to be working on emotions. Tonight we sat down after the boys were in bed and came up with a "secret word." I'm not going to tell you what it is, because it's a secret. It's just between the two of us. When she starts to get angry, ~~even if~~ especially if she hasn't noticed yet, I'll say the secret word in a secret way and she'll know she needs to settle down. We've got a plan. Tomorrow we're going to make two lists, one of things she can do in her room and one of things she can do outside. If I say the secret word, she will excuse herself to either her room or the backyard and do an activity on her own until she calms down. If she notices herself that she's losing control, bonus! She'll still quietly excuse herself to her room or outside and take a breather.

She doesn't like the way she feels when she's angry or when she's screaming at people. Most of us don't like to feel that way. THAT makes her angry with herself, and then there's much crying. She feels remorse, but she also feels like she's alone in this battle.

We went to WalMart tonight and bout Squinkies. Cinderella Squinkies. A dozen of them.

Every time Little Lou goes a day without screaming at anyone, she will earn a Squinkie. Friends, it costs $10 to buy a dozen Squinkies. I think they're pricey, but I think they're worth it. My little girl's emotions, my little girl's future, is worth 10 million Squinkies.

God made Little Lou special. He gave her a big heart in that little body. He wrapped a WHOLE lot of compassion into a ball of opinionated, emotional brilliance. God's got big plans for that little girl. BIG plans. It's my job to nurture her into a God-fearing, God-loving grown-up. I'm not sure I've been doing my best, but with God's help I'm working on it. She's worth my time. She needs it. She's GOT it.

Dear Lord, help me to have the words and the insight to pour into her little body, to cover her every day in love. Help me to be a great example of Godly womanhood to her. Help me to understand her and to help her understand herself. You have SO much more in store for both of us! Help us learn to navigate this future together!

21 Day Mommy Blogger Weight Loss Challenge!

2012-02-01T19:23:00.000-05:00

It's February! You already know it's time for the All for Love Valentine's Event (yay!) and you already know I chose an "I love ME!" theme for my giveaway package! What better way to celebrate than to start a brand new weight loss challenge myself?!?

Dustin Maher of Fit Moms for Life has issued a challenge to mommy bloggers. You see, mommy bloggers tend to sit on their backsides. Believe it or not, most of the time when I'm writing here on this page I am sitting. When ~~women~~ people do a lot of sitting, they tend to...spread. People that sit get fat, pure and simple, unless they're actively doing something about it! Dustin's challenge? Try, for 21 days, to see if changing your diet and exercise "plan" might just change your life!

I'll be amping up my workouts, more careful about my eating, and trying to get more sleep! I'll also be trying to increase my water intake, although the 50ish ounces I've had so far today have me running to the potty every hour or so! (There'll be some other "changes" too, like a food log, which I likely won't share with you because I doubt ou really want to see it!)

One of the "challenges" of this...well...challenge...is to show you before and after pictures of my 21 days. I can TOTALLY do that, and I'm not even (too) embarrassed because of how far I've already come! Just to refresh those of you who have been with me for the last 8 months, and to bring the rest of you up to speed, I started a journey to healthify my life (I'm allowed to make up words, folks--this is my blog) last June. On June 1st I weighed in at 191.8 pounds and I looked like this:

I wore a snug size 16 pants, Large or XL tops, and didn't realize how lousy I felt! This morning I weighed in at 141.8...a 50 pound weight loss! Today I wear a size 8 or 10 pants, small or medium tops, and feel great! This is what I look like today:

People, I don't know that the front view is all that noticeable, but check out the difference in those side views! Wanna see them right together? Here you go:

WOW!!

Today I am sitting 6.8 pounds above my "goal" weight, but have decided that I'll increase that goal to another 16.8. I have TONS of toning to do as well, and if I could figure out how to get rid of that hangy belly skin and tone those arms, I'd be in heaven!!

My goals for the next 21 days are to lose 5 pounds, lose at least 1 inch from my body, and be able to do at least 15 push-ups. (Today I could do 12!)

I'll be taking you along on my 21 day journey! Are you a blogger as well? Maybe you'd like to join me! Check out www.mommybloggerweightlosschallenge.com! If you send me an email (mythisnthatlife [at] gmail [dot] com) with your blog url and beg just a tad, I'll give you a code to get in on March's fun for free! :) You won't be able to get in the February challenge, but you'll definitely be able to get in for March! Why wait, though? You can go ahead and start TODAY and be so far ahead come March!

www.mommybloggerweightlosschallenge.com

I am doing this program at no cost to me in order to advertise on my blog and make a change in my life! All opinions are my own.

All for Love: I love ME! Giveaway!

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the All for Love Valentine's Event, hosted by Real Mom Reviews and Mama Chocolate! This is an amazing Valentine's Day blog hop giveaway, featuring over 50 blogs, each giving away at least $25 in prizes!

Here at My This N That Life, I've twisted the game just a tad. I decided to forgo the traditional“romantic love” format of an event like this, and focus on an “I love ME!”theme! As you know, the healthier our bodies are themore positive our attitudes are towards ourselves. I've known for years that this was true, but I've seen it more and more as I've begun to increase the health of my own body. Ladies and gentlemen, the healthier my body, the better I feel. The better I feel, the better my attitude. The better my attitude, the more I can love ME! And the more I love me, the more I can show my love for others. It's just that simple!

I have carefully selected a group of prizes that will help one lucky reader to increase her (or his!) health, and in doing so, promote love for self! I hope you enjoy the prizes as much as I do! Please visit the link of each product and leave a comment! I'd love to hear what you have to say!

Prize 1:

liv breast self exam aid

ARV: $19.95

Prize 2:

Hazelaid Gift Code

ARV: $25

Prize 3:

Happy Herbivore Cookbook Set

ARV: $39.90

Prize 4:

EatSmart Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale

ARV: $39.95

Prize 5:

Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow

ARV: $89

Prize 6:

Kalso Earth Shoes Prosper Shoes

ARV $119

Total Prize Value: $332.80!

Good luck! When you're finished entering this giveaway, please feel free to move on to the next on the linky list, below the rafflecopter form!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I love ME! Sponsor: Savvy Rest

2012-01-31T16:57:00.002-05:00

One of the foundations of good health (and therefore a staple for finding love for ourselves), is getting plenty of good quality sleep each night! Savvy Rest understands this, and they have created a line of organic bedding to support good sleep and green living in one!

Savvy Rest has a full line of products; you can get everything from a natural mattress to bedding to pillows! They're all organic, they're all natural latex and they all look beautiful! Savvy Rest decided to send me a Shredded Latex Pillow for review!

The Shredded Latex Pillow by Savvy Rest is customizable. I really like that feature! It comes super thick...about 8 inches thick, in fact! I'm sure there are some people that link their pillows this thick, but I am not one of them. There are two zippers on the Shredded Latex Pillow, one on the "case" and one on the pillow itself. Inside the inner zipper, there is tons and tons of shredded latex, just as you'd expect!

You simply open up the pillow and remove as much or as little shredded latex as you need to make the pillow perfectly comfortable for you!

I removed a lot - a LOT - of latex from my pillow. In fact, I stuffed a 2 gallon zippered bag FULL of the latex shreds I removed!

The biggest problem I had with this process was that it was MESSY! Thankfully I had the vacuum cleaner nearby. In the future, I think I would put down some paper or something on which to make my adjustments.

I L-O-V-E my Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow! I love that I can squish the latex around each night so that my head and neck are supported just the way I like! I did this with my old pillow, but it didn't take long for the pillow to become misshapen and lumpy. With the Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow, my head is comfy and my neck is supported. The pillow is heavy, but that doesn't cause a problem at all!

You'll LOVE the customization you can get with the Savvy Rest Shredded Latex Pillow!

You'll especially love the customization if you win one (an $89 value) from my blog during the I love ME! event that will go live at midnight tonight! (While you wait, why not take a minute to follow Savvy Rest on facebook and Google+?)

I love ME! Sponsor: Kalso Earth

2012-01-31T16:31:00.000-05:00

Did you know that one of the most important things we can do to take care of our bodies is to wear good, properly fitting shoes? It's true! Different shoes "work" different way, support our feet in different ways, align our spines in different ways. One comany, Kalso Earth Shoes, recognizes that "traditional" shoes are not made to properly support and align our spines. They've created a whole new shoe design with a "negative heel" that sets the heel slightly lower than the rest of the foot, aligning your spine properly and supporting a healthy walk!

Kalso Earth Shoes is just introducing their spring line!

SO many of their shoes are super cute! I love these:

I've been looking for new "gym" shoes, and wondered what Kalso Earth could do to help with that. I found the Prosper in their new spring line and fell in love with the look! Don't they look comfy?

I received the Prosper in red and taupe. I think they're really cute! I love that they are fairly narrow. I can snug them up pretty tightly around my feet, which is great! I LOVE the elastic at the heel! It makes them SO comfortable! These shoes, I am not kidding, are THE lightest weight shoes I have ever held in my hands. They're so comfortable to wear! I really liked the way they felt the minute I put them on!

I have worn the Kalso Earth Shoes a few times when I have done Zumba. They were comfortable for class, but because they have round laces, they don't stay tied tightly enough for my taste during exercise. (This is kind of a pet peeve of mine. I don't think ANY shoes should have round laces.)

I REALLY like the Prosper by Kalso Earth Shoes! If your feet are wide, I'm not sure how comfortable they'll be for you. I think they're a little on the narrow side (which is perfect for me)! If round laces are an issue for you, buy yourself a pair of cheap laces at the stoe and get these shoes anyway! They're great. I wouldn't probably choose them as my favorite workout shoes, but I definitely prefer them for every day!

Kalso Earth Shoes would like to give away a pair of Prosper shoes, valued at $119, to one lucky reader during the I love ME! giveaway, which will start at midnight tonight! Be watching, it's a HUGE giveaway! (While you wait, why not follow Kalso Earth Shoes on facebook and twitter?)

I was given this product at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

I love ME! Spotlight: EatSmart Scales

2012-01-31T14:55:00.000-05:00

I've been very intrigued, along with my diet changes and fitness successes, by cookbooks and recipes that are listed by weights rather than "amounts." I've long wondered just how much of each food I'm eating, and sometimes I just need to know, say, how much a Barbie weighs!

Thank goodness for EatSmart and their amazing Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale!

It's been a real eye-opener to see just how much I am eating in a meal! I eat a fruit smoothie almost every morning. I don't limit my amount of fruit in my smoothie...in fact, I tend to load it up! I know that's a lot of carbohydrates, but they're healthy carbs. I also sometimes add beans to my smoothies! This particular day, I had a very yummy fruity smoothie with great northern beans. It weighed a pound before it was blended!

(I did zero out the scale with the wax paper in it so I could be sure to get an accurate measurement.)

I LOVE the EatSmart Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale when making recipes that call for foods by weight! When I made broccoli cheese soup, it called for a pound and a half of broccoli! I was SURE that my 2 head of broccoli would be more than enough, but it wasn't! Two heads of broccoli measured just over a pound!

The EatSmart Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale is a very nice, high quality metal scale! It's super easy to wash, easy to set up, and works great! I recommend this scale for anyone that is looking at portion control options or likes to cook by weight!

EatSmart has been doing something amazing lately, besides just selling great products. Each month, they donate a bit of money to a certain charity or organization. Last year, customers and fans were able to choose about half of the organizations. This year, they're allowing customers and fans to choose all of the organizations! For the month of February, EatSmart will be donating 50 cents for each new Google+ follower, to the organization of MY choosing! I've chosen the National MS Society. Click here to find out why! The click over to Google+ and follow EatSmart! Your 30 seconds will donate 50 cents to the National MS Society!

EatSmart is going to give away a Precision Retro Mechanical Kitchen Scale to one of my super lucky readers in the I love ME! giveaway! The scale is valued at $39.95. The giveaway starts at midnight tonight! Be watching! (Just for fun, follow EatSmart on facebook and twitter while you're waiting for the giveaway!)

I was given this scale at no cost in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

I love ME! Spotlight: Happy Herbivore

2012-01-31T14:15:00.000-05:00

One of the steps I've taken this year, one that has greatly impacted how I feel about myself, has been changing my diet. My family has always been very carnivorous. Not only ~~are~~ were we major meat-eaters, but we had bread, pasta, potatoes, corn...something starchy at every. single. meal. At home, now, we eat a mostly vegetarian diet. (I'd say mostly vegan, but who am I kidding? There's never a day when there isn't cheese in my fridge, and rarely a day when there isn't cheese in at least one meal.) This dietary change has made a huge impact on my weight and the way I feel! I digest my food differently now! It's been truly amazing.

