The women in my Connect Group encouraged me to pray for Jason or even with Jason. Ummm, that would be totally awkward I thought since we didn't even talk about God at home! They also encouraged me to pray for those around me that we were having major relational change with. I struggled with a lot of things during this transitional time.... pride mostly. Why would I pray for someone that I just had an argument with? Why would I pray for others in my life that kept continually hurting me on a regular basis? But I started praying, and God forgave me that the prayers weren't whole-hearted at all...actually they were kinda angry I'm sure. Know what's crazy? I kept praying and instead of changing all those around me...my heart changed. It was such a difficult, transitional time, but God was 'conditioning' my heart for what was to come & trying to get me to be a follower! God began blessing my husband & I....we found out we were expecting our 2nd child, Jason got his dream job, and some relationships in our lives began improving. (other difficult situations still remained in our lives so not everything was 'perfect' by any means. God was using those situations as well for our good....He's amazing like that...He uses terrible, difficult situations in our lives & makes them for our betterment!)
The way God was working on our hearts was His way of getting us ready for what was to come. In May of 2011 our close friends lost their baby, Jude, to SIDS. Baby Jude & our son Graham were only 10 days apart. Jason & I were devastated for them. We have heard of things like this that happen but they don't happen to people we know. We just couldn't wrap our brains around it. We were still reeling & greiving for our friends when 5 weeks later the horrific events in our family that I talk about in Part 1 began.
In the days during & after Vera's passing we gave in, we gave up, we surrendered. Jason & I knew that we would not survive this time if we did not surrender it all to God. I especially wouldn't have made it.....if I was in the same place I was at the beginning of Part 1, everything would have been so different in my life & it would have been my fault. I thank God everyday for 'conditioning' me to help prepare me to depend completely on Him so that I could make it through this. Jason & I prayed together out loud for the first time the days after this tragedy. You'll hear Christians use the term "They 'get it'" or "So-and- so doesn't 'get it'" Those days afterward... we "got it". We got the love of Christ, we got what it meant to have a relationship with God, we got the heart filled Christ feeling. I like to call this the "smack on the forehead" effect! God had been trying to get our attention for so long & Vera's passing was what got our attention. He took the tragedy of her passing for our betterment, we became Christians....not just Sunday Christians (or fans) but followers. This was the time Jason & I became followers of Christ. I regret that it took the passing of my beautiful neice for God to get my attention....I wish I would have 'come around' before that, how different my life would have been, how much better....but everything in my past, my story, my testimony, may touch someone else's heart, that's why He wanted me to put it out there. I'm here now & He loves me no matter when I finally 'got it'.
God set so many things into motion: When Vera passed I had just started a new job in which the company donated food, flowers & understanding to the funeral, then He put the perfect house for us in our path so that we could move out of my parents house, then Jay finished training & became a full-time firefighter/paramedic for the city of Columbus (his dream job), we had found the perfect sitter whom we trusted & loved but she had an injury & couldn't care for our kids for months. Jason & I fully believe God placed that in our lives to force me to stay home because that is what He was calling me to do. Friends & even aquaintances came to Christ or just started coming to church because of Vera's passing. God took such a horrific tragedy in our family & created so many blessings!
I'm still in awe of what God is doing in my life. Jason & I joined a Connect Group. We love every single person in that group so much & each of them have impacted our life. We also began teaching Sunday school to kindergartners......yes, this we prayed about, still had our doubts but were encouraged by the Children's Ministry director/pastor that he prayed about it & we are the perfect people for the job! Uh....ok....reluctant about our abilities, we agreed. I was all for the learning part & working with kids. Jason on the other hand, said he was not going to do it but I got him to agree to just stand in the classroom as my "bouncer" & if I needed help passing out papers or something. I can't believe the change! Jason does the sound (and we are actually lost without him when he has to work because he is so fantastic at it!), we also team teach in the classroom! I don't like to teach a Sunday without him & it has created so much growth together in our marriage & parenting! I have become a 'host teacher' which means while Jason is doing the sound I'm doing the dances, praying, & playing games with all the kids K-3rd grade.
