Changes are on the horizon. Obviously.
And one aspect of those changes involves a very large cleaning out of my house--top to bottom--nothing is safe (well, any furniture given to me by extended family is safe. I promise I will not get rid of anything given to me without permission!! And most of what has been given to me I don't want to get rid of. That's the good furniture. The stuff we bought is the cheap stuff).
So, I know that some of my readers must have some great yard sale advice. Do you?
I have already talked to some friends for their advice, and I am gathering ideas. I need this to be as painless as possible for my unorganized self. I need step-by-step instructions, people, or I might have a disaster on my hands.
Please, help me. Where do I start? What do I do? How do I advertise? What about pricing? Do you have any great advice or resources for me?
Thanks, friends!!
Showing posts with label ask the reader. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ask the reader. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Saturday, April 2, 2011
And the bed time issue
First of all, thank you, friends, for all of the advice. I love blogging for this very reason, conversation among moms, via the Internet.
I am such a verbal processor (with those that I know well), and it helps me so much to be able to get it all out, thinking it through as I say it (and/or type it), and then continuing to think it through as I get feedback. I am loving the smoothie idea and the putting fruit in his sandwich idea. If he sees bread, he wants it, no matter what it is, so I think if I hide the fruit in the bread, he will be good to go. And, by the way, add cheese pizza to his list of favorite foods. As you know, our family is on a tight budget--have I mentioned that, ha:)--but I like to take one weekend night off from cooking. Pizza tends to be our cheapest "eat-out" option as a family. Well tonight we decided to try a local pizza place that we had never tried before, where we could order by the slice. It was near Publix, where we were headed, and we just spur of the moment decided to give it a go. And that is where John ate almost an entire piece of cheese pizza. A large piece. I had a piece of pizza, mine with toppings, but I didn't even eat my entire piece because the slices were very large. It was crazy the amount that John was able to eat. Ada opted for the "side" of spaghetti instead of pizza. She also enjoyed her meal. So, the restaurant was a hit.
Yes, Ada did feel the need to use both a fork and a spoon. Who knows why. That was the side of spaghetti by the way, and it was a very large portion. I can only imagine the size of the actual meal.
So, anyway, our bedtime situation...
every single night Ada comes up with a reason why I need to lie down with her until she falls asleep. Every. single. night. Her eyes itch; her nose is running; she heard a noise; there was a light outside; etc. etc. etc. When I tell her no, it turns into an all out, kicking, screaming, pitching a fit, battle. And that's from both of us. If you want to see me at my absolute worst as a mother, find me at bedtime. By 8:00 at night, I am done, ready to clock out, and if Ada decides that she is not done with the day, my flesh flares up and begins to demand my "right" of time to myself at night. It's not pretty. In fact, I have done away with spanking at bed time because I don't believe in spanking in a fit of anger, and when Ada won't go to bed, I am always in a fit of anger. So, last night, I was over it. I went downstairs, Ada screaming, Scott trying to deal with the situation, and my not trusting my response if I didn't remove myself from the room. So, there I sat on the couch, hearing Ada crying for me, and I just began to pray. I am out of ideas. We have tried every punishment under the sun, and none of it helps. As I was praying, I was reminded of the potty training situation, and how much I was at the end of myself with that. God absolutely showed up in the potty training and got it done. I really felt like God was telling me that I had to give up the fight. Continue with the consequences of disobeying at bedtime but give up the fight. So...I went back upstairs, got in the bed with Ada, who was hysterically crying at that point, and I just began to talk to her. I told her that we had a problem, that we were both dealing with yucky hearts, and that I didn't know what to do other than pray. I reminded her of the potty training situation, and she absolutely can tell you who took her fear away. She knows it was God. I told her we will pray every morning and night until God helps us with the bed time situation (though she will continue to deal with consequences if I have to lie down with her). So, finally she fell asleep with me beside her in the bed.
Tonight, before baths, before we were in the midst of the situation, Ada and I sat on the couch and prayed. She didn't want to, but I made her repeat after me, and then I prayed, and we proceeded with our normal routine. So...tonight she fell asleep while Scott and I were doing our nightly prayer. Answered prayer that I didn't have to lie down with her, yes, but it doesn't solve our problem of her being willing to go to bed without me in there with her. So...that is our bed time situation. I am out of ideas, so I am simply praying about it and praying that God is going to use this to sanctify me and perhaps draw Ada to himself.
Ada is so full of fears. Two nights ago, as we were tucking her in and getting ready to pray, I asked her if there was anything she wanted me to pray for. She said yes, "that I won't fall off the bed (she fell off a few weeks ago) and for the tigers." I said, "Okay, like that God will keep you safe from the tigers?" "Yes," she said very matter-of-factly. I replied," well, I really don't think you will be near any tigers, ever, so you really, really don't have to be scared of that." She was not convinced, and in fact, she went on to ask me to "pray about the dragons and the giants," and there was no convincing her that she need not be afraid of these things. Which, in the conversation it dawned on me that what we need to teach her is that God is bigger than her fears not just the things she is afraid of, and that is how we approached the tigers, dragons, and giants prayer--that God would free her from those fears and help her to feel safe. I am hoping that maybe this whole bed time situation, like the potty training, will teach her much about God and how in control he is of all of her fears. He is so much bigger than all of those things. And, in reality, much of what I am afraid of is just as ridiculous as tigers and dragons and giants. I mean, "we can confidently say, 'the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
So that is where we are...very, very, very dependent on God to work this thing out. And, of course, open to suggestions. I feel like I have tried everything, but maybe not. Maybe you have something I haven't tried yet that will be just the thing to snap us out of this "situation."
I am such a verbal processor (with those that I know well), and it helps me so much to be able to get it all out, thinking it through as I say it (and/or type it), and then continuing to think it through as I get feedback. I am loving the smoothie idea and the putting fruit in his sandwich idea. If he sees bread, he wants it, no matter what it is, so I think if I hide the fruit in the bread, he will be good to go. And, by the way, add cheese pizza to his list of favorite foods. As you know, our family is on a tight budget--have I mentioned that, ha:)--but I like to take one weekend night off from cooking. Pizza tends to be our cheapest "eat-out" option as a family. Well tonight we decided to try a local pizza place that we had never tried before, where we could order by the slice. It was near Publix, where we were headed, and we just spur of the moment decided to give it a go. And that is where John ate almost an entire piece of cheese pizza. A large piece. I had a piece of pizza, mine with toppings, but I didn't even eat my entire piece because the slices were very large. It was crazy the amount that John was able to eat. Ada opted for the "side" of spaghetti instead of pizza. She also enjoyed her meal. So, the restaurant was a hit.