The problem with making a huge change to your diet, though, is that you also have to change your meal plans. You have to use totally different recipes. A few of your old ones can be adapted with beans and other substitutes, but many of your favorites are just no longer options. If you're like me, having 5 or 6 "favorite" meals isn't going to cut it. You need to have a recipe pool so you won't eat the same foods every week.

I asked Lindsay, the Happy Herbivore, to help me come up with some more recipe ideas, and boy did she ever! Lindsay is the author and mastermind behind two veggie-based cookbooks, each with over 175 recipes, and has a 3rd book in progress! She spends her days in the kitchen creating. It's a passion for her! Lindsay has begun converting her family and friends to plant-based diets in an effort to better their health.

Lindsay's first book, The Happy Herbivore, hit the shelves in February of 2011. It's filled with comfort foods made with everyday ingredients. These recipes are made using whole, unprocessed, low-fat foods! They're perfect for my whole foods, plant-based diet! The meals are yummy, although sometimes spicier than my family likes.

In December of 2011, Lindsay released her second cookbook, Everyday Happy Herbivore! This is, so far, my favorite of the Happy Herbivore books. Almost every recipe we've tried, and we've tried a lot, has come from this book. The recipes are super easy and a LOT of them can be made in 30 minutes or less! Right now timeliness isn't a huge issue, but if I had a job it would be so important to me to be able to make quick, healthy meals for my family!

The recipes are simple, yummy, and they even look tasty!

(Tex Mex Shepherd's Pie, Everyday Happy Herbivore)

(Smoky Black Bean Enchiladas, The Happy Herbivore)

If you're looking to change your diet, lose weight, or even just add some yummy foods into your diet to change things up a bit, I highly recommend looking into the Happy Herbivore cookbooks! (They are even on sale at amazon.com right now!) There are also several free recipes and some other healthy advice on Lindsay's website, www.happyherbivore.com!

Guess what? One of my lucky readers is going to receive a set of BOTH of these cookbooks, a total value of $39.90, in the I love ME! giveaway, which starts at midnight tonight! You'll LOVE these! (Oh, and just for fun, visit Happy Herbivore on facebook and twitter!)

I was given these cookbooks at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

I love ME! spotlight: Liv

2012-01-30T13:59:00.000-05:00

It's a bit of a touchy subject, this cancer thing. Breast cancer is a dirty word in a lot of circles. Ladies, it's real. It's devastating. It could happen to you or a loved one. Breast cancer doesn't pick and choose its victims kindly. The most common cause of breast cancer is being a woman. If you're a woman, take note! There are websites out there to help you perform self breast exams and to give you information about breast cancer awareness. liv is one such site!

Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. That same weekend, her father died from cancer. Olivia underwent a partial mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Olivia has been cancer free for more than 17 years.

It is because Olivia Newton-John's experience with cancer (her own and her father's) that she has decided to take breast cancer awareness into her own "hands," so to speak. It is because my family's history that I think it's so important for all women to perform self breast exams.

Almost 26 years ago, my dear sweet aunt passed away because of breast cancer. Another of my amazing aunts is a breast cancer survivor. In my family, as well as yours, it is so very very important to not only be aware of the symptoms but to be active in watching for them!

The liv breast self exam aid is made to help you examine your breast tissue. It's a heart-shaped pad filled with a non-toxic lubricant. When placed on the breast, the liv reduces the friction between your fingers and your skin, allowing your fingers to glide more easily across your breast and more clearly feel any abnormalities!

Every woman should perform a breast self exam once a month. As you get used to performing these monthly exams, you'll be able to better tell whether there have been any changes in your tissue. Here, from the liv website, is a summary of what to watch for in your exams:

Breast Changes to Watch for During a Breast Self-Exam

Any new lump or hard knot found in the breast or underarm
Any lump or thickening that does not shrink or lessen after your next period
Any change in the size, shape or symmetry of your breast
A thickening or swelling of the breast
Dimpling, skin irritation or other change in the breast skin or nipple
Redness or scaliness of the nipple or breast skin
Nipple discharge (fluid coming from your nipples other than breast milk), particularly if the discharge is bloody, clear and sticky, dark and occurs without squeezing your nipple
Nipple retraction: turning or drawing inward or pointing in a new direction

If you find any of these changes, Dr. Bodai advises you to see your health care provider as soon as possible for a clinical evaluation. It is important to keep in mind that most breast lumps women find, as Olivia Newton-John’s early ones, are normal. So, don’t be afraid to get to know your body and to follow up with your doctor.

Friends, I love each and every one of you, whether I know you or not. I beg you to take your health into your own hands. Begin (if you don't already) performing monthly breast exams. Begin having an annual clinical breast exam. Don't let any more time go by before you take control. What are you waiting for?

It’s time to LIV.

Olivia Newton-John wants to be sure every woman is performing their monthly exams! To help one of you with this essential task, liv is including one liv aid, a $19.95 value, in my "I love ME!" package! (Just for fun, follow live on facebook and twitter!) After all, what better way to show--me--that I love me than to take the best possible preventative care of my own body??

I was provided this product at no cost in order to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own.

"I love ME" Spotlight: Hazelaid

2012-01-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

One of the quickly growing baby trends of today is Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces. So many babies (mine included) are wearing them night and day to help repel or remove the negative effects of teething. If you haven't tried baltic amber, you're likely a skeptic. I know I sure was! Even if you've put a baltic amber teething necklace on your child and seen the reduction of teething symptoms, you're likely (as I was) to think that you just have an easy teether.

I was like you. I really was! And then I discovered a simple little, well-kept secret. Wanna hear it? Shhh, don't tell anyone. Are you ready? It works! Okay, okay, it's not really a secret. In fact, I shout it loud and proud to anyone who will listen. Baltic Amber is for real! It works! How do I know? I've been wearing a baltic amber teething necklace for several months now! It's true. Usually I wear it around my neck. Sometimes I double it and wear it as a bracelet. The trouble is, although even wearing a necklace helps, most of my chronic pain is in my legs. It's never made sense to me to wear a necklace to make my legs feel better. It helps, that's for sure, but I've always wondered whether an anklet would be more beneficial.

When I started putting together my package for the "All for Love" blog event, I knew right away I wanted to focus on "ME" because that's where my focus has been all year. I tried to think of products that have benefited me in my quest for health, and kept coming back to baltic amber. My mind immediately went to a great company with whom my sister has worked, Hazelaid!

Hazelaid was born when the family's 3rd child was born with severe eczema. Their search to find something...anything...to help led them to hazelwood jewelry. After seeing the difference the jewelry made in ALL the family's sensitive skin, they started their own company to share hazelwood, baltic amber, and other natural remedies with the world!

I received a 20" Super Butter Baltic Amber Teething Necklace from Hazelaid to try!

Baltic amber looks like little stones or beads, but it's actually made from natural resin. As the body warms the resin, it releases oils that are known world-wide (and have been for centuries) as a natural pain reliever. Why don't we use this more commonly in the US?

It is commonly believed that the lighter the color of the amber, and the less polished it is, the more powerful its healing medicine. I chose Super Butter from Hazelaid for this very reason, and chose a 20" chain so it would easily wrap twice around my ankle. (Hazelaid has anklets in several colors/styles, but sadly not in the Super Butter.) The necklace fits loosely twice around, with no threat of coming loose because of the plastic screw closure! It looks cute, and it helps with my leg pain immensely!

Friends, if you haven't before, please consider baltic amber as a significant source of pain relief! Consider, also, Hazelwood for your eczema and other skin conditions! You'll be SO excited about the results, and you'll love that you're not putting so many man-made chemicals into your body! When you consider using these products, please consider Hazelaid! They're a great company with a great purpose and amazing products!

Hazelaid is SO generous, they're not only sponsoring a $25 gift code giveaway as part of the All for Love: I love ME! event, they're also willing to give each of you a 10% discount on your purchases! Check them out today! At checkout, simply enter the code "Life10"...the code has NO maximum number of uses (use it over and over!) and no expiration! (Just for fun, why don't you visit Hazelaid on facebook and twitter while you're waiting for the giveaway?)

Enjoy!!

I was provided with this item at no cost in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

Wordless Wednesday: Crusts are GROSS!

2012-01-25T16:42:00.000-05:00

Champions for Kids. Be one of millions.

2012-01-25T11:57:00.000-05:00

I did the math, and it makes my heart sad.

There were 50,641 households in 2010 in the county in which I live, made up of a total of 131,642 people. (I did the research.) Of those 50, 641 households, 31.1%, roughly 15,749 households, contain children under the age of 18. 25.9 % of the county's population, about 34,095 in total, were age 19 and under. That's an average of 2.2 children per house in a household, in the households that have children.

In 2010, 6,055 of the households in my county were food stamps recipients. People, that's 12% of the households. Of those households, 50.2% had children under 18. Let's pretend, just for a minute, each of the families with children who receive food stamps have exactly 2.2 children, the county average. What that would mean is that approximately 6687 children, in MY county...in MY neighborhood...have meals subsidized by food stamps!

Six thousand, six hundred, eighty-seven children in MY backyard are "food insecure," and probably even more!

What's more, there are tons more kids, I'm sure, in my neighborhood, in my county, in this country, who either don't have access to nutritious foods, either by chance, by choice, or by lack of education! That breaks my heart. Kids, whether they have food available or not, are starving - starving! - because what they are putting into their bodies isn't healthy!

I can't find any solid evidence to tell me what the childhood obesity rates are in my county, but I'm sure they're high. Why am I sure? Because the national adult obesity rate is currently (in 2011) is 25%, and in my county that rate is a soaring 32%! People, a third of the adults in my county are obese, and I can just about guarantee you that problem didn't start for most of them the minute they turned 19.

Children around our country, despite there being more than enough nutritious food for all of us, are starving nutritionally because of the choices they are making and the situations in which their families are finding themselves, and I think that's tragic!

~~~~~~~

I have partnered with Abbott Nutrition #AbbottCFK and become "One of Millions"...one of millions becoming Champions for Kids #Championsforkids and working to fight back against the nutrition tragedy in our nation! I've got to be honest with you, this started for me as a campaign to get my kids involved a little in the community and earn a little money. #CBias It's become SO much more than that in my heart, already, though. So very much more. I just have to roll around in my head what exactly it'll mean!

Champions for Kids exists to mobilize MILLIONS of people by providing training and resources to improve the lives of children in communities across America and beyond. Our goal is to mobilize 20 Million people by 2020.

My kids and I went shopping over the weekend to buy some Abbott Nutrition brand snacks to create some snack packs for kids who need them. We went to our local Walmart to do our shopping.

I'd done some research ahead of time and had a pretty good idea of what kinds of snacks we'd buy.

Since I took a couple of boys with me, we had the chance to play a little "nutritious/not nutritious" game while we were deciding on what exactly to purchase!

We finally decided to stick with snacks from the Abbott Nutrition line.

We bagged up our snacks and delivered them, last night, to our children's pastor, Pastor Gayle!

Pastor Gayle was excited to receive the snacks and said there are children, even in our church, who could use the nutritious snacks! Little Lou was so excited to take the snack packs to church because not only does she love Pastor Gayle, but she had a sense of "knowing" where those snacks were going! Pastor Gayle said she'd looked at the Champions for Kids website through the link I'd sent her, and she was very intrigued by it. She's planning to do some more research, and is considering adding some Champions for Kids ideas into the Wednesday night curriculum!

~~~~~~

People, our snack bags will provide a couple of kids with a couple of snacks, but sadly they can't provide snacks for ALL the kids in our area, and they certainly can't provide the education the families need to eat a healthy diet daily...OR the resources for some of the families to do so!

That's where we all come in. Champions for Kids is an amazing program! Please check out the website. Read some of the "SIMPLE Service Project" ideas. Pick one or make one up. Get out there and DO something. There are children all around us that need our help.

Won't you become One of Millions? Won't you become a Champion for Kids?

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

All for Love - I love ME!

2012-01-23T19:45:00.003-05:00

Happy (almost) February, friends! You know what (almost) February means, don't you? It means (almost) Valentine's Day! It means (almost) mushy-gushy-sappy-lovey day! It means (almost) eat so much chocolate you could puke day!

That's right, folks. For years and years, February has been all about love.

I'm pretty sure most of you automatically think of romantic love when you think of Valentine's Day. Who wouldn't? We're all sort of indoctrinated into the Valentine's Day lovey-dovey hype from the time we hand out Valentine's Day cards in grade school. All of the cards we see in stores remind us of the mushiness of this time of year. We all LOVE love, don't we?