For the first time in my life, I feel that our lives are built on a solid foundation. I love my husband in a completely different, deeper way because of Christ. I parent my children on a different level & I understand my role as their mother in a way that is hard to describe. We're somewhat 'new' to this so we are constantly learning, we are constantly sinning, & we are definitely not perfect. But, because Christ loves us, we understand that we are forgiven & can now make choices that are Godly instead of self-involved (for example: God placed on my heart awhile ago to have a 3rd baby & I ignored it until I couldn't anymore. I introduced it to Jason, we agreed to pray about it since he wasn't not a fan of the idea & one day he said God placed it on his heart too! I'm due in December:). We work hard everyday to seek Him, some days harder than others (we're working on that). Our journey to Christ has taken so many years, definitely tears, struggles, hardship, heartache, & heartbreak. Now that we've 'found' Him, we are so excited for our future & what He has in store for us! Thanks for reading this & sharing in the first part of our journey!
I love you all & will continue to pray for you!! :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
My story, my testimony Part 2
"God wants to use not just some of your past for His good- but ALL of it. He will not waste anything"- Annie Lobert
In high school I was a cheerleader, I loved the social life. My mom took my sister & I to a Catholic church when we were younger but she left the choice to go up to us when we reached a certain age. Of course I opted not to go since I thought it was painful to get through that 1 hour on Sunday morning....I was more concerned with what I was missing socially by being at church. My high school years were spent trying to impress the boys, drinking & smoking cigarettes when I drank. I held my parents & others at a high place & didn't want to disappoint anyone so I had decent grades & did everything I thought would make them proud & was really good at hiding what I was doing when they weren't around.
Thankfully, in college, I loved academics. I found what I really loved to do, Organizational Communications, & excelled. While my partying reduced, it didn't stop & I still had the same people/friends in my life that were hardcore partying so the influences were still there. I continued to make bad choices with men, I couldn't understand why it wasn't working, why did I feel so alone but yet surrounded by so many people. Even though I was excelling academically, I didn't feel good, I felt empty. Then my husband, Jason, & I started dating. He was my best friend's at the time, brother. We had known each other for a long time but had never made a connection....until then. (as I recall my 'timeline' of my journey to Christ, I can see how God was with me every step of the way, had his hand in every situation, I just didn't pay attention to Him.) Jason came into my life at just the right time. We partied together, we had fun but we also were making plans for our future & that involved marriage & children. We have always been on the same page about where our life was headed, what we wanted, how we wanted to parent our children. Our marriage was definitely arranged by God. We were making plans to purchase a home, we discussed getting engaged & when we would have children. We decided that we wanted our future children to grow up in church, to know God (which always cracks me up when I think back on that because we didn't KNOW God but wanted it for our children:) My uncle was a pastor at Lancaster Community Church so we decided to give it a try...besides my sister & her husband went there so it must be pretty good & LCC served donuts that you could eat in the santuary!! Growing up Catholic, this was totally crazy & awesome to me! This was the beginning of the fire God lit inside of us.
Now I don't want that to sound like 'we got it' after that one visit..... cuz' we didn't. My journey to Christ took many years. Jason & I would go on Sundays but sometimes we would be too tired & wouldn't go, sometimes we had too much to do that day, sometimes we partied too late the night before. We didn't study the bible at home, we weren't in a Connect Group, we didn't have any friends inside the church...we still had the same life, the same friends...which wasn't changing anything. We didn't want the 'fun' to stop, we didn't want to ditch our friends.... what we didn't know is that we didn't have to do that. We didn't know that the 'fun', destructive things we were doing were ultimately keeping us from having a relationship with Christ & were negatively effecting many other areas of our lives.
Jason & I were married in 2008. We had our daughter Ava in September of 2009. As you know from Part 1, Vera was born in September as well. The girls were 11 days apart...my sister & I were due the same day... my sister & I did everything together, we are best friends. In high school we had the same friends (still do), she was homecoming queen-I was attendant at the same time, we married men that look similar:), we got married in the same church, had our receptions at the same venue, & then we were having a baby at the same time! While pregnant with Ava my life began to change. My mothering instincts started kicking in. Of course the partying stopped completely for me, I started making plans for her future.... I wanted stability for her, brightness, comfort. When Ava was born, mine & Jason's life changed, forever. Some relationships in our lives started deteriorating due to our hearts knowing what we needed to do for Ava & what God wanted for her & others wanted to continue the way it was before Ava. I had post paratum depression..... not the 'put your baby in an oven' kind but constantly worried something was going to happen to her, she wasn't going to get enough to eat, that I wasn't sufficient enough to care for her. Jason went to work one day & I found myself on the floor on my knees sobbing & praying. That was huge. I got up from the floor, with total peace & for the first time could just enjoy Ava for a few moments without worry. My post paratum didn't end that day but it was a pivotal moment where God changed something in me...He made me begin to understand how important I was as a mother in Ava's life....I was more than enough for her because He created me to be.