And the best picture I could get of John-John and his pizza.
every single night Ada comes up with a reason why I need to lie down with her until she falls asleep. Every. single. night. Her eyes itch; her nose is running; she heard a noise; there was a light outside; etc. etc. etc. When I tell her no, it turns into an all out, kicking, screaming, pitching a fit, battle. And that's from both of us. If you want to see me at my absolute worst as a mother, find me at bedtime. By 8:00 at night, I am done, ready to clock out, and if Ada decides that she is not done with the day, my flesh flares up and begins to demand my "right" of time to myself at night. It's not pretty. In fact, I have done away with spanking at bed time because I don't believe in spanking in a fit of anger, and when Ada won't go to bed, I am always in a fit of anger. So, last night, I was over it. I went downstairs, Ada screaming, Scott trying to deal with the situation, and my not trusting my response if I didn't remove myself from the room. So, there I sat on the couch, hearing Ada crying for me, and I just began to pray. I am out of ideas. We have tried every punishment under the sun, and none of it helps. As I was praying, I was reminded of the potty training situation, and how much I was at the end of myself with that. God absolutely showed up in the potty training and got it done. I really felt like God was telling me that I had to give up the fight. Continue with the consequences of disobeying at bedtime but give up the fight. So...I went back upstairs, got in the bed with Ada, who was hysterically crying at that point, and I just began to talk to her. I told her that we had a problem, that we were both dealing with yucky hearts, and that I didn't know what to do other than pray. I reminded her of the potty training situation, and she absolutely can tell you who took her fear away. She knows it was God. I told her we will pray every morning and night until God helps us with the bed time situation (though she will continue to deal with consequences if I have to lie down with her). So, finally she fell asleep with me beside her in the bed.
Tonight, before baths, before we were in the midst of the situation, Ada and I sat on the couch and prayed. She didn't want to, but I made her repeat after me, and then I prayed, and we proceeded with our normal routine. So...tonight she fell asleep while Scott and I were doing our nightly prayer. Answered prayer that I didn't have to lie down with her, yes, but it doesn't solve our problem of her being willing to go to bed without me in there with her. So...that is our bed time situation. I am out of ideas, so I am simply praying about it and praying that God is going to use this to sanctify me and perhaps draw Ada to himself.
Ada is so full of fears. Two nights ago, as we were tucking her in and getting ready to pray, I asked her if there was anything she wanted me to pray for. She said yes, "that I won't fall off the bed (she fell off a few weeks ago) and for the tigers." I said, "Okay, like that God will keep you safe from the tigers?" "Yes," she said very matter-of-factly. I replied," well, I really don't think you will be near any tigers, ever, so you really, really don't have to be scared of that." She was not convinced, and in fact, she went on to ask me to "pray about the dragons and the giants," and there was no convincing her that she need not be afraid of these things. Which, in the conversation it dawned on me that what we need to teach her is that God is bigger than her fears not just the things she is afraid of, and that is how we approached the tigers, dragons, and giants prayer--that God would free her from those fears and help her to feel safe. I am hoping that maybe this whole bed time situation, like the potty training, will teach her much about God and how in control he is of all of her fears. He is so much bigger than all of those things. And, in reality, much of what I am afraid of is just as ridiculous as tigers and dragons and giants. I mean, "we can confidently say, 'the Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
So that is where we are...very, very, very dependent on God to work this thing out. And, of course, open to suggestions. I feel like I have tried everything, but maybe not. Maybe you have something I haven't tried yet that will be just the thing to snap us out of this "situation."
Friday, April 1, 2011
And it's Friday...
It's been a week.
Life has decided to throw us some financial curve balls. Life? God, in His sovereignty is more accurate, I'd say.
But anyway, it's just been a car's in the shop, expenses adding up, stuck in the house, raining outside kind of week. And, in the midst of that, my discipleship group is reading Trusting God by Jerry Bridges (love it and him!!), and it turns out, surprise, surprise, that God uses these situations to help us practically learn His word and, you know, sanctify us.
I am memorizing Philippians 4:4-14 for discipleship group (we each pick a verse/verses to go with our accountability question, and my question has to do with anxiety--shocker, right?) So, intellectually, I have been saying out loud and in my head over and over, "Rejoice in the Lord, always, again I will say rejoice..." but this week, God said, "Rejoice in me always--like when your car is in the shop for the second week and you are climbing the walls and the rain keeps pouring and you want to scream--again I will say, Rejoice." I didn't always have the best attitude this week, I confess. In fact, at times, my heart was looking rather ugly. But at the end of the day, I really, really mean it when I say, I want His will. Whatever that is. That's what I want. No matter how uncomfortable; I want His will. Because isn't that really the safest place to be? Smack dab in the middle of God's will. I think so.
So that was our week, and I haven't blogged because the blogging wouldn't have been pretty. And now I have two parenting questions. Advice, anyone? Please?
First, dear, sweet, stubborn, baby John has decided that he will only eat toast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and yogurt, which I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I mean, he is also willing to eat cookies and goldfish and things of that sort, but of the things that I am willing to give him, He will eat toast, PB and J and yogurt. I have tried avocado, strawberries, cantaloupe, grape tomatoes, bananas (which two weeks ago, he loved), lima beans (which he finally ate some of the other night), pinto beans, black beans, green beans, carrots (has willingly eaten these before, as well), eggs, and the list could go on and on. He refuses. I get frustrated, I am trying to force the food into his mouth because I know if he tries it, he will most likely continue to eat it, but I can't get him to try it. He holds his lips closed as tightly as possible, turns his face away, and hits the high chair. I have also tried just putting things on his high chair so that he can feed himself. He just throws the food onto the floor if he doesn't want to eat it. It is making dinner time quite stressful for me. And as I have mentioned before, control is one of my idols. And in motherhood, this often looks like me trying to make sure I am doing things right, and checking off all the boxes. So I am feeling fairly stressed over the fact that John is getting no fruits or vegetables in his diet. None. I feel okay about the yogurt and the sandwiches because I give him Yo-Baby organic yogurt with plenty of probiotics, and I only give him 100% whole grain bread with no high fructose corn syrup and natural peanut butter. In other words, I am trying to "follow all of those rules," but no fruits or vegetables. What do I do? And his being in the 9th percentile, makes me even more want to make sure he is eating plenty of the right foods and gaining weight the way that he is supposed to. So...I just wonder if there is a way to make this less of a battle. Will he outgrow this or will I be doing mealtime battles for the rest of his childhood?
This is getting so long, that I think I will stop the post here without going into the Ada bedtime issue. I'll save that for another day.
