Insomnia

Can't sleep...and I haven't had a chance to post anything recently. Sorry to my readers for not being consistent. Do you ever have so many things on your mind that accomplishing them seems next to impossible? Maybe that's why i can't sleep...I need to re-prioritize things and accomplish tasks that are most important to accomplish. Anyway's back to the real issue which is that it is 11:55 p.m. Sunday night and I am not asleep, but my Husband has found a way to get into a peaceful slumber while I type away on the computer. Perhaps I need a bath with a few drops of lavender oil in it. They say that lavender oil helps promote sleep and calmness. And yes, I do have some lavender oil on hand, which is a strange thing to have handy I suppose.
I have also been very frustrated with my hair. I am trying to get my long locks back and it is growing at a snails pace...I read in a magazine yesterday that to get your hair to grow faster you should rub your scalp to 2 minutes every day, and put a equal mixture of witch Hasel and mouth wash on your hair. Comb it through and it is supposed to unclog any pores and help promote growth. Then of course wash it out. They also said that on another night warm 1 cup of Olive oil in your microwave, comb it through your hair and then wrap your hair in a towel and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then wash it out. That will help strengthen your hair. Perhaps they are just an old wives tale, but if you are trying to grow your hair out it could be worth a try to see is it works...
Anyway's, I guess these are all things that I would have posted throughout the week if I had taken the time too, so instead you get the thoughts of Amber in a very jumbled way at midnight Monday morning.

Scripture for the Day

"Organize yourselves;
prepare every needful thing, and establish a house,even a house of Prayer, a house of Fasting, a house of Faith,a house of Learning, a house of Glory, a house of Order,
a house of God."
D&C 88:119

Its Just a Phase(I Hope)

My sweet baby girl who very frequently surprises us with new adorable little faces, or new words, or while driving in the car repeats "I love you," over and over again, has also just started some not so cute patterns of behavior that I hope do not stick around for long! One of them is that she just discovered a higher pitched scream that she love to pull out while we are driving in the car. Of course to get her to stop I attempted scolding her or giving her legs a little squeeze, but it would not really help out the situation. So, yesterday I decided to just ignore the behavior. I hoped that if she did not get a reaction from me then I would not be reinforcing the behavior and causing it to continue. Sure enough it helped. She did not completely stop screaming but she didn't do it as often or for as long, (I also got some earplugs in the car which just help to block out the high pitch's of her scream, but allows me to still focus on driving and not going mad, and still be aware of everything around me.) If you have a screamer perhaps you can try this technique and see if it helps.
The second and much more annoying habit that has been learned by my little angel is that she loves to push, shove and hit. The other day I was at story time at the library reading Rose a book when a little girl came over to hear the story. Before I knew it was going to happen Rose had pushed this little girl in the face hard enough for her to stick out her bottom lip and get teary eye'd. I felt so bad and somewhat like I am a bad Mom because I have not taught my 18 month old to get along with other kiddo's yet...but then again maybe all 18 month old children go through this phase and the parents each go through the mortification of trying to figure out how to fix the problem before you have enemies everywhere you go because your child is the mean one. We have tried time out (we put her in her crib for 1 1/2 minutes) but she tends to really enjoy her crib time and doesn't even cry, so time out is a happy place for her, and a happy place for me to have her be, when war breaks out between my angel daughter and her angel friends.
What are techniques you've done with your children to teach them the art of being kind to others?

The 12 Dollar Sandwich

My Husband and I went on a beautiful walk tonight for our date. Next to the entrance of the walking path was a cute little place to eat with quite a few people there. We decided to stop in to look at the menu and decide if we were going to eat their or not. The waitress handed us the menu and when we saw that a Grilled Cheese Sandwich was $12 we decided that it probably wouldn't be the best choice for us. Not because a $12 Cheese Sandwich doesn't sound delicious, but because we can think of a whole lot of other things we would want to spend $12 on. Its so great being tight on cash, when you get to spend that time with your best friend! What have you done with your hubby for cheap/fun date nights? We are open to ideas! Especially once the weather turns cold and we can't go for walks anymore.

Inspirational Quote

"It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself,
that determines how your life's story will develop."
President Uchtdorf, "Your Happily Ever After."
April 2010

If you were a Spice...

If you were a spice, and I don't mean if you were one of the "Spice Girls" which would you be. I am meaning a cooking spice that you absolutely LOVE to cook with. My most recent addiction is"Rosemary." I LOVE Rosemary and add it to recipe's that don't even call for it because deep down I know that it will just make my dish amazingly delicious! I even bought a Rosemary bush at the beginning of the Summer and planted it right outside my front door so that all who come to my house will smell the welcoming aroma of Rosemary...the plant just hasn't gotten very big yet because I keep going out and taking off the little leaves to use in my cooking. Maybe next year its great scent will assault my visitors and make them stop and just smell the refreshing scent of Rosemary before they knock on my door.
I need some more spice addiction in my life, so really share with me what your spice addiction is.

The Impact of a Mother

"There is no greater good in all the world than motherhood.
The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation."
-James E. Faust

I read this today and it helped refocus me on the impact of I have of being a mommy. What I am doing with my baby right now does matter and is important for her future development.
Have you had any "Mommy Moments" lately? I would love to hear about them!

Attacking the "Zone"

A few weeks ago I realized that my Kitchen was driving me crazy. So, I convinced my Mom to help me straighen and organize it, which was a wonderful idea!! My Mom had a lot of great idea's and I am now able to cook in a kitchen where the drawers are neatly organized and the cupboards are clean. The problem with cleaning the kitchen out is that A LOT of "stuff" was just thrown into my room to figure out what to do with later on, and yes you guessed it...the "stuff" has sat in my room and gathered more "stuff" on top of it and has become more overwhelming by the day. Finally, today I realized I had to jump over a pile of things to even get onto my bed that I made the decision that is was time to attack the very overwhelming stacks. I decided that I needed to stop looking at my WHOLE entire room but pick a corner, since there are four of them plus under my bed, so a total of 5 zones, and attack one of them at a time. I started with "my corner" of the room and within a short amount of time it was organized and clean and I can vacuum my floor (at least my side of the room's floor) again. Tomorrow I am looking forward to zone 2 (which I haven't totally decided the specific zone to attack yet) but the whole cleaning up my bedroom seems much more attainable tonight then it did this morning!
Do you have an overwhelming area of your home that you close your eye's as you walk bye, hoping that it will just disapear? Perhaps you can try the "zone" theory and attack it before you have time to change your mind! Let me know how your fall cleaning goes!

Scripture for the Day

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

"We cannot do everything, all the time, all at once. We can, through the years, do manythings, at different times, one at a time. It is important to see choices as opportunities, not as frustrations."
Jaroldeen Edwards, Things I Wish I'd Known Sooner...(1991) 19-20

The Ball Game

We took my parents and some friends to a baseball game last night and had a great time! I love going to baseball games! They are so relaxing and makes for some great socializing with very little stress! Have you ever been to a baseball game? If haven't you need to go, you may find that you actually enjoy watching baseball! Of course the home team wonlast night with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, the batter hit a home run ball. It was awesome. For date night this week, go to a ball game, you will have a blast!

Bloging Book Club-"The Countess Below Stairs" by Eva Ibbotson

I have just finished reading "The Countess below Stairs" by Eva Ibbotson, and loved it! The book started out a little slow to me but the author had to do a lot of back tracking before the actual story could begin.
Because of the wars and contentions going on in Russia, during WWI, a Russian Countess "Anna" and her family fled their country and unfortunately in the process lost all their riches to a maid who took off with their jewels. Thus, Anna was forced to seek out employment to keep her family from going hungry. She sought out employment as a house maid in the estate of an Earl who is just getting home from war and his estate is in financial peril. One thing led to another and soon Anna and the Earl "Rupert" find themselves at a crossroads of Love...Does he choose Anna, or the woman he is engaged to? I guess you will just have to read the book to find out.
This book kept my attention and I was very sad to read the last page and realize that there is not a sequel. Please feel free to tell me which character you end up having a book crush on, either the Earl of Westerholme or Anna's drop dead gorgeous cousin...I think I was definitely leaning towards the cousin. (Only because he reminded me of my drop dead gorgeous Husband! :)
I have just started reading "Beauty" by Robin McKinley for my next Bloging Book Club entry. It is a retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast and so far I am enjoying it. If either of these books sound intriguing to you be sure to check them out!