This year, though, I have put a new spin on...well, life. I've taken my own life back under control (and given it more fully to God, but that's a whole different story). I've made me a priority, and I've been learning to love ME! That's why, this year, as a part of this year's "All for Love" blog event, I have decided to theme my own blog

I love ME!

Over the next week you'll be reading about the products I'll be giving away the first week of February as a part of the All for Love blog event! You'll want to pay attention this week! I'll be showing you all the AMAZING sponsors I have for my (over $300!!) prize package! You won't want to miss out!

For now? I want you to make a promise to me. Promise me that, over the next month, you'll find one way, just one, that you can begin to show yourself love! It'll make a difference in your life. I promise!

Family Game Night with Wipeout 2 Wii!!

2012-01-23T14:16:00.001-05:00

I am ALL about cheap family entertainment, and my hubby loves video games! We are SO in love with the video game rental feature from http://www.redbox.com!

This weekend we purchased a new (to us) car! What better way to celebrate this new phase in life than with a family game night, right? When we were back in town, Redbox and Con Agra from Walmart were ready to provide our snacks and entertainment! #CouchCritics

We decided to rent Wipeout 2 for the Wii as our game night game. It is rated E10+, and our kids are 4 and 6 (and 1...but he doesn't play video games). We read some reviews about it and didn't think it sounded like there was any content that was to questionable, and it didn't look all that difficult, so we decided to go for it!

We grabbed some Con Agra snacks...Swiss Miss pudding cups, Orville Redenbacher popcorn, and Swiss Miss hot chocolate, and we were ready to go!

The kids LOVED the game!

They loved it so much, in fact, that the grown-ups never had a chance to play! (I think daddy got a few turns in, but mommy didn't get to touch the wii remotes once...other than to get games going for the kids!)

They loved the snacks, too! Bugsy especially loved the Swiss Miss pudding, although he's a BIG chocolate fan!

I love hot chocolate, and Swiss Miss in by far my favorite, so I was in heaven with my choice!

The Redbox is easy. It's fun to have a cheap ($2!) video game night with the kids. It's also fun to get a cheap grown-up blu-ray video ($1.50) for after the kids go to bed! Con Agra foods made the perfect snacks on the side!

Thanks, Redbox and Con Agra, for helping us enjoy an evening IN!

(Be sure to follow Redbox on twitter and facebook to keep up with their latest news!)

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

Champions for Kids

2012-01-21T09:41:00.002-05:00

I go to the grocery every week. I buy a full cart of groceries every week. I buy tons of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and occasionally lean meats. We leave every meal with bellies full of nutritious, (usually) delicious, home-cooked food. We've never gone a day without food. We've never gone a day without HEALTHY food (unless by choice). We've never wondered where we would get our next meal. If for some reason we couldn't afford healthy food, I'm confident our families would help us out...in fact, they have helped us! We've been so blessed.

I am reminded every week as I unload my car full of groceries that there are millions of people...MILLIONS...in our own country that don't have food. There are people in our own state...our own town...our own NEIGHBORHOOD that don't have enough to eat. There are people that have full bellies, but are still starving because they aren't getting the nutrients they need. It's humbling and saddening to have that weekly reminder!

Did you know that more than 16 million children in the United States are food insecure? Did you know that 17% of the nations adolescents, age 2-18, are obese? 1 out of 7 low-income preschoolers are obese as well. These children have food to eat, but either by necessity or by choice, they don't have the nutritious foods they need to help their bodies thrive.

Abbott Nutrition is on a mission to help solve the nutrition dilemma in our country! They're asking you to find out about the nutrition needs of your community by interviewing teachers, social workers, doctors, etc! They're asking you to talk to your family and friends about nutritious snacks and their benefits! They're asking you to donate nutritious snack products to local organizations so kids in your community can eat healthy food, if even for just one snack! They're asking YOU to be "One of Millions" and become a Champion for Kids!

Here at My This N That Life, we're partnering with Abbott Nutrition #AbbottCFK and Collective Bias #CBias to create a snack pack and donate to our local church! Little Lou is super excited to shop for a snack pack this week and take it to Pastor Gail, the children's pastor at our church! While our family can't provide snacks for all of the hungry children in our area, we might just be able to make an impact for one. If we can only make an impact in one kid, that's okay. EVERY kid counts!!

Please consider joining us in the fight against Hunger! Visit Abbott Nutrition's Champions for Kids site to find out how!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.

Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches After the Game!

2012-01-15T21:04:00.000-05:00

Moms with kids (which is, by the way, pretty much all moms) are an inherently busy group of people! The kids are busy, too! Sometimes the kids are busy AND hungry!

Basketball runs for 9 weeks between the beginning of November and the end of January! It's great fun. The girls LOVE it and the parents love seeing the girls learn new skills!

This week was basketball Saturday! Little Lou's age group plays ball from 1-2:30. They practice from 1-1:45 and then play a game. This week was also my nephew Cracker's 2nd birthday party! It was scheduled for 4:00 Saturday, an hour away! When basketball was over, Little Lou was sweaty and hungry, but we needed to get to that party.

Enter, Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches!

We rushed home after the game finished and Little Lou and I ran into the house. She changed into "play clothes" and I went into "make a quick snack" mode. Tyson made it easy-peasy! We had a box of Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches in the freezer. These little sandwiches cook up in just under 2 minutes! I made 2 packages of them in under 5 minutes while Little Lou changed and we were out the door!

Stinky won't eat sandwiches, so I cut his up into bite sized pieces.

The "big kids" were excited to eat their chicken sandwiches (they LOVE Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches!) and they were also excited to eat in the car! (Mommy is a stickler for keeping food out of car seats!) Check out the rest of the story here.

Thanks to Tyson, we were able to make it to the party just in time! Happy Birthday, Crackers!

Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches are a fantastic "after the game" snack! They cook up quickly and are packed with just enough protein and carbohydrates to keep your little ones (or big ones!) moving! They're a favorite around here, that's for sure, and they will be at your house as well!

Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches are available at many Walmart stores! Check today to see if they're available at yours!

“This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

~ Thirteen Years Later ~

2012-01-10T14:29:00.000-05:00

Thirteen years ago today he pulled me into the living room (I think that's what you call the one that you don't ever actually use, right? And the one that gets used is the family room?) at his parents' house. He sat me down in the rocking chair, looked me in the eye, took my hands in his (cold) ones, and said these words which I will never ever forget: "Will you be my girl?"

It'd been a long time coming. There were some obstacles in the way. We'd been friends for about a year. We'd talked on the phone daily-or more-for months. We'd spent hours and hours together at church events, family events, each others' houses. We'd been on a real date, even!

I said, "Sure."

True story.

I probably giggled a little. I remember he kissed me. Then we went back to the family room (living room?) and watched a movie with his parents. And then I went home. End of story.

Well, not really.

Not long later we both had to decide on colleges. We chose the same school. For two years we took nearly every class together, and those we didn't (ummm...calculus, in particular) he tutored me through in the evenings. I figured if he could love me during 4 hours of crying calculus every evening, he could probably love me through everything.

Two years later, he transferred to another college 800 miles away. We dealt with that. I figured if he could love me from 800 miles away, he could probably love me through anything.

People, it's been 13 years. Thirteen! And we've been through...well, just about everything. It feels like it, anyway. Some days, it feels more like it than others, that's for sure. We've experienced both life and death. Sickness and health. Richer and poorer. Hot and cold. We've been there.

And I'm pretty sure he still loves me.

I like that about him.

Thanks for a (mostly) great 13 years! Here's to another 13...and another...and another...and another after that. I love you. Forever!

I can't wait to see what giant plans God has coming for us!

For Women Only: Diva Cup Review and Giveaway

2012-01-09T10:01:00.000-05:00

If you're a man, avert your eyes. Turn away. Now.

I'll give you time.

.

.

.

.

.

Are you still here? I told you to turn away!

Here...go look at tools or something...

Tools for men to drool over while I chat about something girly

Okay, well, that's about the best I can do. If you're a man and you're still here, consider yourself warned!

~~~~~~~~~~

The Diva Cup, my friends!

This isn't the menstrual cup your mama used. It's not the menstrual cup your grandma used, either! (Did you know the first menstrual cups were introduced in the 1930s? Seriously, your grandma may well have given one a try!) Nope. The Diva Cup has re-designed menstrual cups. It's modernized them. And it's been done by a mother/daughter team working to create a more reliable menstrual option than pads and tampons!

When menstrual cups were introduced in the 30s, they were made of latex, a common allergen. Next came a rubber/latex version, which only lasted about 10 years. In 2003, the Diva Cup, a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup, was introduced by mother Francine and her daughter Carinne! This medical-grade menstrual cup is the one still available today.

The Diva Cup is soft and pliable, and when inserted correctly can't be felt at all! (A side note: I use mine inside out. I don't know if Diva Cup supports this method or not. I don't like the stem of it, though, but am perfectly comfortable with the inside out cup!)

The Diva Cup holds an ounce of fluid. It can be worn for up to 12 hours without being removed! (Side note: I remove it every time I use the bathroom. I'm just weird like that.) It's totally a personal preference thing, though!

The Diva Cup can be worn during any type of activity! There's not much you can't do while wearing a Diva Cup! You can sleep with it, run with it, swim with it... (Side note: I don't wear it when I Zumba. I'm a wimp and am always afraid it'll slip when I'm jumping around.)

The Diva Cup comes in 2 sizes: Size one for women under 30 who have never given birth, and size 2 for women over 30 and/or women who have given birth. There's not much of a difference in sizes, so don't think you're going to graduate to something enormous just because you had a birthday (or a baby). They're just made to fit the widening hip joints of maturing women, that's all. (Nice to know that when you hit 30 you're automatically "mature," huh? That's my word, not Diva's, by the way.)

People, I said I'd never EVER use a menstrual cup because they're nasty. (I also said I'd never use mama cloth, but...ahem...) I don't know what I was thinking! Not a month goes by that I don't use the silicone contraption! If you haven't tried one, try it. I can't promise you'll love it, and I'm not going to go into tons of detail about why I love it (you'll figure that out on your own), I'm just speaking from experience here, though, when I say I think you'll like it much better than the alternatives!

If you'd like to give the Diva Cup a try, you can look here for a list of retailers or here to purchase one online!

If you'd rather WIN one, enter on the Rafflecopter form below!

I received this product at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We're all alike, aren't we?

2012-01-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

We went to the grocery today, Little Lou, Bugsy, Stinky, and I.

My kids were angels. All of them. From the biggest all the way down to the littlest. I behaved fairly well, too. I gave Little Lou and Bugsy jobs today. Little Lou carried the list, read the list to me, and marked off each item. Bugsy helped me find the numbers for the correct aisles. They both helped me bag the groceries; in fact, they finished bagging very soon after I finished paying! They were under threat of losing quarters when we got home, though, and they must have REALLY wanted to keep those quarters!

It doesn't always work that way. Sometimes we all behave much more poorly than we did today. Sometimes Stinky squishes the bread or throws the green peppers on the floor. Sometimes Bugsy runs laps around the cart or throws a fit in the store. I rarely take Little Lou with me, because I find that two kids are way less than three kids! I often get grumpy. The threat of losing money usually doesn't work. It doesn't matter what I threaten or what I offer, sometimes, no matter how hard they claim they're trying, things just don't go well at the grocery!

Remember how I told you God's been stepping on my toes just a wee bit too often lately?

Yeah, about that. I was going about my normal daily routine a couple weeks ago and suddenly these words popped into my head:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

That's Romans 7:15 if you're wondering. It's also a huge blow when it gets you in the gut. You see, I'm a thinker, and sometimes when I'm alone and it's quiet (say, for instance, in the shower...hey, I have 3 kids, that's about all the "quiet" I get!) I like to reflect on life. So this particular day, I was reflecting on my kids' behavior of late, particularly Little Lou's tantrums. I was right in the middle of being frustrated because she kept telling me that she was TRYING to talk nicely to people. And that's when it hit me. Yep.

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."

I'm pretty sure when God threw that punch he wasn't just talking about Little Lou. Maybe he wasn't talking about her at all. And I'm pretty sure it wasn't confined to the children, either. Folks, I am pretty sure he was ~~talking to~~ yelling that at me. He was trying to remind me that I'm just like them.

I'm just like them!

That, my friends, is what hurt the most. The realization that I am just like them. The understanding that Little Lou probably IS doing the best she can to keep her words and her anger and her behavior in general under control. I'm more likely to fall into the "For what I want to do I do not do" category, but that doesn't really matter. What matters is that my kids (and probably your kids) are trying. They're new people. They're inexperienced. They're just figuring this all out. They're not going to get it all right...just like we don't. I want you to read the whole passage, though, because it's really important. This is Romans 7:15-25:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Friends, I'm a sinner. WE are sinners. No matter how hard we try to be good, no matter how hard we try not to be bad, we're never ever going to live up to God's standards. We're going to mess up. I'm going to mess up. My kids are going to mess up.

My kids are going to mess up!

You know what God did, though? He sent his son-his own son!-as a sacrifice for MY sins (and your sins, and even our kids' sins)! God knew in advance that I wasn't going to be perfect and that sometimes I would do the things I don't want to do and not do the things I do want to do. He sent his son down to this earth to die for ME so that even though I mess up, even though I sin, I'll get to spend my eternity with him! He shows me grace and mercy every. single. day.

My kids are going to mess up!

And when they do, I am going to remember those words. Remember them? They're true for all of us.

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

The next time I see one of my kids trying, but failing, to do the things they want to do, or not do the things they don't, I'm going to remember that I'm not perfect either. I'm going to remember that even when I do my best, my best isn't good enough. I can't expect theirs to be either. I'm going to show them a little bit more of the grace and mercy my God shows me every day.

And that, my friends, is just a little bit of the "overflow" I want to show my kids (and myself) this year and always.

Happy new year, friends. May God truly bless you this year and all those to come!

Overflow

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

"The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 NIV

~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever been sitting there, perfectly comfortable, on the couch in your living room, relaxing and reading Facebook updates, and God suddenly reached down and stepped on your toes? I'd like to be able to say that hasn't happened to me either, but yeah. It has. A lot, actually. This week? More than once. It hurts, doesn't it?

So, there I was, chatting with my sister on Facebook, asking on my Facebook fanpage whether any of you had any suggestions as to what should be my "word" for 2012. (None of you responded, which may be good anyway.) I switched back to my personal wall, and the verse there at the top popped up on someone's status and squashed me. You see, I'd just yelled at Little Lou out of frustration. I can't remember why, and I would guess she couldn't tell you either. In hindsight, though, it was no big deal (even just moments later, when I read the verse).

People, my words aren't always nice. They're not always thoughtful. They're not always uplifting. They're not always what I want them to be. But they're (sadly) me. As much as I don't want to admit it, it's right there. "Out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." I can't deny it. As much as I WANT to say I have a happy heart, my words sometimes say otherwise.