Wow, it's amazing to me how He worked in my life as I reflect on the past! For reasons I didn't understand at the time, God led my heart to spend more time at LCC....more time with people from there. I joined a women's bible study which completely changed my life. The women in that group are now some of my closest, dearest friends. I began to understand what a Christ-hearted woman is suppose to look like....what a REAL friend is suppose to look like....what REAL support feels like. I could see all those things in those women....I just didn't know how to transform my life to get there too.... I wanted to be that friend, mentor, encouragement to someone else too.... I wanted to be filled with joy no matter what circumstances my life had in it......everything began to change. My marriage began improving, how I treated & interacted with my husband. What was difficult is that I was so excited about this change & Jason is my best friend so I wanted him to be completely on board with me .... but he wasn't at first. He loved going to church but he wasn't ready to 'surrender' anything which kinda made me go back & forth a lot because I wanted my husband to be on the journey with me.... all in.
Ok so my promise of not getting too winded has kinda been broken hehe:) I'll post a part 3 hopefully in the next couple of days!
Love you all!
In high school I was a cheerleader, I loved the social life. My mom took my sister & I to a Catholic church when we were younger but she left the choice to go up to us when we reached a certain age. Of course I opted not to go since I thought it was painful to get through that 1 hour on Sunday morning....I was more concerned with what I was missing socially by being at church. My high school years were spent trying to impress the boys, drinking & smoking cigarettes when I drank. I held my parents & others at a high place & didn't want to disappoint anyone so I had decent grades & did everything I thought would make them proud & was really good at hiding what I was doing when they weren't around.
Thankfully, in college, I loved academics. I found what I really loved to do, Organizational Communications, & excelled. While my partying reduced, it didn't stop & I still had the same people/friends in my life that were hardcore partying so the influences were still there. I continued to make bad choices with men, I couldn't understand why it wasn't working, why did I feel so alone but yet surrounded by so many people. Even though I was excelling academically, I didn't feel good, I felt empty. Then my husband, Jason, & I started dating. He was my best friend's at the time, brother. We had known each other for a long time but had never made a connection....until then. (as I recall my 'timeline' of my journey to Christ, I can see how God was with me every step of the way, had his hand in every situation, I just didn't pay attention to Him.) Jason came into my life at just the right time. We partied together, we had fun but we also were making plans for our future & that involved marriage & children. We have always been on the same page about where our life was headed, what we wanted, how we wanted to parent our children. Our marriage was definitely arranged by God. We were making plans to purchase a home, we discussed getting engaged & when we would have children. We decided that we wanted our future children to grow up in church, to know God (which always cracks me up when I think back on that because we didn't KNOW God but wanted it for our children:) My uncle was a pastor at Lancaster Community Church so we decided to give it a try...besides my sister & her husband went there so it must be pretty good & LCC served donuts that you could eat in the santuary!! Growing up Catholic, this was totally crazy & awesome to me! This was the beginning of the fire God lit inside of us.
Now I don't want that to sound like 'we got it' after that one visit..... cuz' we didn't. My journey to Christ took many years. Jason & I would go on Sundays but sometimes we would be too tired & wouldn't go, sometimes we had too much to do that day, sometimes we partied too late the night before. We didn't study the bible at home, we weren't in a Connect Group, we didn't have any friends inside the church...we still had the same life, the same friends...which wasn't changing anything. We didn't want the 'fun' to stop, we didn't want to ditch our friends.... what we didn't know is that we didn't have to do that. We didn't know that the 'fun', destructive things we were doing were ultimately keeping us from having a relationship with Christ & were negatively effecting many other areas of our lives.