Moms Sick Day (s)

First of all its Summer and no one should be sick in the Summer time, and second of all Moms should be allowed a pass on illness' since they have the responsibility to take care of so much. After being passed out on the couch all day on Friday while my Baby ran around the house like crazy, and then having a good 2 hour episode of the unstopable shivers last night I decided it was time to drag myself to the doctor. Luckily I had strep throat. I say luckily because sometimes its good to just be on some medicine that brings you peace to know that within 24-48 hours you will be feeling a whole lot better! Luckily I have an amazing Husband who was able to find a way to leave work early two times now to come home and take care of me and Rose. And also have an amazing friend who took my baby today so I could to to the doctor while my hubby was at work trying to find someone to take his shift. Not only did she watch my baby but she made me some of the most delicous home made chicken noodle soup to send home with me and even included 4 Chocolate chip cookies, which I have devoured! Thank you to my Angels who helped me out when I needed a Mom to take care of me!!!!
Have you ever had an experience where someone dropped everything for you in a time of need? Please do share!

Amber's Kentucky Derby Pie

I made Kentucky's famous, favorite desert "The Derby Pie" last night for the very first time and it turned out delicious! I of course added coconut to it just to give it a little twist and it turned out amazing! Of course it wasn't so amazing to my Husband as he doesn't Love coconut as much as I do, but I am the cook and if it sounds good to me I throw it in! My Husband claims that I cannot call this Pie the "Derby Pie" because of the added Coconut, the real Derby Pie does not have coconut. That is why I am calling it "Amber Kentucky Derby Pie."

You place this filling into an unbaked pie shell. I used a Jiffy Pie shell mix and it turned out delicious!

Recipe:
1 Stick butter or margarine melted
1 cup Sugar
1/2 c Flour
2 Eggs beaten light and fluffy
1 tsp Vanilla
3/4 c chocolate Chips
1 c Walnuts, chopped
opt. 3/4 c Coconut (I highly recommend it!)
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degree's for 40-45 min. Put Cool whip or Vanilla Ice Cream on top. Enjoy!

p.s. The cluttered desk was cleared off today, the bills were paid and I am happy because there is still money in the bank! Such a good feeling!

Clutter

Another crazy weekend resulted in a very cluttered home on Sunday. So, when I got home from church and needed a place to sit to do some menu planning all of the table kitchen clutter was thrown to the floor. That felt satisfying enough so the rest of the day went the same way. If the item was in my way or I just didn't know where to put it, it was quickly thrown on the floor. Now, this is not a typical habit of mine, in fact I think it was the first time I have ever lived with that much clutter spread across my floor. I guess it was just my way of taking advantage of the Sabath day-Day of Rest, and also not really having any logical place to put anything.
Thanks to my Angel Husband, we did our nightly walk through the home and cleaned up the clutter by stacking it onto my already cluttered office desk. So what is the point of cleaning one area, if all you do is clutter up another?
I was speaking with my Mom who is the all knowing, cleanest, most organized Woman I know (except for perhaps Carlie) and she gave me a few tips and pointers. One of the most important things is to throw stuff away! And if you think an item is important the truth of the matter is that it probably really isn't, but should you ever need it there is a really good chance your neighbors house is cluttered with it and would be more than willing to share the item with you! So, honey, if you should get home from work today and find some important item missing, I'm sure you will be able to find one at our neighbors! It is time to get rid of stuff from our "Stuff Mart" home, and be sure that as my Mothers favorite quote states: "Everything has a place and everything is in its place!"
What are some techniques you have used to declutter and organize your home? I am open to suggestions!

Twitter Toes

I have a friend who is a toe artist! Really! What a unique talent to have! I can honestly say that she may be my only toe artist friend! Anyway's, she does an adorable, amazing job, and is very creative. So, if you have been looking at your toes tucked into your flip flops and feel that they are looking a little bit boring and drab, check out this website and get in touch with Mindy! She will definitely dress up your toes, your kids toes even your Mom's and Grandma's toes if you would like. She also does birthday parties, parties and private toe sessions. Go to this website and feast your eye's and some beautiful toe artistry! www.twittertoes.blogspot.com

The "OH CRAP!!!" Mommy Moment

This moring I ran around our house grabbing stuff and throwing it in the car so I could go spend the day with my Mom and baby. Finally, much later then I would have liked I carried my baby out to the car in the garage, placed my keys on the floor next to the door, buckled in the baby, gave her her sippy cup and a snack then shut the door and heard a "Beep." My heart stopped beating and "Oh Crap!!!" was my next thought. I forgot to grab my car keys and when I shut the door it had somehow jabbed the lock button. Now, my baby was locked inside the car, with no open windows or doors and no extra keys for me to get her out with. To make matters even worse, my cell phone was also locked in the car.
I quickly ran to my neighbors praying that someone was home so I could call someone for help. Through pure luck and blessings from above my neighbor was home and quickly came over and helped me attempt to open the car. I was able to use his cell phone to call my Husband, who called another neighbor who is a car mechanic and had the tools for breaking into a car to see if he could come over. 15 minutes later I had two men working on trying to get the car unlocked, while I was playing peek-a-boo with my adorable baby who had no idea about what was going on. As the clock kept ticking and I was watching my baby start to sweat and get miserable being in her car seat our neighbor finally said he was just going to have to break the window because we needed to get the baby out. So, finally after about 30 min. of trying to not do damage to the car and rescue the baby the glass window was broken, the car alarm was going off and I was sobbing. My neighbor climbed through the car and unlocked the back door and I quickly rescued Rose from the car. She was red faced, hot, sweaty and thirsty, but other than that every thing looked good. My neighbor brough over his shop vac and cleaned up all of the glass for me so that I could moniter Rose and make sure that she was all right. I am sooooooooo grateful today for awesome neighbors who took the time to rescue my baby girl from the car!!!!!!!!!!
I did take Rose to the Doctors just to make sure that everything is ok and we were thankfully sent home after a thorough checkup, and knowing that everything was all right.
I was told that if this would have happened in a parking lot or outside of the garage then breaking the car window quickly would be the best thing to do since cars heat up almost instantly in the heat of the Sun! So, do you have anything in your purse or wallet to be able to break into or out of your car if you were in a "Oh Crap!" situation. I honestly thought and believed that I would never lock my baby in the car because I am an attentive loving Mother, but it turns out that sometimes things just happen and it is best to just be prepared for the situation when it arises!

Family Vacation 2010

I had every good intention of writing every day on my blog about the absolutely AMAZING vacation we were on. But, it turns out that it was so amazing I didn't really take the time to sit down every night and write about it...so here is the shorter version of our
"Family Vacation 2010!"

So Romantic!

Our Destination was "Destin, Florida." We stayed in a mansion home (really, it was huge!) my in-laws did a great job at finding one that would fit 20 bodies comfortably. We had access to two swimming pools and the ocean was a short 5 minutes or less walk away. It was AWESOME!!! Ok, so if you can't tell I love the ocean and the pool. It was like living in Heaven for a whole week!
-My Husband and I LOVE body boarding and there were some awesome waves that we were able to ride onto the shore line!