~~~~~~~~~

Overflow.

~~~~~~~~~

I've chosen it to be my word for 2012.

advance, cataclysm, cataract, congestion, deluge, discharge, encroachment, enforcement, engorgement, excess, exuberance, flash flood, flooding, infringement, niagara, overabundance, overcrowding, overkill, overmuch, overproduction, plethora, pour, propulsion, push, redundancy, spate, spill, spillover, submergence, submersion, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, torrent

I want my overflow, my discharge, my excess, my surplus, my overabundance, to be a plethora of joy, a niagara of happiness, a deluge of positivity!

I want my family and friends to know that, even when things get rocky (and we already know that tends to happen around here) that they can count on me to be steadfast, to keep my eyes on Christ, and to respond respectfully and accordingly.

I want my children to know that the words that come out of my mouth are the words of a kind, gentle, loving mommy, not a spiteful angry one.

I want my husband to know that he can expect uplifting, joyful words when he comes home, not nagging, judgmental, harsh words.

I want the overflow of my heart to mirror the overflow of Christ's love.

~~~~~~~~

2012. Overflow.

~~~~~~~~

Vitality

2011-12-30T21:29:00.001-05:00

~~~~~~~~~~

Last year, my life-long friend (and fellow blogger at Faith of a Small Seed) challenged me to choose a word toward which I would strive for the next year. I've never been "good" at New Year's Resolutions. I think they're sort of silly. This word idea, though, intrigued me. After much MUCH thought and prayer, I settled on the word "vitality."

I didn't know then what I do now. Had I been able to look into the future, I'd have know that vitality was exactly EXACTLY what I needed to focus on in 2011. I needed endurance. I needed intensity. I needed life. I needed a little bit of punch here and there. I couldn't have survived this year without vitality!

If you've been around a while, you know more of my story than the newbies, but just in case you've forgotten, it's been a heck of a year over here!

In January The Hubby started work on a second bachelor's degree. That means he's working full time and going to school nearly full time. He's super busy and we're both super tired! This mama's needed a bit of pep to survive the long LONG days without any help!

In June Bugsy had a 13 hour skull surgery, the third in his 4 years of life (#6 overall on his surgery list). If you've ever handed a child over for surgery, you can imagine the pain I felt for that entire 13 hours. The plan was to take a rib graft from his own chest and use it to fill some gaps in his skull, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) he'd been under for too long by the time the surgeons got to that point in the surgery, and he now has three areas of titanium mesh holding together his million dollar noggin. God is good, though, and Bugs is a NORMAL 4 year old boy!

In August I received a scary medical diagnosis that changed my life from here on out. You'll be able to read more about that in February...you'll see. There was a little bit of just "being" for a while, and then some power. You see, I have learned that I have to take control of my health. I'm doing that!

Late spring I decided I needed to regain some health, some bounce, some pizzazz, to my life! I started on a journey toward wellness and can't believe how much better I'm feeling physically! I've lost over 45 pounds, gone from a size 16 pants and XL shirt to a size 10 pants and M shirt! I even have a few small shirts that fit just fine now! I am eating well and exercising almost daily. My body is so thankful!

The Hubby took 11 hours of classes this fall! That mean mama and the kids operated as a single parent family Monday-Friday. That was extremely stressful. Kudos to all you parents who do it on a daily basis! I can't imagine how difficult that must be! We've decided that we're going to try not to do that again. It was very difficult on all of us, and probably not great for my health.

I found Zumba! My Zumba instructors ROCK!

Although it's been a rough year around here, I've fought back. I've survived, and I'd say I've shown a fair amount of vitality. I wouldn't say I was awesome at it, but I gave it a good effort. I have a long LONG way to go on the vitality front, but I've given myself a good start and am so ready to see where God will take my family in the next year!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Do you keep them or break them? Are you like me, and think they're silly? Are you just so ready to get on to next year you don't even care?