But I really would love some advice or even a reality check when it comes to John's eating habits.
p.s. I should add that John does eat other foods, like graham crackers and goldfish and cheerios, mainly to maintain my sanity and keep him from screaming. He also eats the free cookie at Publix, so I willingly confess that my kids eat lots and lots of junk, but I try to make sure that the majority of what they eat is healthy, energy providing stuff. And I should add, that I have even tried going back to baby food since he was willing to eat fruits and vegetables in that form, but of course he doesn't want baby food now. So, that's where we are, and I am sort of throwing my hands up in frustration. I am considering buying pediasure or something of that nature just to make sure he is getting the proper nutrients, even if they are artificial.
Life has decided to throw us some financial curve balls. Life? God, in His sovereignty is more accurate, I'd say.
But anyway, it's just been a car's in the shop, expenses adding up, stuck in the house, raining outside kind of week. And, in the midst of that, my discipleship group is reading Trusting God by Jerry Bridges (love it and him!!), and it turns out, surprise, surprise, that God uses these situations to help us practically learn His word and, you know, sanctify us.
I am memorizing Philippians 4:4-14 for discipleship group (we each pick a verse/verses to go with our accountability question, and my question has to do with anxiety--shocker, right?) So, intellectually, I have been saying out loud and in my head over and over, "Rejoice in the Lord, always, again I will say rejoice..." but this week, God said, "Rejoice in me always--like when your car is in the shop for the second week and you are climbing the walls and the rain keeps pouring and you want to scream--again I will say, Rejoice." I didn't always have the best attitude this week, I confess. In fact, at times, my heart was looking rather ugly. But at the end of the day, I really, really mean it when I say, I want His will. Whatever that is. That's what I want. No matter how uncomfortable; I want His will. Because isn't that really the safest place to be? Smack dab in the middle of God's will. I think so.
So that was our week, and I haven't blogged because the blogging wouldn't have been pretty. And now I have two parenting questions. Advice, anyone? Please?
First, dear, sweet, stubborn, baby John has decided that he will only eat toast, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and yogurt, which I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I mean, he is also willing to eat cookies and goldfish and things of that sort, but of the things that I am willing to give him, He will eat toast, PB and J and yogurt. I have tried avocado, strawberries, cantaloupe, grape tomatoes, bananas (which two weeks ago, he loved), lima beans (which he finally ate some of the other night), pinto beans, black beans, green beans, carrots (has willingly eaten these before, as well), eggs, and the list could go on and on. He refuses. I get frustrated, I am trying to force the food into his mouth because I know if he tries it, he will most likely continue to eat it, but I can't get him to try it. He holds his lips closed as tightly as possible, turns his face away, and hits the high chair. I have also tried just putting things on his high chair so that he can feed himself. He just throws the food onto the floor if he doesn't want to eat it. It is making dinner time quite stressful for me. And as I have mentioned before, control is one of my idols. And in motherhood, this often looks like me trying to make sure I am doing things right, and checking off all the boxes. So I am feeling fairly stressed over the fact that John is getting no fruits or vegetables in his diet. None. I feel okay about the yogurt and the sandwiches because I give him Yo-Baby organic yogurt with plenty of probiotics, and I only give him 100% whole grain bread with no high fructose corn syrup and natural peanut butter. In other words, I am trying to "follow all of those rules," but no fruits or vegetables. What do I do? And his being in the 9th percentile, makes me even more want to make sure he is eating plenty of the right foods and gaining weight the way that he is supposed to. So...I just wonder if there is a way to make this less of a battle. Will he outgrow this or will I be doing mealtime battles for the rest of his childhood?
This is getting so long, that I think I will stop the post here without going into the Ada bedtime issue. I'll save that for another day.
But I really would love some advice or even a reality check when it comes to John's eating habits.
p.s. I should add that John does eat other foods, like graham crackers and goldfish and cheerios, mainly to maintain my sanity and keep him from screaming. He also eats the free cookie at Publix, so I willingly confess that my kids eat lots and lots of junk, but I try to make sure that the majority of what they eat is healthy, energy providing stuff. And I should add, that I have even tried going back to baby food since he was willing to eat fruits and vegetables in that form, but of course he doesn't want baby food now. So, that's where we are, and I am sort of throwing my hands up in frustration. I am considering buying pediasure or something of that nature just to make sure he is getting the proper nutrients, even if they are artificial.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Some Feedback, please...
Okay, there are few minor parenting situations going on over at our house, and I always love to turn to the blog to get some much needed advice.
Warning: I will be talking about bathroom issues.
Okay, situation number one, which I have not blogged about because I am ashamed to admit that Ada is still not FULLY potty trained. Let me explain. We have got "tee-tee" completely under control. I don't remind her to go, she never has accidents, she uses public restrooms, it is not a problem. It's the "poopy" that is causing us serious trouble!!!! Here's the deal, if I don't let her "go" in her diaper, then she holds it and holds it and holds it, and she is a champion "holder." As I have blogged about before, Ada has had bowel issues (I really apologize for all the bathroom talk, but I desperately need some advice) since she was five months old and I switched her to formula (hence my strong desire to nurse John and forego formula altogether). So, we have battle after battle after battle, and I end up letting her go in her diaper to avoid more serious problems caused by holding it. The doctor always says, of course, feed her foods that will make her go. Well, I know all of that, and I carefully monitor what she eats, but really, at this point, she can hold it despite the food that I give her. I have heard other moms mention miralax, and my childhood pediatrician even mentioned that, but I have no idea how much to give her or how often. I DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE ANOTHER ONE OF HER DIRTY DIAPERS!!! Help me!!! I do not mind making her go in her panties; in fact, that is how we go her potty trained with the tee-tee, the problem is that I don't know how to make her go in her panties. Again, help me, please. By the way, I HATE potty training!!!
Okay, situation number two, which I have blogged and blogged about. John is still so dependent on my breastmilk. It is his main source of calories, and he is eating every three hours around the clock. He is gaining weight just fine, but I am worn out. Plus, his first birthday is right around the corner, and as thankful as I am that we have nursed this long, I would like to cut it off at a year. I am a bit burned out, to be honest with you. I am trying to force him to get calories elswhere, but he gags on any actual solid food, even puffs, and usually ends up throwing it up. At Thanksgiving I fed him some dressing, which he loved, but then threw it up, as well. I can usually get him to eat some baby food, but for the most part he's just not that interested. And he certainly isn't drinking liquids from anything other than me. Again, I am desperate for some advice. I want to make the weaning process as painless as possible, but it's not looking good. He is certainly not going to wean himself. And I don't even mind a "comfort nurse" before bed and naps, etc, but at 10 months shouldn't he be getting calories elsewhere?
Okay, advice? Anyone?
Warning: I will be talking about bathroom issues.