-We went snorkeling one of the days, which was fun in that I was able to put on the funny looking snorkeling gear with my hubby and explore the shallow ocean fish. They also had Kayaks that we had access too. We had a blast putting the baby on the kayak and paddling around. This was actually my favorite part of the whole snorkeling excursion! The not so cool thing about it is that we paid $60 for this snorkel trip and they took us to a reef that we could have driven to ourselves and there were no exotic, cool fish to feast our eyes on.



-Our last full day there we rented a pontoon boat and a wave runner. It was soooooo fun! I think everyone should experience riding across the bay, going 40 mph on a wave runner, while ocean water is spraying on their face...talk about exhilarating!


The vacation was over, much quicker than we had hoped! Luckily the memories and the pictures will forever be remembered and viewed!

Happy 4th of July

I am on vacation in Florida right now with my Husbands family. So far it has been a blast! Tonight we were able to go out on the beach and watch fireworks going off all around us. It was seriously a very awesome experience. This is something that needs to go on everyone list of lifetime experiences that need to be had before you are too old to enjoy them! I am so grateful to be an American citizen. I am so grateful for the freedom and life that I live. We truly are all very, very blessed!

Canker Sores and Baking Soda

I periodically get canker sores that show up out of no where and seem to want to stay forever. I had heard somewhere that if you put baking soda on your canker sore it will go away quicker. So, this week after I tried every other method to make it go away I went back to the old faithful wives tale of using baking soda. I put just a bit of it on the sore, tried not to make to nasty of a face and within minutes the pain was gone. When it started to hurt again within the hour I did it again. That was yesterday. This morning when I woke up my lip wasn't pulsing and I could eat my breakfast. The intense irritation is gone. It is wonderful!!! So the next time you get a canker sore(if you are so unlucky as to get them) remember to pull out the baking soda first thing and keep it on it. The Soda will help eat it away and return your lips, gums or wherever you get them back to normal with in a few short days! It is much better then suffering for weeks waiting out the annoyance of the canker sore!

Love the Library

I have just started to get into going to the Library regularly. It is sooooo much fun! Especially right now with the Summer Programs going on. All I had to do was read 10 books to my beautiful baby girl and we got a whole bunch of free stuff. Including coupons for a lemon slushy at Fazolie's which I just think I will have to use instead of the baby. She will never know...They also have story times once a week where a few stories are read, a few songs are song and it always ends with an activity. So, seriously, if you are having the Mid-Summer blues and don't know what to do go to your local Library and participate in whats going on! It makes for a great outing for you and your kiddo's!

Free Magazine Offer

My Husband came home last week with the "Taste of Home" magazine that my Mother-in-Law wanted me to look over. She knows that I enjoy cooking and food and thought I would like making a few of the recipe's in it...She was right! I love this magazine. I used at least 4 of the recipes over the weekend and LOVED every single dish! Especially the Blackberry Cobler recipe. It was some of the best cobler I have ever eaten. The fun thing about this magazine is that they let you send your recipes in, if you have one that you love, and then after it has made it through their test kitchen they will publish it. How cool is that! So, seriously, if you are needing some new recipe's to spice up your kitchen or wanting a good magazine to look over you have got to check it out!! You can get a free issue if you go to this website www.tasteofhome.com
Happy eating and reading!

Mommy Moment

Since the title of my blog is "Memoirs of Mothers" I thought that I should share this "memoir" of mine with you all. Last night I was rocking my baby before putting her down for bed. The light was off, the door was closed the noise machine was on and also her little night light was being projected on the ceiling. I sang her a few songs and then said "Love You," in the sweet Mommy voice that every Mother has. A few seconds later she repeated in the exact same baby tones of "Love You," back to me. It really literally melted my heart! It was a moment that I didn't want to end. Finally, after 26 months of long nights, lots of lost sleep, millions of feedings and diaper changes, and the feeling of not knowing if what I was doing even really mattered, paid off. In two sweet little tones, she loves me! And I love her, and this is how as a Mother I am able to continue facing every day-the good and the not so good Mommy day's, knowing that, even if she doesn't tell me vocally, I am loved in return. Everything I choose to do right now is just a foundation for the future teenage years which will inevitably come to quickly. But, the foundation of love is set and she knows where I stand no matter which way her mood swings!
Have you had sweet "Mommy Moments" with your kids? Be sure to write them down, so that you can look back and remember the sweet moments!

Blessings from Extended Family

My Husband has an Aunt that lives close by but we don't get together too often, because lets face it, life is busy!!! The other day she offered to watch my baby for a few hours just so that I could have a break. I was surprised and kind of shocked. All of her children are grown and I figured that most people when they hit that phase of life don't want to be bothered with small children any more. I of course said I would love to have you watch her! So, this morning I was able to drop her off at her Great-Aunts house and go do a few things that I haven't been able to do because I was dreading taking the baby in and out of the car seat, and in and out of the stroller. I had a wonderful 2 hour break, and was happy to hear that my little girl loved being with her Great-Aunt.
I realized today how no matter if you are a Sister, Mom, Aunt, Cousin, or Adopted into the family type of a relative you can reach out and help someone that you usually wouldn't. At your next family gathering look around and pick someone out that you don't usually do stuff with and offer to help them in some way. I don't think you will ever know the impact that makes on someone until you have received that helping hand yourself, but you will be able to lift someone's load a bit, and form a stronger bond, and relationship than what you may have thought was ever possible.

Early Morning Walk

Over the weekend I discovered that my neighbor is starting a new walking regimen every weekday morning at 6 a.m. I asked if I could join her and she ecstatically agreed! It is so much easier to walk with a friend and have someone that you have to meet up with, or else the desire fades very quickly. So, this morning at 6 a.m. sharp I bounded out of bed, turned off my alarm and headed out the door for my walk. It was so wonderful to be able to be out before the blaring Sun was shining down on us! It also started out my morning wonderfully! I was able to spend time with my Husband before he left for work, tidy up my house, do the dishes, clean out the fridge, and do 2 loads of laundry all before 10 a.m. Talk about being productive! I have basically had a full day, and I still have hours to go. The only thing I need to do different is start going to bed before midnight and then I think I will feel a lot better! There is some truth to the old adage of "Early to bed, Early to rise. That's the way to stay healthy, wealthy and wise!"
I'm actually going to challenge you today to get up early this week and try out the early morning walk, if you aren't already doing it. Let me know how it goes for you!

The Caroling Cricket

Last night I was able to get to bed at an unusually early time, which I very much needed! I slowly fell asleep and was slumbering peacefully until a rather annoying Cricket right outside my bedroom decided to start Caroling at the top of its lungs at midnight. I was so mad! I got up, used the restroom, tried to remember where the earplugs were, which I realized were in the baby's room and I would not be able to get to them with out making a big racket. Flustered I went back to bed and told my Husband to go outside, find the cricket and kill it. (I am usually a little delusional when I am woken up from a deep sleep.) Luckily the cricket only caroled for a few hours and I was able to eventually block it out. So, tonight I will be sleeping with my earplugs close at hand in case last nights concert goes on again tonight.
Are you a light sleeper? If so, what techniques do you use to make it through the night in a full, peaceful rest?

To Much Phone Time?

Today I my daughter and I were in my bedroom while I was getting a few things together before we went out on the town. I could hear her sweet little baby babbling voice talking in sweet tones and after a bit I looked over to see what she was doing. She had the computer mouse pressed against her ear and was having a very entertaining phone call with whomever she was conversing with. It was actually really adorable! Unfortunately I probably am on my phone way too much and should have me attention elsewhere most of the time. I need to learn that its ok to not always pick up the phone.

"Whats for Dinner?"