I'd LOVE to have you join me in choosing a word for next year! Strive to embody that word. Learn it. Live it. Tell me about it!

~~~~~

Happy New Year and God bless!

I know your secret. Motivated Moms review and giveaway.

2011-12-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

I've been in your houses and they're all spotless. I've walked in my stocking feet on your clean-enough-to-eat-off-of kitchen floors. I've laid my coat on your freshly made bedroom-sanctuary beds. Your kids' toys are all lined up neatly on the appropriate shelves. Your carpets are vacuumed in perfect lines...

What's that? I didn't just describe your house? You have peanut butter smudges on your kitchen table and dog footprints on your back door, too? Whew! Thank you for telling me!

I'm going to tell you a little secret about me. It might be your little secret, too. Without moving from my seat here on the couch, I can see 9 pair of shoes, 2 pair of dirty pants, a dirty shirt, one dirty sock, half a dozen scraps of paper, a granola bar wrapper, 4 toy cars and a wooden train, 3 baskets of (folded) laundry, and...and...and... It's true. When you come to my house you won't see this kind of chaos. It'll be clean..."company clean." My kids' rooms will be picked up (but probably not vacuumed), the bathroom will be spotless, and the kitchen will be clean enough. If I have time I'll actually mop the kitchen floor, but chances are I'll do a once-over with a Swiffer Wet and call it a day. I'll load up all that laundry and plunk it on my bed, which you'll never see because it'll be in the one room in the house with a closed door. You do NOT want to go in there!

Want to hear another secret? I've had it in my head, for a LONG time, that I'm the only one that does this. I've had it in my mind that the rest of you are perfect little housewives with perfect little clean houses. Nothing is every out of place. Nothing is ever left dirty in the kitchen sink. Your kids are bathed every morning and they never ever forget to brush their teeth. I've had it in my head that I'm pretty much the only slacker when it comes to the whole "caring for my home and family" thing.

But guess what? I'm not alone. Nope. I have a sneaking suspicion that one or two or a hundred of you are just like me. Oh, sure, give me 30 minutes and I can throw together a "company clean" house that won't be an embarrassment. Stop by unannounced, though, and I might just hug you at the door and send you packing! I bet a few of you are just like me. It's not the lack of know-how. It's not the lack of want-to. It's probably not even the lack of motivation. It's more a lack of planning, for me anyway. You see, when I go to bed at night I don't have a list made of what I'll do the next day. When I wake up in the morning I don't have a plan before my feet hit the floor. I should, though!

About a year and a half ago, I stumbled onto a website called Motivated Moms. If I remember correctly, a friend on facebook mentioned that she is a "motivated mom" and had accomplished everything on the list that day. I wanted to be motivated, too! I looked up Motivated Moms and found a website claiming to have exactly what I already knew I needed: a mommy chore chart! I ordered a calendar right away and set to work!

The Motivated Moms chore list is set up in kind of a weekly rotation. There are daily tasks to do, but then each day of each week there are certain jobs to accomplish. Some of them are things I'd never think of (rotate mattress?) and some of them seem so mundane you could never forget them (clip children's fingernails). Sadly, those mundane tasks are the ones that seem to be most neglected around here! The weeks come in a bit of a pattern, and before long you just know what to do. "It's Tuesday! I need to clean out my purse." "It's Wednesday, I need to clip the kids' nails." "It's Saturday, I need to water my plants." How wonderful, though, to have that little box to tick off at each task! The daily tasks are "no brainers" too. Unfortunately, things like exercise and read my Bible are the things that get pushed to the back burner when life is hectic. Not true, though, when I'm faithful about using my Motivated Mom chore list, because I have to tick off those boxes!

I admitted to you last December that I was kind of behind in turning my calendar pages. I vowed to myself that I would do SO much better in 2011! I told myself I didn't need a new calendar, I would just write the new year's dates over last year's and use the same calendar. I told myself if that didn't work, I'd make up my own chart. It would be easy. But I didn't. And I didn't. You see, the beauty of the Motivated Moms chore list is that it's already made! Someone has already tested it out. Someone has already done all the planning! All I have to do is turn the page! I could do this myself, but I won't. And my house will be messy. And I won't be able to welcome you when you stop by unannounced, at least not without fear that you'll see my secret messes!

Speaking of messes, let me tell you a little about how amazing Motivated Moms is, at least for me. I've already looked at the calendar for the first week of January, folks, and I'm scared. That first Tuesday you know what I'm going to have to do? Dust my bedroom. Eek! We've been down this road before. It was the first job on the first day last time I did Motivated Moms. And what did I have to do? I had to clean my room so I could dust it! (It was pretty protected from dust that first week, as everything had a pretty good cover of stuff.) Guess what, folks? I'm going to have to do that again. My room is definitely not dustable right now. A couple days later I had to vacuum my kids' floors. But guess what? I had to clean their rooms so I could GET to the floors! (They have room cleaning rules, now, and I won't have AS much trouble.) I was washing a load of laundry EVERY day, unless there wasn't any to wash! I was sweeping the kitchen and mopping the floors and and and... And that first couple weeks was HARD!

But then something amazing happened. I looked around one day and my house was clean CLEAN when I got up in the morning! Sure, there were a couple toys here and there, but I was proud of my house! That day when it came time for my chores, they took about 15 minutes and then I was done! And the next day and the next day and the next day...15 minutes!

People, it wasn't perfect. I wouldn't have wanted you to come in with a white glove and inspect. But it was clean enough that I would have been perfectly content to welcome any one of you into my home. That's why I'm such a huge fan of Motivated Moms! That's why I'm starting again, and this time at the end of the year I'll purchase another $8 calendar...because it's worth it!

I've got my 2012 calendar printed. It's 3-hole punched and inserted into a binder. There's already a pen in the binder pocket. I am SO ready to get this Motivated party started! I want you to join me. TChore lists are just $8 from Motivated Moms, and you can choose which of several formats you prefer! Who'll make a commitment to use a Motivated Moms calendar alongside me?

(Want to commit, but don't have the $8 to purchase a calendar your self? Enter below to win a Motivated Moms chore list!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

...speaking of potty training... (Potette Review and Giveaway)

2011-12-16T22:53:00.000-05:00

If you've ever potty trained a toddler, you know that they're unpredictable. Sometimes they refuse to use the potty for days, and then all of a sudden they have to go RIGHT. NOW. Sometimes when they have to go, you're at home. Sometimes you're at the grocery store. Sometimes you're driving down the road in the middle of nowhere with no bathrooms for miles!

Kalencom has a great solution for the "I gotta go!" emergency. I'd like to introduce you to the 2 in 1 Potette Plus, a portable trainer and potty seat, and its accessory, the disposable portable potty liner!

The Potette Plus is a really neat little folding potty seat. It comes with a plastic carrying bag to make it portable! The legs of the potty seat fold up into the seat, making it just a could inches high. It can easily be thrown into the back seat of your car, into the diaper bag, even into a large purse! The legs also fold out, so the Potette Plus can be used on top of a regular toilet, either at home or in a public restroom!

When we first received the Potette Plus, Stinky was super excited to sit on it. What a fun new toy, and all for him! Then, after a couple weeks, he accidentally peed in a different potty chair 3 times. (Yes, I said accidentally. It scared him! He cried.) He's been a little afraid to even try the potty for the last week or so, until yesterday, when he suddenly took an interest again, but to the big potty.

While he was brushing his teeth on the toilet (doesn't everyone?) Bugsy had to go. NOW. You see, it's not just when they're potty training that they have to go immediately, but well into their preschool years. So when Bugs had to go NOW, I pulled out the handy dandy Potette Plus! (Ah, for another bathroom...) The Potette Plus worked perfectly! Bugsy's 4, so he doesn't have those super short toddler legs anymore, and it was a little harder for him to actually sit on the Potette Plus, but it worked great in a pinch! Bugsy was a little unsure about using a baby potty, until I told him I wanted to take a picture of his pee.

The disposable potty liners have an absorbent padding in the bottom to catch the pee. This would be great for traveling, as you wouldn't have to worry about finding a place to immediately dispose of the bag of urine!

Just remove the bag, tie it up, and toss it in the trash can at your destination! Easy as pie!

There are a couple of things I'd love to see improved with the Potettee Plus. I'd love to see a higher "splash guard" for little boys. Bugsy didn't have a problem, but he's been using the potty for quite some time and knows how to make sure his pee goes into the potty. I anticipate Stinky having a bit of trouble with that at first.

The other thing I'd love to see is reusable potty liners! I think it'd be GREAT if there were snap in liners that went into a washable bag! That may not be the most convenient way to do it, but for cloth diapering mamas, it would be a nice improvement. A PUL lined bag with a snap in liner would be great!

I really like the Potette Plus! It's great for travel and for an extra potty seat around the house! I love that it can be used on the floor or on the toilet! It's really adaptable to your situation. The Potette Plus is a great asset to our potty training line-up!

Oh, and after Stinky saw his big brother having a "go" on his Potette Plus, he needed off the toilet and onto "mine potty!" right now!

You can purchase your own Potette Plus from Kalencom (or several other fine retailers) for just $16 and liners for $5-$12! It's a great deal for such a versatile potty!

Interested in winning your own potty seat? Here's your chance! Kalencom has offered to give a Potette Plus to one of my lucky readers! Enter below using the easy Rafflecopter form!

a Rafflecopter giveawayI was provided with this item at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

Who is the author of your book?

2011-12-14T21:14:00.002-05:00

My friend Sarah just posted this as (part of) her Facebook status:

Logan says to me today "Who is the author of your book?" I replied with his name; then he says "who is the illustrator?"

So here I sit, stuck in thought. You see, I got all tangled up right there in that first question, "Who is the author of your book?"

Who is the author of your book?

This is, unfortunately a question that doesn't cross my mind very often. I mean, I have hundreds, maybe even thousands, of books in my house. No exaggeration. In fact, were it not for all those books, I would probably have room to put in a second bathroom. That's not the kind of book I'm stuck in, though.

I'm stuck in MY book. MY story. Stuck wondering who is really the author. I want to say that God is my author. I want to say that MY book is a biography. You know, a book someone else is writing about me. (A good one, too, with lots and lots of humor, great attitudes, tons of friendliness, and a taste of grace and mercy thrown in where it's needed.)

The thing is, though, that I'm afraid my book's often a bit more of an autobiography. You know, a book about me. One I'm writing myself. A lousy one, that no one will ever read. A disappointing, sorry excuse for a story.

It's true, though. I want to hand over the pen. I want to let God write my story. The WHOLE thing. Oh, He's already written the introduction. And I know he's already written the epilogue. But all those chapters in between? Well, we've been fighting over authorship for quite some time now. Maybe forever. But that's not what I want. I want to just let go. I want to just let God write the whole story.

The illustrator, though? I think that's all me. You see, I think it's okay if I do some of the fancy work. Some of the handiwork. In fact, I think God wants me to get down and dirty, to pull out the water colors and markers and chalk and make my story beautiful. I'm pretty sure that's what He had in mind when he started writing my story.

Who is the author of YOUR book?

Lord, I'm done fighting over who is going to write my story. The pen is yours. Take it. Write my story. I'll be here with my paints and markers, ready to make the pages beautiful and add my own little spin, but I'd like for you to take over the writing. I'm sorry for all the times I've taken the pen from you. I'm sorry for all the times I've tried to write my own chapters. Thank you for always knowing what you've got in mind for the next page, though. The next one, and every one after that, is yours. Write away, Lord, write away!

Wordless Wednesday: "I tuuuute!"

2011-12-14T09:28:00.000-05:00

It's time! WunderUnders Review and Giveaway

2011-12-13T21:00:00.001-05:00

It's that time again, folks! The stage is set, the players are all in their spots, the lights are low, and the curtain is ready to be drawn! That's right...it's show time! (Or in our house...POTTY TIME!)

Yep, it's true.

Stinky is 21 months old. Can you believe it, because I sure can't! He's loud at home and doesn't speak in public. He's goofy as can be. He LOVES to dance and "sing." He's got over 100 words now! (I know, I made a spreadsheet.) He likes black beans and animals (from a distance) and flushing the potty.

Flushing the potty? Yep. It's a favorite game of his. He's sneaky. We watches for someone to inadvertently leave the door ever-so-slightly ajar, and then he pounces. When I catch him, he tugs at the top of his pants and says, "Potty?" I put him on the potty. He fusses and whines and gets down. Rinse. Repeat.

So, here's what I decided. If your 21 month old can SAY potty, and knows that if he's by the potty he should pull down his pants, and warns you as soon as he has a poopy diaper, and cries if his diaper is even slightly soiled, he's probably ready. Ready for what, you ask??

Ready for Big Boy Undies!

But then there's the problem of the mess. And just because he THINKS he's ready for Big Boy Undies, and just because he LIKES Big Boy Undies, that doesn't mean that my carpets are really in the mood for the kind of deep cleaning that would be required, know what I mean? So we're at that awkward stage of potty training. You know, the place where Stinky likes to sit on the potty (sometimes) with or without clothes. The place where Stinky likes to notify me just a smidge too late, "I poo." The place where undies sound amazing (to mommy AND baby) but they're not so amazing in practice. The place where you could really use something like

You haven't heard of WunderUnders? That's too bad. WunderUnders are an essential potty training product that you won't believe you've lived without! What are they? They're adorable training underwear!

Danielle from WunderUnders understands that not only are no two children at the same point in the potty training process, but no two children are the exact same size or shape, either! Danielle custom makes a variety of types of trainers, specifically to fit your child! We tried out a Hybrid Trainer with Accident Inserts and Optional Side Snaps. Since Stinky's still at the very beginning of training, but lets me know when he's pottied, he doesn't typically need a diaper-like absorbency for daytime anymore. The accident inserts are perfect! They leave his bum dry but let him feel the wetness. We need the side snaps for now because, as you know, pulling icky undies up and down is not pleasant! As Stinky gets better at this potty thing, though, He'll get to a point where we don't need snaps any more. The trainer we have can easily be pulled up and down, but Danielle also makes snapless trainers that are perfect for the "almost there" stage! (Don't worry, if you love the look of WunderUnders but don't want to have to deal with the snap in inserts, Danielle makes pocket and all-in-one trainers as well!)

Even though the trainers are specially made, though, that doesn't mean that you can't use the same trainers if you're training two kids at a time! Danielle has two children herself, a boy and a girl. They're different ages, different sizes, even different genders, but they can sometimes wear the same trainers! Don't be afraid that just because they're custom made they won't fit your little one for a long time!

Danielle's son, 13 months, in Elephant Walk WunderUnders

Danielle's daughter, 3 1/2, in the same pair of WunderUnders!

So, you want to know what I think of WunderUnders, right?

Here goes. I LOVE that Danielle posts a measuring "how to" right on her facebook page! Since the trainers are custom made, and everyone measures differently, it's important to know exactly what she's looking for when you send her your numbers.

I LOVE that there are about 80 bajillion fabric choices! You get to choose your own panel, side, and trim colors! You can make your trainers as colorful or plain as you want them to be. I actually told Danielle which middle panel fabric I wanted, and then a couple choices for the sides and trim, and gave her the freedom to create what would look best. I LOVE what she ended up with!

The quality of the trainers is amazing. Target could sell these. I'm not even kidding here, people. I wouldn't be surprised to one day walk into a department store and see WunderUnders hanging on a rack. They look amazing. The fabric feels like high quality fabric. The stitching is perfect. They're SO well made. I am very impressed!

They absorb! I mentioned that they'll definitely hold one pee and I'm pretty sure he's gotten a couple in there once or twice before I've caught him. They even hold up when he's playing, like, you know, a little boy! I haven't tried our trainer for overnights, and I won't until he's getting close to nighttime trained, but WunderUnders has a nighttime insert as well! I'm sure that, based on the absorbency we've found with out trainer, the overnights will be great as well!

The fit is, overall, fantastic. I really like that the hybrid trainer isn't tight around Stinky's thighs. I love that it sits just below Stinky's pudgy toddler belly. It has never left a red mark anywhere on Stinky's little body! The only problem I have with fit is that I didn't measure well. I'm a measuring newbie, and I measured Stinky's rise just a tad shorter than it actually is. While the trainer covers him completely, it's just a little short, and when he has a particularly messy poo, it doesn't hold well. That's not a trainer issue AT ALL, though. That's totally a mommy error!

I LOVE the snap in liner of the WunderUnders hybrid trainers! I love that it isn't a "single use" trainer. Since early potty trainers tend to potty a LOT and need to be changed very frequently, it's great to see a trainer that adapts to that need! It would be a great idea to have 3 or 4 of the covers and 15 or 20 of the inserts! I know that may sound a little excessive, but I have potty trained 2 others (of my own) and know that the tiniest tinkle deserves immediate response in the eyes of a potty training toddler!

Did I mention they're cute as can be??

The only (tiny) issue I have with WunderUnders is that the elastic trim is a little pilly after about 6 or 7 washes. I have a feeling that is a common problem with these soft elastic trims that some diapers have. I will GLADLY trade the soft trim for a little pilling any day, though! There is no scratching. There are no rough spots to irritate Stinky's legs or waist. It's worth the slight pilling to have a soft trainer!

Would I recommend the WunderUnders trainers? ABSOLUTELY! I love the quality, the options, the fit...I love WunderUnders!

You can find WunderUnders on Facebook. Danielle has created a great page with links to her pricing lists, her fabric choices, her sizing guide, and more!

Danielle has also very generously offered to give one of you a free pocket trainer of your very own! (Enter below on the easy Rafflecopter form. Contest will end and a winner will be drawn 12/21/11 at 11:59pm EST.)

a Rafflecopter giveawayI received this item at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

Our "Advent Calendar"

2011-12-08T21:31:00.001-05:00

You should probably know that I'm not great at doing the "traditional" stuff. You know, like hanging stockings (I know, I know, it's important but we have a small house and I just don't always bother), or making a countdown "chain" (thank you, Sunday school, for helping Little Lou to make one!), or filling an awesome Advent Calendar (like my aunts do). I am working hard to create some traditions for my kids, though! You know, things like putting up the Christmas tree after they've already gone to bed at night so they wake up to a great Christmas surprise, baking a "Happy birthday Jesus" cake and feasting on cake for breakfast Christmas morning, and my favorite of all...the Christmas book countdown!

It's our Advent Calendar, of sorts. I probably should have shared it with you a week ago in case you wanted to get in on the fun. Sorry! I can't tell you where I got the idea, but it was from another blog last year. If it was you, fess up and I'll tag you! So here's the deal:

When my kids wake up on December 1, they find not only an undecorated lit Christmas tree, but they see 24 packages under the tree! Twenty four small rectangles. Twenty four December surprises.

For the month of December, the kids take turns picking one package each night.

They're all books. They know that now. They aren't all Christmas books. Some of them are Christian Christmas books. Some are secular Christmas books. Some are just about winter. Some qualify simply because they have a picture or two of snow! The one that picks the book that night gets to open it.

The "picker" gets to sit on Mommy's lap while we read the book. (Unless, of course, the picker is Little Lou. She typically elects to read the book to her brothers.)

And there you have it! Our super simple Advent Calendar tradition! It's a lot of work for Mommy, digging through all the books to find the right ones, wrapping 24 books, and mediating who gets to pick when, but it's so worth it to see them open the books and sit with them each night to read the stories. They're learning about Jesus and the real reason for Christmas, and they're also learning a little bit about the "secular" Christmas story. I LOVE this tradition!

**As a side note, Little Lou has been asking whether Santa is real. She told me she knows the reindeer aren't real because, "Seriously Mommy? Flying reindeer don't even make sense." We've never EVER pushed the Santa thing. We don't use Santa as a threat at all. We rarely even mention him! Little Lou had one picture taken with Santa, but that's it. So help us out, friends. How do we let Little Lou down gently? I need your ideas!**

On Quiet 1 Year Olds (Wordless Wednesday)

2011-12-07T08:33:00.001-05:00

Because Mommy didn't have enough to do today...

(Yes, that would be EVERY piece of clothing from 2 drawers, unfolded and piled onto the floor and drawer. Guess I'd better get moving!)

Diamond Candles Call for Bloggers

2011-12-04T06:36:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's current, maybe it's not, but just in case, I am applying!

Diamond Candles is looking for review bloggers!

That's right. They NEED bloggers who are willing to review their candles! Have you heard of Diamond Candles? They're soy candles (hooray for soy!) and every. single. ring. comes with a ring inside! They're not all diamonds, but some of them are! The rings can be worth $10 or hundreds of dollars. You won't know until you burn your candle what kind of ring you get!

If you're interested in doing a blog review, click this link to get to the review form! Good luck!

I like you...and a giveaway.

2011-12-02T09:27:00.001-05:00

I like you!

I like writing for you.

I like the way you indulge me even when I'm really writing for myself.

I like the way you interact with me!

I like that some of you have become my virtual "friends" over the last year.

I like sharing bits of my life with you.

I like the way you share bits of your lives with me!

I like you!