Okay, situation number one, which I have not blogged about because I am ashamed to admit that Ada is still not FULLY potty trained. Let me explain. We have got "tee-tee" completely under control. I don't remind her to go, she never has accidents, she uses public restrooms, it is not a problem. It's the "poopy" that is causing us serious trouble!!!! Here's the deal, if I don't let her "go" in her diaper, then she holds it and holds it and holds it, and she is a champion "holder." As I have blogged about before, Ada has had bowel issues (I really apologize for all the bathroom talk, but I desperately need some advice) since she was five months old and I switched her to formula (hence my strong desire to nurse John and forego formula altogether). So, we have battle after battle after battle, and I end up letting her go in her diaper to avoid more serious problems caused by holding it. The doctor always says, of course, feed her foods that will make her go. Well, I know all of that, and I carefully monitor what she eats, but really, at this point, she can hold it despite the food that I give her. I have heard other moms mention miralax, and my childhood pediatrician even mentioned that, but I have no idea how much to give her or how often. I DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE ANOTHER ONE OF HER DIRTY DIAPERS!!! Help me!!! I do not mind making her go in her panties; in fact, that is how we go her potty trained with the tee-tee, the problem is that I don't know how to make her go in her panties. Again, help me, please. By the way, I HATE potty training!!!
Okay, situation number two, which I have blogged and blogged about. John is still so dependent on my breastmilk. It is his main source of calories, and he is eating every three hours around the clock. He is gaining weight just fine, but I am worn out. Plus, his first birthday is right around the corner, and as thankful as I am that we have nursed this long, I would like to cut it off at a year. I am a bit burned out, to be honest with you. I am trying to force him to get calories elswhere, but he gags on any actual solid food, even puffs, and usually ends up throwing it up. At Thanksgiving I fed him some dressing, which he loved, but then threw it up, as well. I can usually get him to eat some baby food, but for the most part he's just not that interested. And he certainly isn't drinking liquids from anything other than me. Again, I am desperate for some advice. I want to make the weaning process as painless as possible, but it's not looking good. He is certainly not going to wean himself. And I don't even mind a "comfort nurse" before bed and naps, etc, but at 10 months shouldn't he be getting calories elsewhere?
Okay, advice? Anyone?
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Strange Day
As I was going to bed last night, I realized that I was getting the throat thing that Ada has had all week. So...this morning, Scott took Ada and John to church, and I stayed in bed until noon!!! (CRAZY). I did get up long enough to pick out clothes for Ada and John and brush Ada's hair. There is no telling how Scott would have dressed them for church.
Feeling sick was disappointing for so many reasons. I hate to miss church because, one. I like the corporate worship, and two. I like the fellowship. But I was also disappointed because I had planned to go to Perimeter Mall this afternoon because I have a Anthropologie gift card burning a hole in my pocket. (Thank you, mom and Ann!!!). I had even worked very hard to pump some milk, using my measly little manual pump, and I was crossing my fingers that John would drink the milk out of a sippy cup. I tested the sippy cup earlier in the week using apple juice, which he loved, so I was hoping he would also take milk from a sippy cup.
Well, Scott and I evaluated the situation, and I decided to head to the mall despite not feeling well. So, off I went, all alone, headed to the mall to shop at Anthropologie. You can see why this was a strange situation for me. Alone. Shop. Anthropologie. What?!!!
So, I got to Anthropologie and headed straight to the sale section with hopes of making the gift card stretch as far as possible, and here is what I found.
Feeling sick was disappointing for so many reasons. I hate to miss church because, one. I like the corporate worship, and two. I like the fellowship. But I was also disappointed because I had planned to go to Perimeter Mall this afternoon because I have a Anthropologie gift card burning a hole in my pocket. (Thank you, mom and Ann!!!). I had even worked very hard to pump some milk, using my measly little manual pump, and I was crossing my fingers that John would drink the milk out of a sippy cup. I tested the sippy cup earlier in the week using apple juice, which he loved, so I was hoping he would also take milk from a sippy cup.
Well, Scott and I evaluated the situation, and I decided to head to the mall despite not feeling well. So, off I went, all alone, headed to the mall to shop at Anthropologie. You can see why this was a strange situation for me. Alone. Shop. Anthropologie. What?!!!
So, I got to Anthropologie and headed straight to the sale section with hopes of making the gift card stretch as far as possible, and here is what I found.
I don't think this picture does the sweater justice. I really love it in person.
I tried on lots of other clothing, but I wasn't finding anything else that worked. They didn't have much in my size in the sale section. So I headed to the home section. There I bought these
I plan to hang these in John's room, and I am so excited to have them because I think it will make his room look much more complete. I also purchased a candle with a M monogram to go in our downstairs guest bathroom. It was marked down from 26.00 to 4.00. Yes, even at Anthropologie I am finding deals!! And guess what, I have almost 30.00 left on the gift card. I think I can easily find a sale shirt for not much more than that.
Okay, at that point, I called home to see how things were going, and Scott said good, so I decided to browse through Forever 21 for a bit, since I am never near a Forever 21. And this is when things got really crazy. I tried on and bought a pair of skinny jeans!!! I can't believe I did this. The only reason that I bought them is because they were only 9.50. And I want a pair of jeans to wear tucked into boots. I will only wear the skinny jeans with a tunic type shirt that very much covers the rear end area. I'm just saying. I mean, 9.50. Really. And by the way, Scott informed me that he doesn't like the jeans in boots look. Oh well.
Here are the jeans, and, by the way, my legs do not look this skinny in the skinny jeans. (side note--thanks for the blue jean feed back. Obviously this jean purchase was based on price not on recommendation)
Now, in the midst of deciding whether or not to buy the jeans (for 9.50), I called home to get Scott's input, and I found out that John refused to drink the milk out of the sippy cup. Come on, John. 8 months, and we have never been apart for more than 3 hours. Cut me some slack, buddy. So, I hurried my way through the check out process and headed home, slightly panicked that John was going to freak out when he realized that I was not there. (no worries, Scott fed him two jars of baby food and he was fine. He did start crying as soon as I walked in the door, but he often starts crying when he sees me. I have that effect on him. Who knows).
So, overall, it was a very strange day. And now, at 9:00, I am about to go to bed because I still don't feel well, and I think sleep is the best solution.
By the way, I would love some advice on getting John to drink milk from a sippy cup. I know that I prayed that he would nurse, but at some point in his life I do plan to wean him, and I don't want to wait until that point to introduce the sippy cup. And I would love to have another option other than me to give him milk. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Advice, please?
Lately I have realized that I need a tube of quality mascara. I have never been a big mascara person; I have used it but haven't paid attention to what kind I bought--most likely whatever was on sale. Well, over the last few weeks, I have noticed that my mascara is just no good, and I predict that a quality tube might change the look of my make up. So...readers, do you have any suggestions? Do any of you have a brand of mascara that you swear by? Don't worry about price because I can always just opt to not buy it, but if I do decide to one day splurge on mascara, I would love to do it based on a recommendation.