I am discovering more and more the great possibilities for each meal made in the kitchen. Sometimes you can hold out ingredients and sometimes you can add some more ingredients. Either way it usually turns out yummy. Be Creative and get in touch with your Inner Chef!! My Brother just told me about this recipe and I changed it up a bit. Here is a leftover Dinner idea if your fridge ever gets too full:

Chow Mein(Raman Noodles) and Whatever you want to add to it Dinner
Get 1 Pkg Raman Noodles and start the water boiling. Once the water is boiling add the noodles and the seasoning to the water cook for 2/12 to 3 min. While that is cooking get out a skillet heat up a little oil or butter and saute up some Garlic, onion, any Red or Green peppers you have would be yummy in there also. I had some carrots that need to be used up so I grated them and then put them in with the onion mix. Then go through your fridge...Do you have any left over meats that need to be used? I had a little bit of diced ham and a few slices of bacon that were just hanging out. So I threw them in the skillet and warmed them up.
Now, Get the noodles and be sure to drain the water out. Then place the noodles into the skillet with the hodge podge mix you have in there. Mix it all together. Add some salt and pepper. Add any marinade or seasoning you thing would be yummy to give it a little more flavor (I added a Terriyaki Marinade and glaze (add only a little at a time because some things come with big flavors in small amounts.) You could use a Soy Sauce and ever a Worcestershire sauce if you would like. Then you can call it done, or if you want to add just a little more to it throw in a couple eggs to scramble up with it all, and then Enjoy!
-This meal makes enough for 2 smaller portions. If you have a big family you may want to consider using 2-3 pkgs of Raman Noodles.

Thought for the Day

"The small and simple things you Choose to do today,
will be Magnified into Great and Glorious Blessing Tomorrow."
Ann M. Dibb

Make some memories with your kiddo's today. If you have a long list of things to do, be sure to include them, they learn from being by your side, day-by-day. Share with me way's that you include your children in your daily schedule, and any fun activities that you enjoy with them!

Absent-mindedness

The weekend was of course crazy, so not too much was accomplished as far as cleaning the bathrooms and doing the laundry over the weekend. Most everything was half finished. So, this morning, I opened up my cloths dryer and put the clean cloths, that has been there all weekend into the laundry hamper to carry to my bedroom and then emptied out the cloths in the washer and put them into the dryer and started it. Then I proceeded with starting the washer and placing all of the cloths in the hamper into the washer. It wasn't until the basket was emptied into the washer, and I sighed the sigh of one more wash down, one more to go, when I realized I had just placed all of my newly cleaned cloths strait from the dryer into the washer for round two...Erk!!! Where is my mind! Focus!
In my defense a lot has been going on and I am a Mother, therefore I take a pass on this mornings absentmindedness and am hoping that it is only one of few set backs I have to deal with today.
Happy Monday!

The Neighborhood Yard Sale

My Neighborhood had a yard sale this morning, and I thought it would be fun to participate. I have never been part of a yard sale before and was excited to see what kind of money our stuff could bring in. So, last night for my date with my husband we went through the attic in hopes to find any gems to sell, and also picked through the baby cloths for things that we didn't need anymore. Then we geared ourselves up for the morning sales. 8 a.m. came much to quickly and of course I had to drag myself out of bed (not a morning person!) I had a friend who brought over some of her stuff to be part of the yard sale also, which she made for wonderful company! We set all of our stuff up, and sat down to chit chat, and wait for the people to pour into my driveway. And we waited, waited and waited some more. So, we didn't have too many customers, but the customers that we did have loved my friends stuff and at the end of the yard selling day she was able to walk away with around $25 and I walked away with $1.50. Yes, this morning was not too successful for me, but it has lit a new fire within me and I realized that I enjoy being out in the early Saturday morning Sun soaking in the fresh morning air and being with my friends. After some planning with my them, we decided that we want to have another yard sell next Saturday, only this time around we hope to sell some homemade goods and bring in a much better, bigger sale than what we had this morning. I will be sure to keep you all updated with next weeks yard sell!
Have you ever done a yard sell before? What tricks of the trade have you learned?

The Take Home Hair Coloring Kit

I decided yesterday that I needed a change. And the most feasible change was to color my hair, as my hair is short and I prefer it not to be any shorter. Unfortunatly a hair color is way over my budget, so I thought I could save us a few penny's and and bought a box that promised to color my hair a beautiful dark, Auburn brown. The model's hair on the picture looked beautiful and I figured that my hair would turn out the same way. So, I came home and during nap time applied the color. After 25 long minutes I rinsed my hair, put in the conditioner and then blew my hair dry. The shocker was that my hair had come out a dark, purple red color, with brown high lights. Aghhhh! So, then I had the task of deciding whether or not to text my hubby to give him the heads up that his brunette was know a purple/red brunette, but mostly purple/red. Or, should I just let him come home from work and go through the shock factors of the matter. I decided it was best to give him the heads up so that he wouldn't have a heart attack when he returned. We have had a good laugh about it, and he has been very understanding. Thanks babe!
I have decided to give the color 1 week. Hopefully the purple/red will wash out and lighten up and the brown will come through some more, if not, then I hang my hat on the shelf and will plunk down the money to have my hair professionally colored next time.
Do you use the take home hair coloring kits? If so, have you found a brand or color that you love? Please let me know!

Male PMS

Yesterday I went and got my hair cut, which is always something that I look forward too! I was enjoying my visit with the hair stylist when she brought up the topic of how her husband woke up that morning in a very onery mood, and proceeded to grip and complain all morning and act out irrationally. She got to work somewhat perturbed because lets be honest if one person in the couple is feeling crummy they usually tend to share that emotion with the other one. Of course a few hours later she had a chance to check her phone and her husband had apologized for his behavior earlier that morning and was know begging for forgiveness.
The reason I bring this up is because I experienced the Male PMS earlier this week and know of a couple other friends who have been having a particularly hard time with there husbands right now. I feel that the best way to understand why all of this is happening is because of the above stated issue.
Now, the problem with Male PMS is that it always catches me off guard. I will be going along happy in life and suddenly my cowboy wakes up or comes home from work in a no good, very bad mood and suddenly I have to figure out how to fix the problem or make it better, which adds one more thing to figure out because at the same time I am trying to figure out why my baby is screaming and crying. So, I attempt to try using every happy thought I can come up with and even hum a favorite happy song, and then my husband will say something to me that puts me over the edge and he has succeeding at making two miserable people and a screaming baby. Within minutes the happy home turns to the turmoil home when no one really honestly knows exactly why.
After my husbands last PMS episode we had a very good talk and he informed me that all I needed to do is stop what I'm doing, take a moment to sit on the couch with him and ask him "What is bothering you? Can I do anything to alleviate your stress." Which, yes seems like such an easy way to solve the conflict, but for some reason I struggle to remember what I am supposed to do, because I am always caught off guard by this strange behavior. So, the solution is: the next time your husband has a Male PMS moment, before you start to freak out with him be sure to take a moment to run your fingers through his hair (if he has any) and let him know that you absolutely adore him and that you are there for him when he is ready to talk about it. Perhaps the issues will be able to be worked through a bit quicker then they have been in the past.
What do you do whey your husband is in a bad mood? How do you handle the conflict?

3rd Wedding Anniversary Celebration

My Husband and I just celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary yesterday. It is so amazing how something that I waited for and dreamed of for so long, finally happened. And now time has sped up and stealing away every moment that I wish could last for a lot longer amount of time. My husband surprised me with the idea of leaving the baby at Grandma's house and taking a short trip to Mammoth Cave National park. I made a reservation at a local Bed and Breakfast, wrote up a 4 page list of my babies daily routine to give to Grandma as a guidline and then we were off.
It was a beautiful drive down to the cave's. My Husband and I were able to come up with big dreams and hopes for our future, and also were able to just relax and enjoy each others company. The cave was fun, but the bed and Breakfast was an adventure! We were able to stay in a B&B that is over 150 years old, that had many stories to tell of Abraham Lincoln's visit there, the Underground railroad, and also the housing of Union Soldiers.
They had a little game room upstairs that my husband and I were able to play pool on and then picked out a few board games to play. It was so wonderful to be able to chill out and remember why I fell in love with my husband in the first place. He is a fun guy! I guess sometimes when life gets crazy you forget that there is more to life then paying the mortgage and putting food on the table.
For breakfast the B&B owners served us a delicious 3 course meal on beautiful china dishes! Then my husband and I went and relaxed a bit in the library before we headed back to pick up our beautiful baby girl from Grandma and Aunt Shell.
I really hope that someday we can go back to this adorable little B&B, and put our feet up to relax! If you ever find yourself heading toward Glasgow, KY and need a place to stay the night be sure to look up "Hall Place Bed and Breakfast." You will not be disappointed with your stay!
P.S. I love you babe and am looking forward to another wonderful, adventurous year with you!!!