~~~~~

You know what else I like? I like my kids (even when they're, you know, behaving like kids) and I like my husband (even when he's behaving like, you know, a husband). I like telling them what I like about them, and I like hearing what they like about me (who doesn't?), but I don't always remember to tell them what I like, especially on the rough days. That's why I like the I Like Book!

I know, of course, that none of you ever feel this way, but some days it's not easy to ~~think of something I like about~~ like all the people in my family. That's right. I'm putting it right out there. Sometimes I don't even bother to try to like my family! Like I said, I know you aren't that way, but sometimes I just have one of those days, you know? That's why I like the I Like Book!

You see, the I Like Book is divided into months. And then into days within each month. There's a spot for every. single. day. of the year! I don't know about you, but I'm an "all or nothing" kind of girl. If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it. All the way. Until it's done. The right way. The I Like Book ~~forces~~ ~~prods~~ ~~reminds~~ allows me the space to tell my family what I like!

I initially received the I Like Book to use with my daughter. As you know if you've been here a while, she and I clash a little. She's 6. She's a perfectionist. She's opinionated. She's a tad bit like her mommy. We struggle to see eye-to-eye. I wanted to have the vehicle to show her (and me!) daily what I like about her! I thought surely it couldn't hurt, and most likely it would help, our relationship and both of our attitudes! I was SO excited to start using the I Like Book. As soon as I received the purple book (her favorite color!) I ripped it open and checked it out.

I instantly fell in love with the format! THAT DAY I ordered 3 more books, one for Bugsy (age 4) one for Stinky (age 21 months) and one for my husband and myself. I liked the format that much.

We're only 5 days into the I Like Book. When I finish writing this post, I will go write in the books. Today, I am going to tell Little Lou that I like listening to her read to her brothers! I'm going to tell Bugsy that I love the way he helps me bag the groceries every time we go to the store. I'm going to tell Stinky that I love his snuggles (I need that reminder today because he was ON me ALL day today)! I haven't decided what I'm going to say to my hubby yet, but I wouldn't tell you anyway. Tomorrow morning, my kids will run (literally run) to the table the minute they get up to see what I said in their books. Little Lou will read them out loud. They'll all smile and be proud of what I said. They'll remind me all day long about what I wrote in their books. They are loving the positive reinforcement that they're getting every day!

I can't say enough about the I Like Book! The quality is amazing. The concept, although very simple, is very unique and charming. The reminders to me to think of what I like about my family? Priceless!

Thank you, I Like Book, for bringing a little bit of joy into my family this Christmas season! We're loving the books (all 5 of us) and we're already loving their effects!

You can purchase your very own I Like Books in a variety of colors for just $19.95 each! If you're like me, you're thinking, "$20? For a book? That's crazy." It's not. It's worth every bit of that. Buy one (or more). You'll be so very glad you did!

Want to try it out but you're just not sure about buying it yet? (Trust me, you'll be convinced.) You're in luck! I'm giving one of you very lucky US readers one free I Like Book! You choose the color! Why am I don't that? Because I Like You! (And I Like Book likes you, too!)

(Open to US only. Contest will end and a winner will be drawn December 13, 2011.)

I received one copy of the I Like Book at no cost to me in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own. I Like Books are AMAZING!

Wordless Wednesday -- Bugs: A Shoe Tying Tutorial

2011-11-30T19:46:00.001-05:00

Go Green Champ WINNER

2011-11-29T11:06:00.001-05:00

You like prizes, I like giving them out! Today's winner is

Breanne

entry #412! Thanks for following my blog!

Breanne, check your inbox! You have 48 hours to respond or I'll choose a new winner! Enjoy your diaper!

No-hassle meals for sleepy moms! (A Tyson Mini-Chicken Sandwich story)

2011-11-27T19:40:00.001-05:00

I'm one of them. Yep, that's right. I wear it loud and proud. I'm not ashamed.

I'm a Black Friday Shopper!

Now, I'm not the "dress up in Christmas wear" kind of shopper. I'm not the "shove people out of my way for the stuff I want" kind of shopper. I'm not even the "stand in line for hours on end" kind of shopper...usually.

What I AM is the "shop from midnight to 4am" shopper. (Longer if no one is sick at home.) I'm the "make a list and leave it at home" kind of shopper. I'm the "I don't really want anything, but I can't resist going" kind of shopper. I'm the "shop all the local stores and then shop their websites" kind of shopper. I do it for fun, with my sister and mom.

And then I'm exhausted and all I want to do is SLEEP!

But, I have three of these:

and they like to get up early. And eat.

What's a super sleepy, post-Black Friday shopping mama to do when 3 hungry ~~monsters~~ sweethearts wake up too early on Black Friday morning?

Why, she'll pop a couple of these bad boys into the microwave:

50 seconds on each side, add a few apple slices, and my three munchkins had a balanced breakfast! (Mommy got to turn the kiddos over to Daddy and go back to sleep!)

Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches are quick, easy, and budget-friendly! (They're daddy friendly as well, in case the need should arise.) You can purchase them at Walmart. Click here to see where I found them in my store and to "watch" my shopping trip! Right now, for a limited time and while supplies last, Tyson has a special offer at Walmart! (Check here to see if your Walmart has the sandwiches!) When you purchase 2 boxes of Tyson Mini Chicken Sandwiches, you can earn a $5 Walmart giftcard by mail! Now that's #TysonGoodness!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are my own.

Melissa & Doug Facebook Cyber Monday!

2011-11-27T19:07:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Check out this awesomeness for Melissa & Doug!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 24

2011-11-24T21:35:00.001-05:00

Brussels sprouts.

Yep, you read that right. Today I am thankful for Brussels sprouts. Sweet potatoes. Carrots. Corn. Potatoes. Broccoli. Turkey. The bounties of our Thanksgiving table today!

More than the food, though (although those brussel sprouts get me EVERY time), I am thankful for the relationships that grow around that table. I am so thankful for family that gathers at every holiday, usually around a table to food. With or without that food, though, I would be equally as thankful, not only for the companionship of my family, but for the legacy my grandparents left and that I am honored to be able to share with my own children.

I am thankful for my aunt who hosted Thanksgiving today...and also hosted a pre-Thanksgiving "Girls Rule" sleepover at her house last night for two 6-year-old girls and two 7-year-old girls! I'm so thankful my kids are able to build friendships with their cousins!

I am thankful for the many hands that had a part in preparing today's meal.

I am equally as thankful for all of you family members who couldn't make it today! I missed each of you dearly!

Dear Lord, thank you so much for a loving, giving family. Thank you for a day to celebrate the things and relationships with which we've been truly blessed! I will be forever grateful for a legacy of love, not only for family but for our God as well. Thank you for blessing me continuously!

(For the record, I thought they were Brussel sprouts! That got red-lined. You learn something new every day!)

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 22

2011-11-22T14:07:00.001-05:00

Today I don't feel like writing this post, because I have had a very frustrating morning. I'm doing it anyway, and I'll be thankful for self-control. Is that okay with you? I'm thankful for it because I've been using it today. (I mean...not on my eating, because that's not going so hot today...but well...)

Here's a sweet picture of my baby boy from a couple days ago.

He's so stinkin' cute! How could he EVER cause the need for self control?!?

By standing perfectly still and letting this guy

use a pair of these

on those beautiful blond locks. And not just a snip. Nope. You see, part of self-control is making sure that if you're going to do something, you're going to do it right. ALL the way. And Bugs tried to do just that.

I was sitting in the living room, balancing the checkbook on this very computer, over which I could see the boys. They wanted to use that pair of scissors to cut a piece of paper. I could SEE them. I agreed. And then they were cutting that same piece of paper by the back door. I could SEE them. I didn't stop them. And then. "Look, Mommy! I cut his hair!"

"You what?!?"

"I cut his hair! I thought I could make it look better!"

It wasn't a snip.

No, it was a pile. A pile of three inch long, baby fine blond hair. MY baby's hair. Not connected to his head. I couldn't even look at Stinky at first. I thought of my sweet Aunt Maribeth, whose daughter cut her own hair, not too long ago. I remembered that (as the story goes) she didn't yell. She remained calm (although slightly tearful). I wanted to be that mom. I was kind of angry, though, so before I spoke a word, I closed my eyes, prayed, "God, help me," and breathed...and then sent Bugsy to his room until I could calm down. When I opened my eyes and looked at Stinky, here's what I saw:

Not so bad, right?

RIGHT?!?

(Yes, you see 2 bald spots. BALD spots.)

Inside that circle, under a fine layer of hair?? Bald. And just above the circle? It's hard to see, but totally choppy 1/2 in long chunks.

I didn't lose my patience. I hung right onto it. It took every. last. bit. of my self control not to yell. Or cry. But I didn't. Because he's 4. And he's 1. And we've really never talked about NOT cutting hair with scissors. We've never had to. I just pulled out the scissors and cut Stinky's hair. But it was still choppy and chunky and very, very obviously a temporary "fix." And so, now, here's what we're left with:

Yes. That hair is buzzed. 1/4 inch long. And yes. That is a bald spot, still obvious. It's not the only one, either.

He's still cute, though...

Dear Lord, thank you for my boys. Thank you for making them...boys. Thank you so much more than I can say for keeping me calm and helping me to keep my emotions in check at times such as these! You know as well as I do that 4 is not my favorite age. Today didn't help that. But thank you for helping me handle the situation with a supernatural amount of self-control and a fair bit of grace.

Tropical Traditions WINNER!

2011-11-22T07:14:00.001-05:00

I LOVE announcing a winner and making the day of one of my readers! Today it's Tropical Traditions Laundry Detergent winner day! This is great soap! Anyway, you've already read the review, you don't need me to tell you all the perks again. On to the winner...

Samantha Cuhel! Congratulations! Rafllecopter chose your entry, #23! Thanks for following Tropical Traditions on twitter!