And the second question...blue jeans. I have the hardest time finding blue jeans that I really like, so, again, I am asking you to share your favorite brand. I am so stinkin' short--5 ft. tall, and I think this contributes to the blue jeans problem. Again, don't worry about price, just tell me what you like. I am trying to store this information away in my brain for future use.
Thanks!
And the second question...blue jeans. I have the hardest time finding blue jeans that I really like, so, again, I am asking you to share your favorite brand. I am so stinkin' short--5 ft. tall, and I think this contributes to the blue jeans problem. Again, don't worry about price, just tell me what you like. I am trying to store this information away in my brain for future use.
Thanks!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Potty Training Advice, anyone?
Today, in an impulsive move on my part, I changed Ada from her diaper to panties.
It is the understatement of the century to say that I am ready for her to be potty trained. So...she put the panties on. And very soon after, I hear a panicked voice and turn to see tee-tee trickling down her leg onto the floor.
I was not discouraged.
I simply picked her up and rinsed her off in the tub. I changed her panties, and I cleaned up the floor. And we discussed that next time she should tell me if she needs to go to the bathroom. She said okay, and we got on with the morning.
I continued to ask her if she needed to use the bathroom every ten minutes or so, and she continued to say no. Then, in a moment when I was upstairs "seeing about John," I heard the same panicked voice, and sure enough, another accident. Again, I picked her up, rinsed her off, and put clean panties on.
At this point, Ada told me that she wants to wear a diaper because panties are "too hard." I told her, no, you can do it, and we went over a list of all of her little friends who wear panties instead of diapers. She didn't care.
My question...am I going about this the right way? I just don't know what else to do. She really needs to use the potty. I am sick of changing her diaper. It's time, ya'll, it's time, to cross over to "big girl" land. Any advice? Please share.
It is the understatement of the century to say that I am ready for her to be potty trained. So...she put the panties on. And very soon after, I hear a panicked voice and turn to see tee-tee trickling down her leg onto the floor.
I was not discouraged.
I simply picked her up and rinsed her off in the tub. I changed her panties, and I cleaned up the floor. And we discussed that next time she should tell me if she needs to go to the bathroom. She said okay, and we got on with the morning.
I continued to ask her if she needed to use the bathroom every ten minutes or so, and she continued to say no. Then, in a moment when I was upstairs "seeing about John," I heard the same panicked voice, and sure enough, another accident. Again, I picked her up, rinsed her off, and put clean panties on.
At this point, Ada told me that she wants to wear a diaper because panties are "too hard." I told her, no, you can do it, and we went over a list of all of her little friends who wear panties instead of diapers. She didn't care.
My question...am I going about this the right way? I just don't know what else to do. She really needs to use the potty. I am sick of changing her diaper. It's time, ya'll, it's time, to cross over to "big girl" land. Any advice? Please share.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Yet another update. Warning: It's Long.
I have hesitated to blog about labor for a few days because sometimes I feel crazy saying, well, I have been having contractions all week long. And, to be honest with you, I believe it's real labor. I think this is how my body does labor. It's incredibly stop-start, but it makes for a fast and easy (with an epidural) labor when it comes time to actually go to the hospital and began stage two.
I have been talking to my mom and Ann quite often over the past two weeks as I believed at various times that it just might be the "real thing," and Ann kept telling me about a term--prodromal labor--so yesterday, when I was contracting yet again, I decided to google the term and see what it was all about. It described me to a T. It's what I did with Ada, and it's what I am doing now. Have you heard of it? Basically, it's when a woman labors over a course of weeks rather than in one big chunk of hours. So instead of 24-48 hours of intense labor, I have stop-start labor for about three weeks beforehand, sometimes stopping for days at a time. Again, the good news is, this usually means a short period of time once I am actually at the hospital. Ada came strangely fast for a first born, so I anticipate the same with John, unless of course something goes wrong, which is always a possibility. Another characteristic of prodromal labor is lots of lost sleep, which happened with Ada. When I arrived at the hospital to have Ada, I was going on maybe four hours of sleep over a course of two nights and days. So...this time I am really concentrating on getting as much rest as possible.
Everyone says that the true test of "real labor," is to lie down, completely relaxed, and if the contractions continue to come and get stronger, then it's the real deal.
Last night, I thought it was the real deal. I made it through the dinner/bath time/ bed time hour with no contractions. That was a first for this week. The rest of the week I had fairly intense contractions during the bedtime process, but then they stopped when I was finally able to sit down and relax. Last night, it was when I sat down on the couch that the contractions began. I told Scott that I was going to lie down for a while to see if they would stop, and they would not. I then called my mom to see if she was snowed in because I had heard that North Alabama was the recipient of some crazy weather yesterday, and I told her I would call her in an hour if the contractions continued. They did continue, but they never increased in intensity, so I decided to try to sleep. And I did sleep for most of the night. Every two hours or so, I would wake up and the contractions would still be coming, but again, the intensity had not increased. I woke up at 5 am, with some fairly strong contractions, so I moved back downstairs, and then at about 7:30 this morning, Scott let me go back to bed, and I slept solidly for three hours. It was Heaven.
I have been talking to my mom and Ann quite often over the past two weeks as I believed at various times that it just might be the "real thing," and Ann kept telling me about a term--prodromal labor--so yesterday, when I was contracting yet again, I decided to google the term and see what it was all about. It described me to a T. It's what I did with Ada, and it's what I am doing now. Have you heard of it? Basically, it's when a woman labors over a course of weeks rather than in one big chunk of hours. So instead of 24-48 hours of intense labor, I have stop-start labor for about three weeks beforehand, sometimes stopping for days at a time. Again, the good news is, this usually means a short period of time once I am actually at the hospital. Ada came strangely fast for a first born, so I anticipate the same with John, unless of course something goes wrong, which is always a possibility. Another characteristic of prodromal labor is lots of lost sleep, which happened with Ada. When I arrived at the hospital to have Ada, I was going on maybe four hours of sleep over a course of two nights and days. So...this time I am really concentrating on getting as much rest as possible.
Everyone says that the true test of "real labor," is to lie down, completely relaxed, and if the contractions continue to come and get stronger, then it's the real deal.
Last night, I thought it was the real deal. I made it through the dinner/bath time/ bed time hour with no contractions. That was a first for this week. The rest of the week I had fairly intense contractions during the bedtime process, but then they stopped when I was finally able to sit down and relax. Last night, it was when I sat down on the couch that the contractions began. I told Scott that I was going to lie down for a while to see if they would stop, and they would not. I then called my mom to see if she was snowed in because I had heard that North Alabama was the recipient of some crazy weather yesterday, and I told her I would call her in an hour if the contractions continued. They did continue, but they never increased in intensity, so I decided to try to sleep. And I did sleep for most of the night. Every two hours or so, I would wake up and the contractions would still be coming, but again, the intensity had not increased. I woke up at 5 am, with some fairly strong contractions, so I moved back downstairs, and then at about 7:30 this morning, Scott let me go back to bed, and I slept solidly for three hours. It was Heaven.