Jason & I were married in 2008. We had our daughter Ava in September of 2009. As you know from Part 1, Vera was born in September as well. The girls were 11 days apart...my sister & I were due the same day... my sister & I did everything together, we are best friends. In high school we had the same friends (still do), she was homecoming queen-I was attendant at the same time, we married men that look similar:), we got married in the same church, had our receptions at the same venue, & then we were having a baby at the same time! While pregnant with Ava my life began to change. My mothering instincts started kicking in. Of course the partying stopped completely for me, I started making plans for her future.... I wanted stability for her, brightness, comfort. When Ava was born, mine & Jason's life changed, forever. Some relationships in our lives started deteriorating due to our hearts knowing what we needed to do for Ava & what God wanted for her & others wanted to continue the way it was before Ava. I had post paratum depression..... not the 'put your baby in an oven' kind but constantly worried something was going to happen to her, she wasn't going to get enough to eat, that I wasn't sufficient enough to care for her. Jason went to work one day & I found myself on the floor on my knees sobbing & praying. That was huge. I got up from the floor, with total peace & for the first time could just enjoy Ava for a few moments without worry. My post paratum didn't end that day but it was a pivotal moment where God changed something in me...He made me begin to understand how important I was as a mother in Ava's life....I was more than enough for her because He created me to be.
Wow, it's amazing to me how He worked in my life as I reflect on the past! For reasons I didn't understand at the time, God led my heart to spend more time at LCC....more time with people from there. I joined a women's bible study which completely changed my life. The women in that group are now some of my closest, dearest friends. I began to understand what a Christ-hearted woman is suppose to look like....what a REAL friend is suppose to look like....what REAL support feels like. I could see all those things in those women....I just didn't know how to transform my life to get there too.... I wanted to be that friend, mentor, encouragement to someone else too.... I wanted to be filled with joy no matter what circumstances my life had in it......everything began to change. My marriage began improving, how I treated & interacted with my husband. What was difficult is that I was so excited about this change & Jason is my best friend so I wanted him to be completely on board with me .... but he wasn't at first. He loved going to church but he wasn't ready to 'surrender' anything which kinda made me go back & forth a lot because I wanted my husband to be on the journey with me.... all in.
Ok so my promise of not getting too winded has kinda been broken hehe:) I'll post a part 3 hopefully in the next couple of days!
Love you all!
Friday, June 22, 2012
My story, my testimony Part 1
Chances are, if you're reading this you know me & if you don't know me then God has brought you to this post for a reason, to bring us together. You need to know, I love you & you have touched my life at some point along the way or will:) I created this blog to post homemade recipes but God has really leaned on my heart to post my story or my testimony. He's been telling me to do this for quite some time & now I just can't put it off any longer. I believe God has leaned so heavily on me to do this because if you haven't heard my testimony, then there's a reason you're reading this now:) Those of you who do know my testimony will probably cry anyway:) (fair warning) Gosh, He works in amazing ways right?!
One year ago yesterday (June 21st), a series of horrific events began in our family. Our daughter, Ava 21 months at the time, had a seizure that lasted every bit of 3 minutes, she didn't have a fever. The doctors ran every test they could think of & decided to admit her into the hospital for overnight observation. They were concerned because of her not having a fever & no family history of seizures, she should never have had one. I held her throughout the night, afraid to take my eyes off of her (even though we were in the hospital I thought if something were to happen surely the power of a mother would be greater than that of a doctor:). She woke up VERY EARLY in the morning acting like herself. The doctors were still confused but decided to send us home but to watch her closely. Ava was very hyper when we left the hospital & even when we got home so since I left my phone charger accidently at the hospital, I decided to drive back to get it in hopes she would nap on the way since she had hardly slept in the last 24 hours. I left my phone in the car but thought we would only be a few minutes...not knowing my sister was desparately trying to reach me. My dear friend, Kim, works in the coffee area at the hospital so Ava & I were catching her up on what the doctors were saying about Ava so we were in there a few minutes talking. When we reached the car my phone was ringing, it was my sister, Katie. I thought she's probably calling to check on us & see how Ava is doing. But when I answered the phone, she was crying. Through the sobs I could only comprehend the words "Vera was found not breathing" & "She's on her way in the ambulance now, I'm in the ER waiting for it to get here".