If you didn't win, that's okay! There are 3 more open giveaways on the blog right now! Enter away!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 21

2011-11-21T20:34:00.001-05:00

She's spunky. Sassy. Opinionated. Smarter than either of her parents (shhh...don't tell her I said that). She a perfectionist. She loves her brothers. Sometimes. She loves school and would read 12 hours a day if she could (because she sleeps the other 12). She loves the idea of art projects. She breathes basketball all winter long (and if we had a good net, she'd breathe basketball in the summer, too). She would prefer to read a non-fiction book over fiction because "that way I can learn things while I'm reading." She has a vivid imagination. She won't take anything from anyone. She loves to eat salad and rarely drinks anything other than water. She loves Jesus. She adores her daddy.

Little Lou.

I am so glad God decided to let us borrow you for a while! You've been independent since well before you were born. You haven't stopped moving since God put you in my belly. You didn't want to be held when you were born and you've really never relied on anybody for anything. I get so frustrated some days because you are so very opinionated and strong-willed, but I know that someday I will appreciate those very same qualities in you because I'm confident you'll stand your ground when it matters most. You're fierce. You're a fighter. You don't take no for an answer. You're brilliant!

I love you very, very much! You haven't turned out to be exactly who I expected you to be. I'm kind of glad God makes surprises like you. (You weren't a surprise, but who you have become was a surprise!) I probably wouldn't have given you the personality God gave you had I been the one to pick, but I am so glad he chose a spunky, independent, fighter of a personality for you, because you've needed it already and I can't imagine what you'll be fighting for as you grow!

No matter what you decide to grow up and become, know that I love you and I always will. Even when I get frustrated, even if I yell, I still love you. You are a rockstar! (And if that's what you want to be, I'll come to your concerts, but I don't see that being in your future.) I love you, Little Lou!

Dear God, thank you for my little big girl! I can't believe how quickly she's growing and becoming! She amazes me, every. single. day. As she grows, please show me how to be her mommy. I don't always have all the answers, and I know I won't as she grows either. Please help me to be right *most* of the time, though. Help me to have the words to teach her about life and to teach her about you! Help my words and actions to be uplifting to her, and help me to be a good, Godly example for her. Help her to learn love through me. Thanks for Little Lou!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 20

2011-11-20T08:44:00.001-05:00

Today, on the morning of my 31st birthday, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you how thankful I am for these two people:

My mom and dad.

Without the two of you I wouldn't...well, I wouldn't be here. Obviously. But there's so much more than that. I thought I'd tell you just a few of the many things they've taught me, through both words and actions.

My parents have taught me to live a life of which I can be proud. They've taught me to be kind and loving and honest. They've taught me that sometimes I have to fight for the needs of my family. They have taught me that sometimes we have to make hard decisions for our families. They've taught me to be generous and giving. They have taught me that nothing I have is really mine; it all belongs to God. They've taught me to hold my family close. They've taught me to drive a stick. They've taught me to bake. They've taught me the value of hard work. They've taught me to love God.

They've taught me a million more things as well, but I don't have room (or time!) to list everything.

Thank you, mom and dad, for being there to teach me and for raising me to be the woman I am!

Dear Lord, thank you for my parents, without whom I would not have life. Thank you for giving me parents that would teach me and encourage me to never stop learning. Thank you for the love and compassion and forgiveness they've shown me throughout the last 31 years. Thank you for being their father, so that they could introduce you to me. Thank you for my mom and dad!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 19

2011-11-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

Can I be thankful for more than one thing today? Or am I limited to choosing just one? Because today, I'm feeling blessed.

Today I am thankful for a husband who's not afraid to get his hands dirty. Because, yeah, a plumber would have probably cost a lot more than the $35 it cost to rent the snake and push...whatever it was...out to the street.

Today I am thankful for my in-laws, who one weekend a month have been taking my kids and giving me a much MUCH needed break. Since the hubs is in school and working full time, this mama is on call 24/7 with no relief, ever. I don't know how single moms do it. It's stressful! But this weekend is "Mammaw's House Weekend." It turns out that we get one whole day kid-free. I appreciate that more than you guys will ever know!

Today I am thankful for 3 healthy babies. I was blessed to enjoy a baby shower for a friend this morning. It's fun to welcome new little ones, and to reminded of the blessings you have in your own!

Today I'm thankful for a night with no interruptions, and being able to sleep in ALL the way until 8am! Wow! 9 hours. Straight. I'm a new woman!

I could go on. I think I'll save the rest for later.

Dear Lord, thank you for so very many blessings! You're faithful to keep on heaping and heaping and heaping, even though I am not always faithful to look for your blessings. Open my eyes to what you have for me! Thank you so much for always being faithful. Your provisions are astounding!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 18

2011-11-18T14:03:00.001-05:00

Because I've been up since 3am and am exhausted, this will be short and sweet.

Today I am thankful for nebulized steroids, which are helping my Little Man breathe today. Poor guy is having a really tough with asthma today! Anyone else? Every season I think to myself, "This is the WORST season for his asthma!" and every season I'm reminded that EVERY season is the worst. I am so thankful for medications that give him at least a little relief! Days like today, especially, when he just can't seem to catch a breath.

Dear Lord, help my Bug to feel better. Clear his lungs and let him breathe easily! Comfort him. Comfort me! Amen.

Changing Diapers: Review and Giveaway

2011-11-18T09:05:00.001-05:00

I've never been a big fan of change. I get used to it. I adapt. I don't like it. But I've learned to accept that change is inevitable: changing jobs, changing schools, changing houses, changing diapers...

Wait, changing diapers?

Yep. Diapers. I've done a LOT of diaper changing over the last 6 1/2 years. A lot. In fact, there's never been a time in 6 1/2 years that NO ONE in my house wore diapers at least part time! I've changed all types of diapers: wet diaper, dry diapers, poopy diapers, disposable diapers, cloth diapers...

One of the biggest diaper changes I made occurred about a year ago, when I changed from disposable to cloth! What a scary change that was! I'd contemplated cloth before Little Lou was born, but was quite frankly afraid of the poop. I didn't even think about it when Bugsy was born. I didn't have time, when he was a baby, to think about washing diapers, stripping diapers, folding and sorting diapers. I didn't even think about it, honestly, when Stinky was born! It wasn't until about a year ago, when Stinky was about 8 months old and our budget needed to find a little wiggle room, that I decided to give cloth a go.

I didn't have any advice. I didn't have a cloth diaper "mentor." I didn't have a clue!

I wish Kelly Wels had written her book, Changing Diapers, back then!

Back a year ago. Back 4 years ago. 6 years ago, even!

"Kelly Wels is a leading cloth diaper expert and advocate who has a passion for helping parents make informed decisions when it comes to how they diaper their babies." She's big in the cloth diaper community! If you need an opinion on a certain diaper, ask Kelly. She's probably tested it. If you need advice on how to care for or even begin using cloth, Ask Kelly! She's the go-to girl for anything cloth!

Kelly's taken a ton of her cloth diaper knowledge and fused it all together seamlessly in her beautiful new book, Changing Diapers! If you are considering using cloth diapers, this book is a must-have. If you know someone who is considering cloth, or who is pregnant, or who knows someone who is pregnant, this book is for you. If you're a cloth diaper newbie with lots of questions, it's for you. Even if you're a cloth diaper veteran, I bet you could glean some very useful knowledge from Changing Diapers! Kelly shares a little bit about everything cloth, and a lot about a few things, in this very comprehensive cloth diapering "how-to!" The beautiful pictures and quick wit make it a great fast and easy read. You'll love it!

Changing diapers is just $17.95 when you visit Kelly's store!! It's a great baby shower gift, especially paired with a newborn or one size cloth diaper! For a limited time, Kelly is offering a "Buy Two, Get One Free with Free Shipping" deal when you buy through her site! I know you're thinking you don't really NEED 3 books, but you do! You might not need them for yourself, but you know one or two or three people that do need them!

Want to give cloth a try? Are you already a cloth diapering mama? Know someone else who needs a diaper? Kelly Wels is going to GIVE one of you a Fuzzibunz One Size diaper! Pick up a copy of Changing Diapers, and give them together as an awesome shower gift! You know you want to!

I was given this book at no charge in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 17

2011-11-17T14:13:00.001-05:00

"Do I look exactly like Daddy?"

"Ummm...yeah?"

He's tender-hearted. He's compassionate. He's got a zest for life unlike any other. He's always up for a laugh. He's a lady charmer. He loves hugs and kisses. He wrestles with his little brother. He loves to play dress up and carries bugs in his pockets. He'll tell you the only thing cooler than he is is slugs. He loves to drink milk, white or chocolate. He's allergic to berries. He loves to bag groceries and carry them into the house! He rarely has a tantrum. He's calm and quiet. He'll swing in the backyard, by himself, for hours. He's our social butterfly.

I was reminded of Bugsy's tender-hearted compassion at the grocery store this week. He wanted to look at the fish, and we had time. He looked for the sharks and was sad because he couldn't find any. Then, he sat down on the floor and cried...not because he couldn't find the sharks, but because right there on the bottom row was a goldfish, all alone in a tank. "That fish is lonely, Mommy." He cried. Tears. Because that fish didn't have any friends or any family. He sat for a good 4 or 5 minutes talking to that fish, consoling the fish. My sweet, sweet boy!

Today, I am thankful for you, Bugsy. My Little Man. I can't begin to imagine what our lives would be if not for you!! You've changed our world in so very many ways. I am so glad God trusted us enough to be your parents! He knew it was going to be a big job, and I'm surprised sometimes that he decided we could handle it. You just keep on being the Bug God made you to be, and I'll keep on being the best Mommy I know how!

Dear Lord, thank you for Bugsy! Life hasn't always been easy with him (or for him) but you've been faithful to bring him (us) through and for that I are forever grateful! Thank you for making Bugs unique. Thanks for giving him a kind, compassionate spirit. Thank you for giving him to me for a time. I will treasure him and grow him the best I know how. I will do my best to honor you as his mother!

It's about time!

2011-11-17T10:25:00.001-05:00

Hooray!!

(Insert that crazy video of Elizabeth doing a happy dance that's running through your head right now.)

I did it!

I gave in.

I took the plunge.

Call it whatever you want to call it, but yay!

You've obviously already found me because, well, you're reading this, but next time you want to find me, look for me here:

www.mythisnthatlife.com!

Except, you know, without the exclamation point, because that'll probably confuse your computer.

I'm so excited to have taken this step! I was nervous, but it was easy.

Welcome to my "new" blog, www.mythisnthatlife.com!

Getting ready for potty: FluffyRumps review and giveaway!

2011-11-16T19:56:00.001-05:00

I'm a perfectionist.

A rule follower.

A list maker.

A planner.

Some of you have other names for people like me. A lot of them are probably true. Some probably aren't. It doesn't really matter. You've got the picture.

I'm telling you this because, as I said, I'm a planner. I make lists of rules for myself (I don't write them down) and I insist I follow them. It's both a blessing and a curse. I have this little "rule" for myself that says I will potty train each of my children before they turn 2. This has worked so far...once. Only Little Lou really potty trained herself, I was just kind of along for the ride. Bugsy was...different than Little Lou. If you have been with me from the beginning, you know that Bugsy wasn't fully potty trained a year ago. In fact, he was 3 1/2 before he was trained! I'll admit, there were days I felt like a failure in the whole situation. So, I promised myself that we wouldn't go that route with Stinky. I decided Stinky would definitely be potty trained by 2! After all, I'm home with him all. day. long. It should be easy, right?

Except Stinky will be 21 months old next week. In case there's any question, 21 months is almost 24 months, and 24 months is TWO!

So, here we are, almost 21 months old, and thinking very seriously about the whole potty training "thing." (Plus, when this is happening at your house on a regular basis as soon as a diaper is soiled, it's probably about time, right?)

One of the tools I've decided I'll be using to aid in our journey is FluffyRumps fleece longies! I've been in communication with FluffyRumps for quite some time, and when we agreed I'd review a pair of fleece longies, I was a little concerned. I've never used "longies" of any sort...other than just plain old long pants. I honestly wasn't sure how you're supposed to use fleece longies. So here I was, a fleece longie newbie, trying to review a product and compare it to--what? My idea of what they should do? I'm not saying I couldn't do it...it was a new experience and I LOVE it! (We all have to start somewhere, right?)

Let me tell you about the longies. They are cute. VERY cute.

They look SO comfy. (Trust me...The Hubby and I each want a pair!) When paired with a fitted diaper, they leave Stinky dry as a bone! I LOVE that they're breathable and that stinky doesn't break out from urine being left on his body! They're VERY well made! You really would almost think they were "manufactured," not handmade. They're that great! My ONLY complaint in the structure of FluffyRumps fleece longies is that no matter which way I put them on him, the front is a bit baggy.