I thought that once I got going with the day, the contractions would intensify, but they really haven't. They continue, but nothing is increasing in intensity, so I continue to wait. Basically, I feel achey and uncomfortable, but that is it. I do have a few things on my to-do list--clean the bathrooms again, clean out the pantry and freezer, dust a few pieces of furniture, etc. etc.--so I will just continue on with those things. Anything involving physical activity increases the contractions, but then I sit down and they go back to just dull, achey contractions, so it's not really getting me anywhere. I am a bit frustrated and tired. Can you tell?
Anyway, for the very few of you that might still be reading this post, I have a question, having nothing to do with labor. Do you have a good recipe for chicken spaghetti? I don't have chicken broth or white wine, so is there a recipe that doesn't call for those ingredients? I really don't want to go back to the grocery store because I have already spent my allotted grocery money for the week. Can you help me? I want to make the spaghetti Wednesday or Thursday night (unless, of course, things "crank up").
Part of my nesting seems to be wanting comfort food recipes. I have been trying different biscuit recipes, searching for just the right combo of ingredients to taste like my mom's, and I think I am about to make a cupcake recipe from the most recent Southern Living. I am craving good, full fat;) food. Scott is loving it.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Bang update
Okay, here is what I mean by bangs. I really love the second picture best of all, but in the third picture, I think the bangs are just long enough that I could sweep them back with a bobby pin when needed. Which could be needed quite a bit, seeing that it is a rare day that I find time to really fix my hair. I love a quick bobby pin fix, don't you? p.s. I realize that in the third picture her eye is covered up by her hair, I would sweep mine to the side so that I can actually see;)
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Bangs, to do or not to do?
Yes, it's time again for me to get some feedback from you, my online friends.
It is high time for me to get a hair cut. And that is an under statement of the highest degree. My sweet aunt Mary Ann sent me a little birthday cash, which I will be putting to good use at the hair salon.
Now, I have been seeing all of these cute hair cuts with bangs, and I think bangs add such an appropriate amount of edge. Do you agree? Here is the problem. Well, two problems really.
I have an extremely round face. As in, a perfect circle, and if I gain even one pound, it immediately shows up in my face. Seriously. Now, seeing that I am pregnant, many pounds gained are inevitable, and I am one that does pregnancy in the face. Big time. The question is, do bangs work on a round face? Or do they make the face rounder? What do you think?
Second problem--my hair texture. I have fine and very oily hair. I wash my hair on a daily basis, and sometimes it could even stand to be washed more than once. Will bangs work with fine, oily hair? I don't know. Obviously, the look these days, is thick bangs, it's not the bangs of my Jr. High days, but, still, they may not work with my hair. Again, feedback is appreciated. I want a cute cut. I want something that doesn't look exactly like every other hair cut I have ever had. Help me, please.
It is high time for me to get a hair cut. And that is an under statement of the highest degree. My sweet aunt Mary Ann sent me a little birthday cash, which I will be putting to good use at the hair salon.
Now, I have been seeing all of these cute hair cuts with bangs, and I think bangs add such an appropriate amount of edge. Do you agree? Here is the problem. Well, two problems really.
I have an extremely round face. As in, a perfect circle, and if I gain even one pound, it immediately shows up in my face. Seriously. Now, seeing that I am pregnant, many pounds gained are inevitable, and I am one that does pregnancy in the face. Big time. The question is, do bangs work on a round face? Or do they make the face rounder? What do you think?
Second problem--my hair texture. I have fine and very oily hair. I wash my hair on a daily basis, and sometimes it could even stand to be washed more than once. Will bangs work with fine, oily hair? I don't know. Obviously, the look these days, is thick bangs, it's not the bangs of my Jr. High days, but, still, they may not work with my hair. Again, feedback is appreciated. I want a cute cut. I want something that doesn't look exactly like every other hair cut I have ever had. Help me, please.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Saturday Happenings
Things I am loving today
1. All of our purchases made with a $500 Ikea gift card. You need to jump on the online offer bandwagon, I'm telling you.
We have some new purchases sitting in our living room, and I am still contemplating whether or not they work in here, so I will most likely be back later with photos. Things I am deciding on--a bigger coffee table, more "to scale" with our couch, the original coffee table as a side table to hold our new lamp, and drapes for the windows behind the couch. I do believe these purchases will make the living room more complete, though we still have two walls to paint. All in good time, my friends, all in good time. (Scott was exhausted after the shopping trip. Can you tell?)
Okay, observe in the picture below what I am deciding. Does the coffee table work? Scott really likes it. I like it, but I don't love it. We also purchased a sofa table and two lamps, but the sofa table didn't really work; our couch is just too long. So now I wish I could put the lamps on either side of the sofa, but I don't have a table that works on the side with the floor lamp. That is the main quandary. Where do I find a tiny little table for that corner? We still have 100.00 left to spend at Ikea, so maybe I will stumble across something there. Do you agree that the lamps on either side need to match? And do you think the old coffee table as a side table works? I still need to hang the drapes, so the picture is a work in progress. I will be back with "after" photos. 
Ada is currently engrossed in playing with her new wooden train set from Ikea. She loves it, and is completely oblivious that it is not actually the same "Thomas" set as the one at Near's (my mom). She can't get enough of her Ikea train, and she can't stop talking about it when we are away from it.
2. I'm loving Route 44 sized water from Sonic with lots of ice and lemon and lime. Oh my goodness. The Lord has been good to me this pregnancy as he has given me quite the craving for water. This is a new thing in my life, and it makes getting my daily water much easier. I really can't stomach many other beverages other than ice cold water.
3. I love Saturday itself. I always love Saturday because Scott is home and life is easier. It's been an exhausting Saturday spent mostly at Ikea, but it's been one where much was accomplished. Though it is early, I feel the nesting coming on, and I have a long to-do list going in my head. Getting the downstairs complete before baby #2 arrives is definitely a must, and today I checked many things off.
4. I love that there is a girly movie awaiting me after Ada goes down for the night. In a very uncharacteristic move, Scott agreed to watch He's Not That Into You with me. We never ever ever agree on movies, but apparently he likes a lot of the actors in this movie? Who knows, but I will take it. I never watch mindless girl movies anymore, and it is just the ticket for a night of relaxing. Do you agree?
So, it's been a good day. A normal day, and that I can appreciate.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Sick, so sick
I am a bit miserable, ya'll.
I keep repeating to myself, as I struggle with the constant nausea, "this is a good sign. It means that things are going the way that they are supposed to be going." Right?