I grabbed Ava out of her carseat & took off running through the parking lot. Kim was standing at the coffee area right inside the door, I asked her to keep Ava, told her Vera was found not breathing & was still running, headed to the ER wing. I found Katie sitting on a bench with an aid, crying. Our parents came rushing through the doors....all of us confused about what was happening. Let me explain, Vera Layne is my neice who was 11 days older than Ava. Katie & I were due with them the same day but Vera decided to come early:) Ava & Vera were best friends, they went to the same sitter (along with my nephew Jaxson & my son Graham), they did everything together....much like their mommys but I'll get to that later:) They took us to a room that frankly, scared me, because it meant this wasn't a mistake, something serious was going on. The doctor finally came in, said there was a team of more than 50 people working on Vera & she is very sick. They were going to life-flight her to Children's. He suggested that we say goodbye to her before she got in the helicopter in case she didn't make it. My husband, Jason, got there just in time before she got in the helicopter. Everyone still so confused about how this could have happened. Jason is a paramedic & thankfully we have good friends who are also medics so we sent Ava with one of them to be monitored & another medic friend had heard the run & went straight to the babysitters house to be with Graham. (More later on how much support & love we have from our friends:) Also, the medic that ran on Vera is a dear friend of ours as well so we were surrounded by family caring for the kids.
The doctors at Children's said that Vera's brain had swelled & the outcome was bleak. Devastated, confused, disbelief are just a few of the emotions we all were feeling. It was a long night....the machines were doing everything for her, she was gone. Vera was an organ donor & was able to help 2 kids! That's just the beginning of how Vera blessed people! As a family we ask that you as the reader respect the sensitive details that we cannot discuss. Know that God is in total control & we appreciate every prayer warrior that has been praying for us:).
The reason I gave you the details of this part of my testimony is not for dramatic effect, not to make you feel sorry for our family & definitely not to make you cry:). I pray that this will touch your heart in such a way that Vera's story can touch your life too. Part 2 I will start from the beginning (don't worry, less winded:) & end with where I am currentlly. Again, I love you & am praying for you:)
One year ago yesterday (June 21st), a series of horrific events began in our family. Our daughter, Ava 21 months at the time, had a seizure that lasted every bit of 3 minutes, she didn't have a fever. The doctors ran every test they could think of & decided to admit her into the hospital for overnight observation. They were concerned because of her not having a fever & no family history of seizures, she should never have had one. I held her throughout the night, afraid to take my eyes off of her (even though we were in the hospital I thought if something were to happen surely the power of a mother would be greater than that of a doctor:). She woke up VERY EARLY in the morning acting like herself. The doctors were still confused but decided to send us home but to watch her closely. Ava was very hyper when we left the hospital & even when we got home so since I left my phone charger accidently at the hospital, I decided to drive back to get it in hopes she would nap on the way since she had hardly slept in the last 24 hours. I left my phone in the car but thought we would only be a few minutes...not knowing my sister was desparately trying to reach me. My dear friend, Kim, works in the coffee area at the hospital so Ava & I were catching her up on what the doctors were saying about Ava so we were in there a few minutes talking. When we reached the car my phone was ringing, it was my sister, Katie. I thought she's probably calling to check on us & see how Ava is doing. But when I answered the phone, she was crying. Through the sobs I could only comprehend the words "Vera was found not breathing" & "She's on her way in the ambulance now, I'm in the ER waiting for it to get here".
I grabbed Ava out of her carseat & took off running through the parking lot. Kim was standing at the coffee area right inside the door, I asked her to keep Ava, told her Vera was found not breathing & was still running, headed to the ER wing. I found Katie sitting on a bench with an aid, crying. Our parents came rushing through the doors....all of us confused about what was happening. Let me explain, Vera Layne is my neice who was 11 days older than Ava. Katie & I were due with them the same day but Vera decided to come early:) Ava & Vera were best friends, they went to the same sitter (along with my nephew Jaxson & my son Graham), they did everything together....much like their mommys but I'll get to that later:) They took us to a room that frankly, scared me, because it meant this wasn't a mistake, something serious was going on. The doctor finally came in, said there was a team of more than 50 people working on Vera & she is very sick. They were going to life-flight her to Children's. He suggested that we say goodbye to her before she got in the helicopter in case she didn't make it. My husband, Jason, got there just in time before she got in the helicopter. Everyone still so confused about how this could have happened. Jason is a paramedic & thankfully we have good friends who are also medics so we sent Ava with one of them to be monitored & another medic friend had heard the run & went straight to the babysitters house to be with Graham. (More later on how much support & love we have from our friends:) Also, the medic that ran on Vera is a dear friend of ours as well so we were surrounded by family caring for the kids.
The doctors at Children's said that Vera's brain had swelled & the outcome was bleak. Devastated, confused, disbelief are just a few of the emotions we all were feeling. It was a long night....the machines were doing everything for her, she was gone. Vera was an organ donor & was able to help 2 kids! That's just the beginning of how Vera blessed people! As a family we ask that you as the reader respect the sensitive details that we cannot discuss. Know that God is in total control & we appreciate every prayer warrior that has been praying for us:).