Sabath Day Quote

"Come What May, and LOVE it!"

Joseph B. Wirthlin

Memorial Weekend Celebrations

Memorial and Labor Day Weekends were always exciting in my family growing up. Usually it meant getting out of school early on Friday, packing up the Camping trailer and heading up into the Mountains. We had a specific spot we would go every year in the Uintah Mountains in the Rocky Mountain Range. We would get there late Friday night, relax for two day's and then pack up and head home. We could always count on either a late snow storm or an intense rain/thunder storm, which always made for a long night for those of us sleeping in tents. My Mom would alway's bring the yummiest food, my brother's would bring there Beebe guns, and animal traps and I would bring a book or two. Sigh...I don't live any where near the Rocky Mountains now so these camping trips no longer happen. In fact my Husband and I haven't yet created any traditional Memorial/Labor day plans yet, but I hope we will soon and I hope it involves a tent and perhaps the Smokey Mountains?
Do you have any memorial traditions? We are open for some fun idea's!

Little Miss Independent

My baby is now 15 months old, and getting more and more adorable by the day...well, maybe not all of her growth is adorable! She has decided recently that she is a big girl and has to feed herself. She refuses to eat off of the spoon that Mommy holds! So, to comprimise I have put her food on her tray and then give her a spoon and I have a spoon also. She usually can get a little food on her spoon, but by the time it makes it to her mouth the spoon is upside down and the food is on her bib, and that's when I dive in and rescue the food on the bib and deliver it to her mouth in one swift movement. And of course, she thinks that she is feeding herself very successfully, when really it ends up being a big old mess! And I have a huge mess to clean up! This is the only way to feed her though because if I am the one trying to do the feeding she throws her head back a refuses to open her mouth...stinkerbug! So, how do you deal with your children's independence needs? What mountains have you climbed and conquered with them? I am interested in any and all of them because I'm sure that tomorrow we will more than likely have a new "independence" issue pop up!

Movie Review-Do you really want to Watch that Movie?

A friend told me about a great website she uses to help her know if a Movie will be to mushy, violent and/or vulgar for her taste. I got on there the other day and found that it is a very helpful website. They have 3 area's of content they give a rating from 1-10 too. They are: Sex and Nudity, Violence and Gore, and Profanity. My friend gave the advice of three bars or less is going to be a safe show for you and the kids. So is there a movie out you want to see but want a good review before seeing it, visit this website: kidsinmind.com
Do you use a different website to get your info? Please share it with me. I love finding new gems!

Not so Good at Good-Bye!

My Sister and her two adorable little guy's moved over the weekend. Which if it wasn't 30+ hours away from me it wouldn't be so devastatingly hard to say goodbye. We have always been with each other. We were forced to share bedrooms our whole life until I moved out for college, but that was still only 20 minutes away from home. I have been thinking about a line in one of the songs on "The Music Man" that the men's quartet sings. "Where is the good in good-bye." I have really been feeling that way. But unfortunately change is a part of life and something that I struggle with. So, I have to have my happy thought when I start crying to divert myself from my sad, depressing thoughts of no longer having my sister live 4 houses down from me. So, my happy thought today is...well I'm sure I will come up with one soon, I guess I just want to be sad for a little while. Its okay to miss someone when you love them so much!
Do you have a happy thought today? Its always good to think ahead of time what you will think of to prepare yourself for the times when happy thoughts are hard to find!

The Daunting Things in Life

I have been meditating a bit lately on the projects/goals that I have not yet accomplished and was thinking about what the hold up is. For some of them it has literally been years! You know what I'm talking about, tasks such as making and living by a budget that you know in the long run will be a huge blessing. Or a goal you set for yourself years earlier and to date have only been half accomplished. Well, it is now time to address the daunting issues and things in your life that you have been avoiding. The first step is taking the time to figure out what they are. For me obviously it is living by a budget, mailing some writing I've done to a publisher, and stopping my annoying habit and cracking my knuckles. To you they may not seem so big but to me each one of these has its own mountain to climb. Perhaps you are one of those rare people who always accomplishes every task that is in front of you and every goal you have ever set, but if not then "Today is a new day, with no mistakes in it, at least not yet!"(Anne of Green Gables) Figure our what your daunting mountain is and conquer it! Soon my vacation in the valley of Daunting things will be over and I will be the conqueror of my self-inflicted goals. (And will hopefully be a happier, better person because of my efforts!)

Southern BBQ Pitt

I went to lunch today at one of those hole-in-the-wall gem restaurants. My sister saw a coupon for this BBQ Pitt and we had to go try it out. I have decided to name it-THE BEST BBQ YOU WILL EVER EAT IN KENTUCKY!!!!!! The name of it is "Texican's BBQ Pitt." If you like BBQ flavor you have got to try this place out! They are a smaller, cozy restaurant with the smoker cooking your food right out side the window. It is on Highway 146 in Crestwood, Kentucky. If you need a better address here is a phone number-502-241-9227. All they need to do is add fried pickles on their menu and I will be 100 % addicted to eating there every week! (Even without the fried pickles the food is pretty amazing!) So, when you are planing your next night out be sure to count Texican's BBQ Pitt into your plans! Have you ever come across a hole-in-the-wall type restaurant that you feel more people should know about? Please let me know! I may have to take some road trips to get there, but good food is always worth the drive!

Double Stuffed Oreo Addiction

I went to the store yesterday and walked past the Oreo's. Then, I stopped turned around and went back. I did not have the will power to pass them by this grocery trip. So, yes I purchased the delectably delicious package of Double Stuffed Oreo's. The good news is that I didn't rip the bag open immediately. I did wait until dinner, and then I went to town. Have you ever dipped an Oreo in Milk? Its delicious! Then, my husband got home from work and so of course I had to have my second helping of Oreo's.(This was definitely not done guilt free! I will be working out all week to work off this Oreo eating spree!)
I decided I enjoyed the Oreo's so much that I dug through my recipe's and found my recipe for Homemade Oreo cookies that my Grandmother gave me as a wedding gift. So, I thought I would share that recipe with you today. Do you have any sweet tooth addictions? Please share with me, and if you have a recipe for it that would be even better!!

Grandma's Double Stuffed Oreo's

1 Chocolate food cake mix
2 Eggs
2/3 cup Shortening
Mix all together well. Roll into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Opt-you can sprinkle a little powdered sugar over top of cookies if you would like. Bake @ 375 degree's for 8 min. Cool. Fill with Cream cheese filling.
Cream Cheese Filling:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 (4 oz) pkg Cram Cheese
1/2 t vanilla
1/8 cup butter
Mix well and fill cookies. Enjoy!