But, please, you moms who have been right where I am. Any advice? I can't remember feeling this sick with Ada. I think I was on Christmas break from teaching (a whole two weeks!!) during the worst of it, and I must have slept right through it. Or God, in his wisdom, caused me to forget, so that I would decide that I wanted to have another child.
But seriously, I will try anything for a little relief. Help me.
I keep repeating to myself, as I struggle with the constant nausea, "this is a good sign. It means that things are going the way that they are supposed to be going." Right?
But, please, you moms who have been right where I am. Any advice? I can't remember feeling this sick with Ada. I think I was on Christmas break from teaching (a whole two weeks!!) during the worst of it, and I must have slept right through it. Or God, in his wisdom, caused me to forget, so that I would decide that I wanted to have another child.
But seriously, I will try anything for a little relief. Help me.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Vacuum Advice, please
Okay, ya'll really came through with advice on what camera to invest in. However, it looks as if that camera is going to be put waaaaay back on the back burner because our poor little pitiful vacuum cleaner has worked itself to death, literally.
We bought the vacuum cleaner when we moved to our second apartment. (our first apartment was tiny and had concrete floors--the dust buster did the trick quite nicely). We were living on a budget with a new baby on the way, and we bought the most decent thing we could find on sale. It has served us as well as it could. And it's cute. A nice lime green. But we think it has breathed it's last breath.
We are still living on a budget, folks, but we desperately need a good vacuum cleaner that doesn't cost every penny of the measly savings that we have managed to gather over the past year. Can you help me?
Last night when I asked Scott to vacuum the living room and he told me that our vacuum no longer worked, I almost cried. Then I asked him how much a good vacuum costs, and he told me $1000. Is that true? Please, friends, tell me we can find a decent one for much less than that.
What do you think? Can you help me? Advise away, please.
We bought the vacuum cleaner when we moved to our second apartment. (our first apartment was tiny and had concrete floors--the dust buster did the trick quite nicely). We were living on a budget with a new baby on the way, and we bought the most decent thing we could find on sale. It has served us as well as it could. And it's cute. A nice lime green. But we think it has breathed it's last breath.
We are still living on a budget, folks, but we desperately need a good vacuum cleaner that doesn't cost every penny of the measly savings that we have managed to gather over the past year. Can you help me?
Last night when I asked Scott to vacuum the living room and he told me that our vacuum no longer worked, I almost cried. Then I asked him how much a good vacuum costs, and he told me $1000. Is that true? Please, friends, tell me we can find a decent one for much less than that.
What do you think? Can you help me? Advise away, please.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Can I get your advice on a few things?
First of all, an update. The tribute will be ready on Monday--hallelujah--and it is going to cost about 250.00 less than we thought it was going to cost. Double Hallelujah!!
Okay, so on to the advice.
First of all, I was just at Sonic purchasing two large diet cokes (one was for Scott. I have not reached such a low that I am now buying two larges for myself), and the age old question presented itself--at Sonic, do I tip? And if so, how much? As you know, I am at Sonic a whole lot because, obviously, Sonic has the best diet coke in the whole entire world. So, how much do I need to be tipping these "car hops?" What do you think?
And while I getting your input, can I ask a few more questions. Right now Scott and I are borrowing a camera from a friend, so we eventually need to purchase our own. I would love to use this time to be stocking a bit of cash away to really invest in a good camera. I think it is a worthy investment considering that we will be taking pictures of our child(ren) for many years to come. So, what kind of camera does this amateur need to buy? I want something that doesn't require me to use a flash inside. Is that possible? I also need something that is easy to use. I hate the way pictures look with the flash, but the pictures always turn out so dark if I take them without it. Please, help me.
Okay, final question. Do any of you moms actually use a jogging stroller to jog? I bought a used one on Craigslist for next-to-nothing, and, honestly, I hate it. I can't run with it. Is there a jogging stroller out there that actually works well for jogging? If so, what is it?
Okay, that's all for now. I love that the internet allows me to ask questions to so many people at one time. Please, answer away:)
Okay, so on to the advice.
First of all, I was just at Sonic purchasing two large diet cokes (one was for Scott. I have not reached such a low that I am now buying two larges for myself), and the age old question presented itself--at Sonic, do I tip? And if so, how much? As you know, I am at Sonic a whole lot because, obviously, Sonic has the best diet coke in the whole entire world. So, how much do I need to be tipping these "car hops?" What do you think?
And while I getting your input, can I ask a few more questions. Right now Scott and I are borrowing a camera from a friend, so we eventually need to purchase our own. I would love to use this time to be stocking a bit of cash away to really invest in a good camera. I think it is a worthy investment considering that we will be taking pictures of our child(ren) for many years to come. So, what kind of camera does this amateur need to buy? I want something that doesn't require me to use a flash inside. Is that possible? I also need something that is easy to use. I hate the way pictures look with the flash, but the pictures always turn out so dark if I take them without it. Please, help me.
Okay, final question. Do any of you moms actually use a jogging stroller to jog? I bought a used one on Craigslist for next-to-nothing, and, honestly, I hate it. I can't run with it. Is there a jogging stroller out there that actually works well for jogging? If so, what is it?
Okay, that's all for now. I love that the internet allows me to ask questions to so many people at one time. Please, answer away:)
Monday, April 6, 2009
A Few More Questions
If you haven't already, read the post below before you read this one.
Let's look at the picture of the couch again. 
Wait, maybe we need a better picture. By the way, I have zero photography skills. I apologize.
Wait, maybe we need a better picture. By the way, I have zero photography skills. I apologize.So, here's what I am thinking. I want a single curtain panel on each window--something in the brown family, maybe. I plan to hang the rods high to draw the eye up because our downstairs ceilings are rather low. I also would like to have matching floor lamps on either side of the couch. Does that sound good to ya'll? If so, what color shades am I going for? Would it be better to have a table on either end of the couch with a table lamp on each? Thoughts, anyone? I am looking at the couch as I type, and I am really leaning towards a floor lamp on each end of the couch. Hmmm...what should those look like, I wonder?
Oh, and finally, what do you picture above the couch? I have the painting that I mentioned below, the one that Sarah did. I originally planned for it to go above the couch, but I am wondering if it should go over the fire place. Hmmm... It is currently hanging in the guest room. Hold on, I will take a picture.
Okay, never mind. Picasa is giving me all sorts of trouble, so it's looking like no more pictures today. Hopefully, I can come back later with more pictures.
Final questions--where can I find affordable, but nice looking, lamps? And curtains for the windows? I want something basic. Maybe I can find some example pictures online.
Decorating Ideas, please
We are in full fledge spring cleaning mode around our house.