So, I got thinking. If fleece longies kept Stinky dry when he was wearing a fitted diaper, what would happen if he wore them over undies?!? After all, I've never used pull-ups with the others, and although I really want to try cloth trainers, I'm also a firm believer in moving straight from diapers to underwear. I wanted to give the FluffyRumps a try as a "training" pant.

Let me tell you, first off, that Stinky will often go to the bathroom after he's soiled his diaper and try to take off his diaper. It's my "cue" that he needs to be changed.

I put Stinky in the FluffyRumps fleece longies, and within about 10 minutes he came crying to me, "Nee...elp! Nee...elp!" I got up off the chair and followed him to the bathroom, where he tried hard to pull down those longies. He was poopy AND wet...but his legs were dry and the longies really didn't feel wet inside! His socks were wet, so I know urine had run down his legs, but I couldn't feel it! Since his pants still felt dry and I wanted to try another pair of undies, I put them back on.

Fast forward 10 minutes. Stinky comes crying, "Ah poo. Ah poo!" Stinky was wet! There was a puddle on the floor! And he NOTICED! He had climbed down from the chair to come to me AS he was peeing! I could tell by the trail.

Friends, I am going to be using longies this winter, so that Stinky's legs stay warm and my floors stay dry(er)! FluffyRumps is going to help!

Do you love longies? Shorties? Soakers? Teething necklaces? Whatever it is, FluffyRumps probably has it! Shipping is always free at FluffyRumps, and the prices are fantastic!

AND one of you gets to try out one of their items for free! Hooray! FluffyRumps has agreed to give away one item from her albums! Winner gets to choose the prize, but it can't be trainers, skirties, or applique work...unless you're willing to pay a little to get one of those things. Then she's open to it if you are!

This contest is open to US and Canada, and will end December 1, 2011 at 11:59pm EST.

I was given this item at no cost in order to facilitate a review. I was not compensated in any other way. All opinions are my own.

All For Love Valentine's Event!!

2011-11-16T19:30:00.001-05:00

I hear you all LOVE giveaway events! Is that true? Because I love participating in giveaway events! (I did that last one, anyway. It was a blast!)

Would you like the chance to win tons and tons of prizes, each worth at least $25? Real Mom Reviews & Mama Chocolate have teamed up to bring us a love (and of course gift) filled Valentine’s Day blog hop! I don't know how many there will be... but 24 bloggers have already signed up and the linky just went active today! There will be lots of prizes!

I bet some of them will be chocolate. I'm sure some of them will be red. I can almost guarantee they'll be things the participating bloggers love!

So I'm saying we here at My This N That Life outta get in on all that lovin', don't you think? I'm voting we join in on the Valentine's fun! Who's with me?

Get excited! Coming February 1-7, tons of bloggers will go live with this amazing giveaway event, full of awesome prizes! We're going to join them! Get your clicking fingers ready! February is sooner than you might think!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 16

2011-11-16T18:58:00.001-05:00

Oops! Somehow, I skipped yesterday! I mean, I didn't skip yesterday. I was there. Do you ever wish you could have skipped a day, though? That's not how my yesterday was, I'm just saying, sometimes skipping a day doesn't sound so bad!

Today I've been doing some research, some reading, some "interviewing," in an attempt to figure out the whole "I own my own domain name" thing. I don't own my own domain name. I've been talking about it for a while now, though, and I'm ready to take the plunge. I'm nervous, though! I am so anxious that when I do purchase the name and make the changeover, I'll lose something! I'm afraid I'll lose my GFC followers, or I'll lose my posts, or I'll lose... You get it.

I've been emailing back and forth this evening with Beth from Five Kids Is A Lot Of Kids. Beth's blog is hilarious, by the way, and I almost always laugh. Except for days like today, when I cry. (If you click that link, you'll see that her url is http://putdowntheurinalcake.com, which makes me smile EVERY time I cruise over to her site.) So, I've been emailing with Beth and her husband, Greg, and they're trying to help me understand how this whole process works. (Apparently it's easy. I'm just a wimp.)

Beth's not the only blogger I've emailed with questions, either. I've asked questions of Danielle at Happenings of the Harper Household, who has been a HUGE help in setting up this blog! She is great at helping small blogs, like mine, make a bit of a "name." Toni at Crazy 4 Fluff has been pretty quiet lately, but I can't tell you how valuable her advice has been to me through the last year! Even my sister at Life with my BOYS (or Crum's This N That if you've been around a while) pushes me to greatness in this blog thing.

Today, I am thankful for my fellow bloggers in this great internet blogger community! So many of you have given your time to answer my questions and help me along the way. I am thankful for the friendships I have formed with some of you! I am so grateful that some of you have been so willing to step out and help a lost blogger like me find her way!

Thank you, bloggy friends, for being who you are and doing what you do! You're the greatest!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 14

2011-11-14T21:22:00.001-05:00

Some days it's easier to think of things to be thankful for that it is other days.

Today has been one of the "other" days.

It's not that nothing good's happened today. It's been an amazingly motivated day. I've swept and mopped the kitchen and bathroom and reassembled both rooms, folded 6 loads of laundry, refolded 2 loads of laundry after the kids knocked them off the couch, washed and dried 4 more loads of laundry, disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled the dryer, taught preschool, fed 4 children, picked up my car from the shop...and the night's still young. There's been no shortage of things to be thankful for, I suppose, but it's been one of those days when it's really hard to find them.

As I sat and pondered my day, I realized part of the reason I was having so much trouble being thankful today is because I miss him today.

Mondays are the worst. You see, I get to spend the weekends with him and I get a little spoiled. Then Monday comes. Mondays are horrid. Mondays are back to work and back to school and back to the general craziness that is currently our life "together." I hate Mondays.

I love him, though.

Today, of all days, I am thankful for you, Michael. I am thankful for the hard work you're putting forth every day to earn the money we need to pay our bills. I am thankful for the time and effort you're putting into your education, working so hard to do a great job so that some day we can be in a different "place" than we are now. I am so thankful that every night, no matter how late it is when you get home, you sit with me for a while. I'm thankful that you make the time to wrestle with the kids, read with the kids, study with the kids, every day that you're here when they're awake. They are thankful for that too, even though they probably don't realize it.

I know everything's not perfect right now. Life's a struggle some days, financially, emotionally, physically. We're exhausted. We're stretched thin. We don't know whether we're coming or going. We're not always communicating very well. We don't see much of each other. We don't have time or energy to nurture our marriage right now.

But I love you, and I'm so thankful for you!

Things haven't been easy for the last few years. I'm not sure anyone really understands the toll the events of the last 7 years have taken on us physically or emotionally. I'm not sure we could explain it to anyone. But you've always been right there by my side, no matter what. You've been my rock and my support through everything. Every trial, no matter how big or small, you've been there. I couldn't ask for anything more.

I am thankful for you!

Dear Lord, thank you for my husband. Thank you for putting him in my life. Lord, you know the struggles we've faced, the struggles he's faced. You know his heart. You know him even better than I do! Lord, today I ask that you just lift Michael up in your hands. Hold his heart. Guide his steps. Encourage him. Uplift him. Bless him beyond his imagination. Strengthen his resolve. Give him rest when he needs it. Give him refreshment when he can't go another moment. Lord, thank you, thank you, for putting him in my path. Show me ways to support him each day. I love you and thank you.

Walk MS!

2011-11-13T20:02:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

The National MS Society is kicking off their annual Walk MS events. I am going to be a part of Walk MS and want you to join me in the fight against multiple sclerosis by coming to the walk with me or making a contribution to support my effort. My team, MS. Understood, will be walking in the Indianapolis Walk MS on April 28, 2012.

The Indiana State Chapter of the National MS Society is dedicated to creating a world free of MS. They simultaneously fund research for a cure while also helping people who currently live with MS lead more fulfilling lives. I believe in the work they do, and I invite you to see for yourself all the good they've done for the MS community. More than 10,000 Hoosiers live with MS, and your support can and will make changes in their lives.

Please help by making a donation - large or small - to fight MS. Or join me on the day of the event? Become a participant and side by side, as teammates, we can work together to raise the funds to make a difference.
Whatever you can give will help! I greatly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Go to my personal page and make a secure, online donation.

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 13

2011-11-13T08:28:00.001-05:00

She was the grandparent that we, as parents, love to hate. You know, the "permissive" kind. I remember spending the weekend at her house as a child and consuming nothing but pudding and Pepsi the entire weekend. I remember taking out every. single. Barbie and spewing them around the room. Sometimes they stayed there the entire weekend. I remember being able to choose anything we wanted at MCL. I don't ever remember hearing harsh or scolding words towards any of us grandkids come out of her mouth. I remember Christmas pampering, before or after the obligatory Papa John's pizza. (Mom, can we do that this year?) I remember cheese balls (that Britt often made, but we still call them Nonnie's cheeseballs). I remember ugly Christmas sweater. Bah Humbug! I remember the business trips mom and dad took together, leaving Nonnie "in charge" for several days or a week. (Nonnie, were you ever really in charge?) I remember how excited she was, even in my adult years, when she answered the phone and it was me on the other end. I remember...I remember...I remember...

What I remember most was how very much she loved each and every one of us grandkids! (I think she was especially partial to that one, in the picture...my cousin Trav. Travy, I think you were her favorite man EVER!

Today, on Nonnie's birthday, I am thankful for grandparents! Happy birthday, Non!

Although I don't have any living grandparents remaining, I think of them and miss them every single day. They were all different. They all had their own "charms." Grandma was a prayer WARRIOR. I have never met another woman with her faith and dedication, to God or family. Grandpa was hilarious. He was a joker. He was on that police scanner like no one I've ever seen (although my dad takes a close second). Florida Grandpa was a mystery to me. I only met him a few times, but every time I saw him he gave me money. When I was a kid, I thought that was great. I'd have gladly traded that money for more "face time," though!

My own kids are growing up with two sets of Godly grandparents who love and cherish them. I'm not going to tell you which set are the "permissive" ones. I think they know. And I love that about them. They've got grandparents that build with them, pray with them, laugh with them, cry with them. I pray that they'll develop lasting, life-long friendships with these grandparents. I pray that they'll be better about calling their grandparents in their later years than I was, because if they don't they'll regret it. There'll be a day when they can no longer pick up the phone to call, but even years later they'll sometimes forget, or at least that's my hope. It'll mean they were close and clung to the support their grandparents had to offer.

Today, I am thankful for grandparents. My own grandparents. My "surrogate" grandparents, like our Ninny in Kentucky. My parents and in-laws for the grandparents they've become and are becoming. Thank you, thank you, for being such a huge impact in my life!

Dear Lord, today I thank you for grandparents. I thank you for generations teaching generations. I thank you for love that doesn't care how old you are, what gender you are, whether you're rich or poor, whether you have a snotty nose. I thanks you for the love that was shown me through my grandparents and the love my kids experience through theirs. Lord, help me to learn from these grandparents, both that have gone before and that are grandparenting now, so that one day I can be a shining example to my own grandkids and leave a legacy of which I could be proud. Thank you for gradparents!

30 Days of Thanksgiving: Day 12

2011-11-12T12:21:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for the lady that cut my hair this morning. I don't know her name. I should have asked. She's not our "normal" hair stylist, although it was at the salon we'd been visiting lately. This particular woman, though donated her Saturday. She made a plan to cut hair for 7 hours today, for anyone and everyone that came in. She had a steady flow of traffic, at least for the first hour and 15 minutes.

This lady was charging just $10 a hair cut. She didn't specify only children, adults, males or females. In face, I saw her cut the hair of two little boys, two little girls, and a grown woman. That $10 a hair cut? It is ALL going straight to the family of a boy in Little Lou's grade at school, who was in her kindergarten class last year. He's faced some very major medical problems in the last month and the bills are overwhelming!

It blessed me today to see this woman doing what she knew how to do in order to give back! She probably couldn't afford to give a lot of money herself. Who can? But what she can do is cut hair. So that's what she's doing. She's helping a family in need by doing what she does. She's not only blessing the family herself, but she's enabling others to be a blessing to them as well!

Thank you so much, hair cut lady, for reminding me today that it's not all about the money, it's about finding a way to give back with what God's given each of us.

Dear Lord, thank you for the lady that cut my hair this morning! Thank you for her willing spirit and her attitude of giving. Thank you also, for providing an opportunity for me to give to this family! Lord, thank you every day for giving us opportunities to be a blessing. Please open my eyes to those opportunities more often!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-11T18:14:00.001-05:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best!

Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!