House Hunting

My Parents are moving to Kentucky from Utah and have been in town the last few day's trying to find a home to move into. I went with them a couple of the days and have found that house hunting is exhausting, and frustrating!! The thing is that you have the ideal home in your head, and finding it is like trying to find a needle in a haystack! Which after walking through at least 30 homes they finally found it. The home that you walk into and it takes your breath away and your heart starts beating faster because you LOVE it! (I also loved it obviously!) You can picture your future in that home, and can't wait to get it started! It is a dream home/property for my parents and I think they also would be very comfortable there. The frustrating part is that they have to sell their current home before being able to purchase this one. So, my question for you all today is, do you know anyone who wants a beautiful ranch home, newly remodeled and updated, with a horse pasture, horse barn and extra garage ? It is nestled in beautiful Logan, Utah. My Dad has accepted a new job in Kentucky and is the only reason why they would leave their current dream home in Utah. Here is some info on the home if you are intrigued or know anyone who is currently on the Home hunt in Logan, Utah
http://www.realestateincachecounty.com/listing/mlsid/299/propertyid/962321/

The List

The other day I realized that I was wandering around my house aimlessly, thinking "What should I do?" The baby was down, the dishes were done, the rooms were straightened and I couldn't think of anything to do. Which is actually very frustrating when I know that just that morning I had a huge list of things to accomplish during nap time, and now Mommy brain had taken over and I couldn't remember a single thing. I decided it was time to do something about it. I wrote a list, and then numbered them from most important to least. It has been wonderful! I get so much more accomplished now. Have you ever tried a list or do you have a different technique that works well with helping you remember all the things you need to accomplish?

Male/Female MarketingTactics

My husband and I were window shopping the other day at the local mall. We were walking through Gap when my Husband made the comment about the names on the Woman's jeans. "Perfect Boot," "Sexy Boot," "Long and Lean," "Curvy," and "Always Skinny." WHAT!!! If I had to describe myself in my jeans I don't think it would be any of these. Does the name of the jean effect how you feel in it? If you buy a pair of "Sexy Boot" jeans do you feel all the more sexy?
Next we walked past the Mens section and found that the names were much more realistic-"Authentic," "Standard," "Easy," "Loose." Do you see the difference between the female/male marketing? No wonder I have issue's! I can't walk around a store without everything screaming at me that I need to loose weight so that I can wear some "Long and Lean" jeans. My goal is to someday fit into some "Always Skinny" jeans too by the way. But, in case you see me before I can squeeze my lower half into those jeans feel free to whistle if you see me walking around in my "Husky cut" jean or "Burley Boot cut" jean. Although it may not be in style, I will be comfortable!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!

I know it is one day early for me to be celebrating Mother's Day, but honestly, as a Mother I think I deserve at least a full weekend of celebration! We kicked it off last night with a Gladys Knight concert, and LOVED it! Man, does that woman have an amazing voice! I believe tonight I will torture my husband by having him watch "Anne of Avonlea" with me-the second movie in the Anne of Green Gables series. Tomorrow we will be celebrating by eating way too much delicious food and ruin all the healthy eating and working out I have been doing all week. Can't wait!!
But, really, honestly, this blog is about Mothers and tomorrow is our day. So, share with me what are your honest feelings about being a Mother? For me, it has been and is one of the most rewarding, exhausting, wonderful things I have ever done! Since becoming a Mother I have learned to put my needs on a back burner and take care of a starving, poopy, fussy baby, while my stomach is growling and I need a bathroom myself. What pay have I received in return? Hugs and kisses from my Child who has only been away from her Heavenly Father for 14 short months. So, basically I'm being loved back from a perfect little piece of Heaven that the Lord has entrusted me with being able to be called Mother by her. So, even though being a mother can be tiring and exhausting at times, if I am able to hold a little piece of heaven in my arms, then I want to stay on this path for the rest of my life!! I LOVE BEING A MOTHER!!!!

Cinco de Mayo Dinner

So, I have just made a fantastic, delicious dinner for our Cinco de Mayo party. (Which really isn't too much of a party. My sister and her boys are coming over and we are eating Mexican food.) I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com. If you are an Enchilada fan then I would highly suggest "Angela's Awesome Enchiladas." If you make the changes that I made to it then you might as well just call it "Amber's Awesome Enchiladas!" The only thing I did different was added more lime juice, added some cilantro(love cilantro!) and added some red peppers for color, and a little Fajita seasoning. Other then that, everything else is the same. Here is the exact website for the recipe- http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Angelas-Awesome-Enchiladas/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cut into chunks
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/4 cups sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package mild taco seasoning mix
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped, divided
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 5 (12 inch) flour tortillas
• 3 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives

Directions

1. Place the chicken in a large pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken pieces are no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken by placing two forks back to back and pulling meat apart. Set the shredded chicken aside. Meanwhile, combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, then turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the shredded chicken, chopped green chilies, taco seasoning, half of the bunch of chopped green onion, and water. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder; simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture into the skillet with the chicken mixture. Spread the remaining soup mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Sprinkle Cheddar cheese over the chicken filling before folding the tortillas, reserving half of the shredded cheese for topping the enchiladas. Fold tortillas over the filling and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
5. Pour enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the reserved chopped green onions and the sliced olives on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until filling is heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 25 minutes.

High School

It was ten years ago, this month that I had my greatest day of my High School life...Graduation day. It was finally all behind me! At that time it was probably one of the greatest accomplishments of my life because I HATED school!!!! My Mother practically had to drag me out the door. So the fact that I actually graduated is huge. Fortunately my parents had a clear view of my future and forced me to get a further education. I was admitted into Brigham Young University the fall right after I graduated from high school. I could literally have a brand new start in college, surrounded by people who were all there for the same reason-to learn. It was the best place I could have been and the very best situation I could be in at that time of life. 4 1/2 years after starting college I graduated, which was a much, much bigger fiet then all of my early education ever was.
Now it is time for my 10 year reunion, which no surprise to me, nothing has been planned and so more than likely my class of 2000 will not be reuniting this year. But honestly would I even go? Probably not! All of the friends that I want to keep in contact with are still around, everyone that I hoped to never see again have fallen in-between the cracks and I have forgotten them. Everyone in the middle of that...well they can just be my friends on face book.
The people that I would really, really like to have a reunion with are the people that I worked with in Valdez, Alaska, when I worked in a fish cannery for a summer in-between semesters. I would love to have a reunion with my College freshmen friends who made the second semester of college much more bearable than the first. I also wouldn't mind a reunion with all the amazing people I worked with at BYU Mail services, who really made an impact on my life. High School just seems so small and insignificant to me now, after ten years of having absolutely wonderful experiences and accomplishments that I never even dreamed of while in High School.
Of course I understand that not everyone hated high school. My Husband for example was the football jock, and home coming king, loved High School!! It was his glory day's, and he had a blast at his reunion, but I don't know if he is the norm, or if I am. So, today my question is: Did you or will you be going to your 10 year High School Reunion?

Whinnie the Pooh-which character are you?

I have had a little black rain cloud over my head for the last week and am having the hardest time getting it to leave. I thought of Eeyore last night and how I just feel a little grey and like a big black rain cloud is stuck over my head...luckily I don't have to have a tail pinned onto my backside. I did finally figure it out last night though after much thought and reading through the Ensign. I need to be more grateful...Gratitude, I need more of it! I am very blest and have no reason to continue down the path of gloom and doom. Of course you can't alway's be walking on top of the moon, but it would sure be nice to just get the rain cloud of doom to disapear. So, I am going to start a BLESSINGS list, and also a Gratitude journal. Then, the next time I feel as if I am slipping into a depression I will be able to be reminded of all the blessing I have poured out on my head. So, today I would just like to tell my readers "Thanks for noticin' me."
What Pooh charcter are you relating with today? Here is a website with a good description of the characters if you need a bit of help. http://www.just-pooh.com/100acre.html

Links of Love

My husband and I both had a birthday this last week. It is wonderful to have birthday's so close to each other. Unfortunately his is before mine, and he alway's tends to one up me on his party planning for my birthday celebration. I was trying to think of something unique and fun for his birthday this year and had the idea of "Links of Love," basically a paper chain with one chain per year of life. On each chain I wrote something that our baby and I love and appreciate about him. It was really fun to put together as I was able to be reminded of all the wonderful things he does for me and our family! The fun part is that he did "Links of Love" for me also...I think we have a new birthday tradition. This will be very fun to do every year, especially when our children get a little older and can help out with the chain.
I have a sister-in-law who buy's the candy "Reisens," chocolate covered caramel candies. She writes out all the "Reisens" why she loves her husband on his birthday. Its a very cute idea also. Do you have any birthday traditions? Please share them with me.