We also finally hung wooden blinds on our front door. The "temporary" paper blinds that were on the front door were one of the most depressing things I have ever seen, so Scott spent all of Saturday morning on that project. (We had to make two trips to Home Depot before we got the correct size). Here is the after, and I am so relieved to have it done. It puts in a good mood just thinking about it.
Okay, so then I started snapping pictures of the rest of the house, and there are so many things that still need to be done. Here's the dilemma, we don't have any money to spend on anything. Our house is filled with hand-me-downs and Ikea, craigslist, and garage sale purchases, and there is not much that I can do to change that. But I am wondering if I can "re-vamp" things a bit just by rearranging. Here is what we are working with.
All but one of my students cancelled tutoring this week because of Spring Break, and I couldn't be more excited about it. Yes we need the money, but I have to say that I think I needed the break more. I plan to clean, clean, clean until this house is as spotless and organized as it can possibly be with a toddler running around.
We spent all of this past weekend on the downstairs because my parents are spending the night with us tonight. We are a good stopping place on their way to my cousin's wedding in Tampa, and it made for a great excuse to whip the downstairs into shape. I wish I had a before picture of the downstairs guest bedroom, but instead use your imaginations to picture coupons and scissors and newspapers covering every square inch of the room. Here is the after picture. 
Okay, so then I started snapping pictures of the rest of the house, and there are so many things that still need to be done. Here's the dilemma, we don't have any money to spend on anything. Our house is filled with hand-me-downs and Ikea, craigslist, and garage sale purchases, and there is not much that I can do to change that. But I am wondering if I can "re-vamp" things a bit just by rearranging. Here is what we are working with.
Obviously, we need to finish painting--when that will happen, I don't know. Probably not until summer because for now there is just not time. This week would be the week, but I really need to focus on cleaning before I can focus on painting.
Okay, so other obvious things--some sort of window treatments and a bigger coffee table. Here is the question about the coffee table. Until we can purchase a bigger one, should I do away with a coffee table all together, and find another use for the table we are currently using? Or should I just make the smaller one work?
Next question. I would love to do some sort of buffet or longer table underneath the window to the kitchen. You know, the area beside the love seat. Again, however, I cannot purchase that right now, but I am not sure if I am liking the small square table beside the love seat. What do you think? And finally about that area, should I take down the black frames and replace them with a big picture? I have an antique map of England that I could hang there instead. What do you think?
Okay, I have more questions, but Ada is losing it, and I need to get ready to go to the library, so I will be back later to discuss this some more. Any and all thoughts are welcome.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Ask the Reader: Swagbucks Update
I am back to talk about Swagbucks, and I will most likely talk about it a lot between now and August.
Here's the deal with Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a search engine which allows you to win points for doing things that you normally do--"googling," shopping, etc.
I have set Swagbucks as my homepage, and every time that I log on, I am automatically taken to my Swagbucks page, and I search from there, even if I know the address. For example, if I want to check my hotmail, I type the word hotmail into the search bar, rather than actually typing in the address. You see? The point is that the more I search the more points I win, and I can trade those points for great prizes such as amazon or Starbucks gift cards.
You can also win Swagbucks by referring friends. Here is where you come in. I am trying to win enough Swagbucks to buy Ada a wooden kitchen for her second birthday in August. So far I have earned 20.00 worth of Amazon gift cards, and I am well on my way to another 5.00. The kitchen costs 90.00 total (an amazing price for a wooden kitchen), so I am thinking that I can get this thing done by August. If you want to help me out, here is what you do. Sign up here. Set Swagbucks as your homepage, and use it in the same way that you would use Google. Each time that you win points, I will win points, so we both are working our way to free stuff from Amazon or Starbucks or even Target.
Who doesn't want a free coffee or book every now and then? That's what I thought;)
Here's the deal with Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a search engine which allows you to win points for doing things that you normally do--"googling," shopping, etc.
I have set Swagbucks as my homepage, and every time that I log on, I am automatically taken to my Swagbucks page, and I search from there, even if I know the address. For example, if I want to check my hotmail, I type the word hotmail into the search bar, rather than actually typing in the address. You see? The point is that the more I search the more points I win, and I can trade those points for great prizes such as amazon or Starbucks gift cards.
You can also win Swagbucks by referring friends. Here is where you come in. I am trying to win enough Swagbucks to buy Ada a wooden kitchen for her second birthday in August. So far I have earned 20.00 worth of Amazon gift cards, and I am well on my way to another 5.00. The kitchen costs 90.00 total (an amazing price for a wooden kitchen), so I am thinking that I can get this thing done by August. If you want to help me out, here is what you do. Sign up here. Set Swagbucks as your homepage, and use it in the same way that you would use Google. Each time that you win points, I will win points, so we both are working our way to free stuff from Amazon or Starbucks or even Target.
Who doesn't want a free coffee or book every now and then? That's what I thought;)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
I need your help
I am feeling so very organized this morning. Last night, all of sudden, I decided that I must take inventory of what I have in my freezer, pantry, and spice cabinet. Poor Scott got dragged into the project, but he was a trooper, and he wrote everything down as I called it out. I really think this is going to make meal planning and stock piling more efficient. For example, I found out that I still have three packs of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts in the freezer, and I thought that I was out of them. This is great news because there are three different families who I will be delivering meals to over the next few weeks, and I am thinking I will do chicken tetrazzini because I have most of the ingredients on hand. Yea. Anyway...all of this to say, that I also realized that I still have two lbs of ground chicken in my freezer. It was marked down very low one day at Kroger, so I bought it, but I have never cooked with ground chicken. Can you help me?
What should I use this for? What do I do with it? I need recipes, ideas, anything. Please, help me. You all really came through when I asked about pork tenderloin, and now we are major pork tenderloin eaters around here. We love it!! Please, turn us into ground chicken eaters, or at least eaters of what is in our freezer. I will be forever grateful;)
And just to keep my family interested, here is a picture of Ada:) She is really into feeding herself these days, and she really wants to use a spoon, so mealtime is usually a battle and always messy. 
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Design Question
As you know, I have spent many hours pouring over paint colors, and I have finally decided on colors for the downstairs of my house. Now I just have to actually buy the paint and set aside the time to do it.
There is one room still missing, though. The guest bathroom downstairs. It is a full bath, but a very small one, and I think I would like to do a really fun color with it. Something a bit funky, if you will. I have a green shower curtain with white "sketched" flowers. You know what, let me take a picture. Hold on...
Okay, so there you have it, the two things I am working around in the bathroom--my shower curtain and my Vogue pictures. Once I have decided on a color and finished painting, I will most likely put together two more Vogue pictures, and I will hang all four on the wall. Okay, so all you design types out there (yes, Amanda, I am talking to you) and anyone else who wants to contribute. What color should I paint the bathroom? Help me. Please.
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