Service Opportunity

I wanted you all to know about this project that I just found out about in my community for the Urry family. They are a special needs family with 5 handicapped kids. A local contractor is building a house for them. Abe Gilbert and Zane Underwood with Urbane Homes has graciously taken on the project to build the home. We have found a lot to build on in Oldham County, KY!

Please check out the website www.builtwithlove.org, and you can learn more about this project and meet the Urry family and learn of there needs. I was brought to tears when I learned of some of the trials they have gone through or are currently in. For example, there home roof collapsed during a huge ice/snow storm we had over a year ago, but they were unable to get a loan for a new home and now have 2x4's in their living room holding the roof up.

I am so excited about this project and would appreciate any support you could give. They need house supplies, contractors, and DONATIONS. Even a dollar would help if that is all you are able to give. My husband and I are low on money right now so I am going to have a bake sale and donate all the earnings to this great cause and hopefully lighten some of the financial load the Urry's are under.
Picture a modern era barn raising! That's what we are doing with the community's help. Please pass this on to anyone you know that would be interested in helping. Forward the website to your friends and help do a wonderful thing for a family in need!

Thanks so much!

Weather

Have you ever noticed how the weather effects your mood? It has been rainy and dreary for 4 days now. The Sun has been hiding for way to long! I need some natural vitamin D, and soon! I am so glad today that it is Spring, and not fall. I can have the hope for a bright, happy vitamin D filled summer!

Safety and Self-Defense

I have started a little group in my church and community called "Knowledge is Power." Once a month I have a guest speaker, or someone with a cool hands on craft that will teach a lesson to my friends/neighbors. It has been a blast so far! This is my third month doing it. We have learned how to make baby boy/girl beanies, the power of a budget and also the power of safety and self-defense. These courses have been sooooo fun for me! My husband is getting his MBA right now so I am trying to keep up with him with learning new and important things. (Of course all of my materials deal more with keeping a home and crafting, but this is much more fun then taking accounting, technology and economic classes.) Last nights topic of course was "The Power of Safety and Self-Defense," and it was phenomenal! This subject is very important to me since I have had a creeper break into my home at 2 a.m. and creep into my room and stair at me while my husband and I were in bed. This was something that I thought would only happen in my worst nightmares. I never dreamt that someone would actually enter my home and refuge from the world. There is a member of my church who was a police man for 34 years in the LA, California Police force. Who better could I get to speak to us than that! Anyway's I took some notes and wanted to share them with you all, since safety should always be a priority wherever we may be!

SAFETY:
-An Alarm system in your home is very useful! (You don't have to spend money every month on an expensive system. Brian and I have an alarm system we bought at Wal-mart for around $25. It is on all of our windows and exit doors.)
-Tazer's
-Tear Gas (This doesn't expire for a few years. Aim for the attacker's Eye's)

Two Important things to remember:
BE ANGRY if someone comes after you. Don't worry about how your attacker will feel, you are the most important
BE AWARE of your surroundings
-Look around you, Retreat if you feel you are in danger
-This includes walking into a store, bank, gas station and to your car.
-Be Careful about where you park, It is a good idea to alway's park with the front of your car pointing out.
(pull through the parking spot)
-Alway's lock your car doors, and keep your key's in your hand with you. (Car jackings happen in Gas
stations)
-Keep one key poked out between your finger, if attacked poke the creeper in the eye. The creeper doesn't
care about you, so don't care about him.

-You can help keep others safe. When driving through a parking lot look around to see if anyone looks as
if they need help,or are in danger. You can help discourage attacks.
-Keep your cell phone charged so you can always use it.

Think ahead of time. Its best to do this before the incident happens. Be sure to think on your feet!

SELF-DEFENSE
What will you do in the situation of an attack?-Fear the worst.
How do you protect yourself?
-Pretend a sprained ankle and fall down.
-Pretend faint-be unconscious. Be like a possum. Play dead. Its better to be kicked then it is to be raped. Your goal is to not be mobile. You do not want to go with the creeper. DON'T LET THEM TAKE YOU AWAY!! Its good to go limp because the likely hood of them picking you up and carrying you to there car is less likely.
-If the creeper has a gun pointing at you but hasn't shot yet they probably won't want to, or are still formulating a plan, think quickly on your feet.

Guns to consider having for safety in your home:
Revolver-5 round
Hand gun automatic- hold more rounds, shoot to stop
Something to think about using guns for defense: You are not shooting to kill, you are shooting to stop the attack and protect yourself and your loved ones. Remember you do not need to be concerned about your attackers well being! He is there to hurt you and if you can get him first then you will be doing yourself and others who may be his victim a favor.

Banana Slicer

I was walking through Kroger the other day with my sister and happened to notice a new kitchen tool I have never noticed before...the Banana Slicer! My first thought was "That would be so nice! (My daughter eats a banana every morning for breakfast.) My second thought was "What the heck? Why would I need a banana slicer!" Its not like I work up a sweat slicing my little sweetie her banana pieces every morning. How lazy could I be..So, then because I have so much time on my hands I googled the item, wondering how they market it, and this is what I found:
"If you are looking for an easy way to slice bananas, here you go. You put the slicer on top of the banana and create uniform slices."-WOW! This contraption would be wonderful! Rose could eat uniformly sliced banana pieces. YES! Just what I always wanted!(sarcasm)
So, my question to you is, is this a useful kitchen tool? Reviews said "it was a complete waste of money and kitchen space"... but perhaps if you own it you may really enjoy it, and I may get over my sarcasm of this item and just go purchase it, but I really probably won't.
Does anyone own a banana slicer? Just wondering.

Websites I got info from:
http://www.yumsugar.com/Banana-Slicer-Love-Hate-754227
http://www.kitchencontraptions.com/archives/012441.php

Trash Digger

"One man's Trash, is another Man's Treasure"
My Husband came in this morning after walking to his car and informed me that our neighbors had a doll house out by there trash waiting to be picked up. He asked if I wanted it for the baby and that it was a Pink doll house. Since it is Pink I said Yes! Bring it in! It is an adorable doll house. It definitely needs to be wiped down, but I can see Rose having so much fun with this. I believe I will put it in the attack and make it a Christmas present. We just saved ourselves a lot of money in the future!
My husband and I periodically become "trash diggers" I guess you could say we like other people's trash! We have been driving down the road before, and I scream out "Stop, back up." My husband is totally confused until I say, look at that book shelf someone is throwing away, or window or some other item that I think would have a perfect use in my home. (Of course I always make my husband do the dirty work of picking up the item... :) So, thank-you to my handsome, amazing, trash digging husband for finding our baby's first Christmas present this year!
Have any of you ever done this? I'm sure that there are more trash diggers out there than just me!!

Edible Playdough

I have decided that it is time to introduce my baby to Edible Play Dough. I found this great recipe on line and made it today. It worked perfectly and my baby has had a blast with it! Below is the website and recipe. They had mulotiple playdough recipe's to choose from. I made the Kool-Aid Play Dough. Have fun playing with your kiddo's today!

http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/edible_play_dough.shtml

Kool-Aid Play Dough

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
3 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 package Kool-Aid Mix (any flavor of unsweetened)
1 tablespoon cooking oil

Mix dry ingredients together in a large saucepan. Slowly add water mixed with oil and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens to dough. Turn out onto a heatproof bread board or counter top and knead until cool enough for children to handle. Dough will be the color of the Kool-Aid mix and will smell like the Kool-Aid mix. (Can be stored in a tightly covered container for up to six months)

Tear

We went to a reception tonight and of course didn't make it until almost the end. We did make it in time however to see the Daddy-Daughter dance. It was really weird but this dance struck me much differently than it ever has before and I seriously got chocked up and started to cry, just a little bit. Not because I am looking forward to seeing my baby girl dance with her Daddy...I teared up because I realized that baby Rose won't be ours forever. I honestly think that no one could love her as much as her Mommy and Daddy. Thank goodness that we have a lot of years ahead of us, and we will probably be excited when the time comes...but I am soooooooo glad its not anytime soon. Have any of you teared up unnecessarily when your baby is tiny and you realize that someday they are going to leave you? I'm sure I can't be the only one dreading the day!

Mommy Moment

Today I needed to use the restroom, so I quietly snuck away from my baby, hoping that I would be back before she noticed I left. As soon as I closed the bathroom door, what do I hear?, but the pitter pattering of my babies tiny little feet walking across my bedroom carpet, then the tap on the door and then the screaming began. She did not just stand there and scream though. Oh No... In order to make it more dramatic she fell to the floor and screamed between the floor and the bottom of the door...she is only 13 months old. So much for a quick, peaceful break from the world of mommydome. I luckily had my cell phone in there with me, so I was able to record the screaming for my husband to hear later. (He got a good laugh out of it.) The sad thing is that I remember doing this exact same thing to my Mother when she was trying to take a nice, relaxing bath. The only difference is that there were 3 of us at the door screaming...so, sorry Mom. You probably were praying at that moment that I would someday know what it was like to need a moment, and not be able to take it. Your prayer has now been answered :)
Have you experienced this? Or do you remember doing this? How do you take your "mommy needs a quiet moment" breaks? Please share.

Quote for the day

Don't leave for tomorrow that which you could do today. You will just end up with a whole lot of empty yesterday's.
(From the Music man. Not an exact quote, put its pretty close.)

I think I'm gonna go buy me a Gerber Daisy today. I need its happiness in my Home! Perhaps you may need one on your table too.

Yard Work

The weather has been so beautiful lately and all sorts of flowers have been opening up to greet the sun...including all sorts of weeds and dandelions. I actually could barely see my flowers through the weeds, so I decided it was time to get dirty! During baby's nap time I pulled all of the weeds in my front yard flower patch, and man did it look good when I was done. Its amazing how taking down the weeds really adds to the beauty of your yard! As I was pulling weeds I was very surprised to find that I was actually enjoying it! It was really great to beautify my flower patch and home. I am looking forward to doing more in the back yard and getting my garden started.
When was the last time you worked in your yard? If its been a while go out and pull some weeds! You may be surprised at how wonderful you feel just being outside listening to the birds sing and pulling your weeds!
Does anyone have any garden tips? I am very new at gardening!

Sabath day Scrips

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my Yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
St. Mathew 11:28-30

Instant Gratification

I once again realized this week that I was allowing myself to become lazy and put my exercising on a back burner.I decided it was time to stop that way of thinking, so I put on the workout cloths and headed to the gym (my husband even volunteered to come with me.) We did a body pump class, which if you have never done one before I would highly suggest it. I loved the workout, it kicked my trash!! (It was fun to be there with my hubby too!) I could hardly get into and out of bed the next day. But guess what, when I woke up the next morning I wanted to do it again. Unfortunately my baby is in a phase that she doesn't appreciate me dropping her off for child care while I work out. So, luckily I have an amazing work-out-a-holic sister who always finds the GREATEST workout video's. She has introduced me to Chalene Johnson, who I absolutely LOVE!! She is motivating and has a great, fun workout that you can do in front of your t.v. I know this sounds crazy, but she really does talk to me. So, yes I have been walking everyday this week for at least 35 min. and then get home and work out with Chalean for 30-35 minutes and I feel GREAT! I have accomplished something that is very difficult for me (putting on my work out cloths and working up a sweat!) I have lost 3 pounds in one week and all of this has made me believe what Chalene Johnson say's- "NO EXCUSES! MUSCLE BURNS FAT!"
Here are the workout video's I have seen and LOVE!!! Seriously if you need motivation to workout, look these dvd's up, purchase them and enjoy everyday you get to work out with Chalene!
Turbo Jam Cardio Party Mix
ChaLEAN Extreme

What motivates you to work out? Do you have any great workout video's that you love? Please share them with me!

Spring has Sprung when Tulips Meet!!

I LOVE SPRING!!! My Daffodils came up a week and a half ago, and then on Sunday my Tulips opened up. It is so beautiful. All the trees on my street are white with blossoms. It is so refreshing to go outside and have all these beautiful things around me!!! I am so grateful for Spring after a long, freezing Winter!! What do you enjoy about Spring time? Please share with me!

Whats for Breakfast?

I am no longer nursing my baby and she refuses to eat bottled baby food. I guess she thinks she is a big girl. This new phase of life is a little difficult because I'm not quit sure what to feed her for breakfast. I want her to be healthy and still receive the nutrients that she needs. So, what do you feed your 1 year old for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I need some idea's!?

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

So, it turns out that the fussy, slobbery, feverishness that my baby had last week was not her molars coming in after all. After a crazy rash, with blisters broke out all over her adorable little body I took her to the doctor and was there informed that she was suffering from Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. The name is much scarier than what it should be! It ends up being a very contagious virus, that just has to run its course. It involves sore's in the mouth which cause a decrease in appetite, oneryness, and a lot of little rash like red specks and a few blisters. It usually starts with a low grade fever. I am happy to say though that after a long week of not knowing what was wrong with my baby, the illness/disease has finally left her body and she slept for 14 hours strait last night, which was so wonderful!!
I just want to say if any of my friends children have come down with this I am sorry! I have no idea where we got it from, but the good news is that now you know whats going on if your baby does come down with a mysterious fever!
If you want to learn more about this disease I found this website from the Mayo clinic to be very helpful!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hand-foot-and-mouth-disease/DS00599

Date Night!!!

We have decided to turn a new leaf in our marriage and start going on a weekly date again. We have been married for almost 3 years now and the dating has gone drastically down hill since then. So, last week we drove around and ended up at the bowling alley, where i bowled an amazing 56 points (I am still so self conscious about my lack of bowling skills, and am embarrassed to bowl in front of my husband!) After that we ended up the date at Dicks Sporting Goods, looking at guns...So, last weeks date was not the best planned out, but tonight hopefully will be. I have informed my husband that we will be dying eggs together for Easter. How romantic is that!? Of course when I told him this he groaned and asked why we can't just watch a movie and eat popcorn, but tonight we are having a cheap Easter date and I am really looking forward to it!
Are you going on a date this weekend? Have any great dating idea's? I am definitely open for idea's!

Not a fan of April Fools!

My husband texted me this morning that he got upset during a meeting at work and quit...and that he was currently being escorted out of the building. What was I thinking??? "Oh my heck, are you serious? What are you thinking husband of mine? Are you an idiot," (yes, i did call my husband an idiot, but only in my mind.) I didn't know if I should call and talk with his Mom, or call and Cry to my Mom, when I received a text-APRIL FOOLS!!! Erk! Jokes on me...Not funny hunny! Then my sister shows up literally seconds after I received the last text and I am shaking and then start crying...from shock and joy that my husband did not quit his job and that we will still be able to eat throughout the month. Whew, what an emotional April fools. Yes, I have forgiven him, but I am still not laughing, perhaps in a few months when I can look back on this moment I will laugh, but not today.
Has anyone pulled a prank on April Fools and were able to pull it off? Please share! I need an idea for next year. A war has begun!