The reason I gave you the details of this part of my testimony is not for dramatic effect, not to make you feel sorry for our family & definitely not to make you cry:). I pray that this will touch your heart in such a way that Vera's story can touch your life too. Part 2 I will start from the beginning (don't worry, less winded:) & end with where I am currentlly. Again, I love you & am praying for you:)
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Father's Day gift
I couldn't think of a great Father's Day gift for my dad & father-in-law that I don't always get them. So I got on Pinterest:) and this is what I came up with. I bought snacks that they both love (the Archer Farms from Target was on clearance). There's a shirt in the back..... I found a great deal at Meijer: Buy 1 get 1 for $1! The mini clothes baskets were 50% off at JoAnn Fabrics for $3. I already had the ribbon in my stash so I got a couple sheets of 'fatherly' looking scrapbook paper & just cut it in squares, then wrote "Happy Father's Day" with a marker, put tissue paper in the bottom that I already had as well & voila!
Happy Father's Day to all the terrific daddys out there!!
Cloth diapering
My husband & I had to make a choice about the care of our children when our babysitter hurt her back & was unable to care for them for months. We've had quite a rough year with the passing of our neice so we prayed about it & decided God was calling me to be a stay at home mom. Obviously we would be saving money on childcare but we needed to create a little more strict budget. So, along with homemade items (which are saving a TON of money!), I decided it would be more cost effective to start cloth diapering since we were spending a fortune in diapers! Plus, we have another little blessing coming in December so we can just pass down the stuff:)
A great friend, Natalie, gave me tons of information on Cloth Diapering 101. It is so different these days. It's modern, cute, & there are lots of tools to make you successful. I really feel like I'm doing something great for the environment too!
Here's a list of websites I use as resources for stuff I need:
www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com- diaper cream (although I haven't gotten any yet since cloth diapers don't really cause rashes) & this is also a fantastic resource about laundry detergent. The most research you should do about CD is about what detergent to use. There is a specific kind to use depending on your water/diapers. This site has almost every detergent on the market & how its ranked with CD.
www.greenmountaindiapers.com- I ordered all of my covers (the ones I started with, I make my own now), diapers & 1 wetbag (I made the other one) from this site. The company sends a booklet about diapering, what to expect, what to watch for, what not to do, what to do when certain issues arise. It's great! They also ship immediately so it takes no time at all to get the diapers you need!
www.pottypail.com- This company is where I ordered my potty sprayer. The options for getting poo off the diaper are: dunk it in the toilet until it comes off, buy liners, or get a sprayer. We opted for the sprayer:) I did the dunking in the toilet until the sprayer came & let me tell you, I was sooo happy when the sprayer came! haha!
I use Clotheez prefolds with Snappis to close them then use a cover overtop. Prefolds look like traditional diapers & Clotheez are the best on the market for absorption.
Snappis work like the closures on an Ace bandage. They are wayyyyyy easier to use than pins!
These covers are made by BumGenius & cost around $17 each. They are great cuz they're just like regular diapers.
I only bought 4 covers intentionally thinking it would work with my every other day wash schedule but didn't take into account that my children poo a lot!:) And I like to change the cover too since I feel that they hold the smell when they poo. I just wipe the cover out when it's only a wet diaper but I like them to smell really nice so when they poo I just change the cover too. Soooo, I refused to pay $17 per cover again, so I did some research about making my own. This is what I found:
I found the company Babyville Boutique while on the Internet. Their products are soooo cute!! (the covers below are made with all their product) My mom owns a sewing shop so she looked it up & discovered she can order their products! Awesome! She carries this book & is ordering more supplies as I type!:) Pleasant Mountain Stitchery (www.pmstitchery.com) The really great thing about this book is that there are many different patterns in it so if you wanted to try something different with diapering you can & it be cost effective!
I actually like these covers better than the ones I bought & these cost around $6 each to make! And that cost will go down as I make more because that includes the cost of the book.
A great friend, Natalie, gave me tons of information on Cloth Diapering 101. It is so different these days. It's modern, cute, & there are lots of tools to make you successful. I really feel like I'm doing something great for the environment too!
Here's a list of websites I use as resources for stuff I need:
www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com- diaper cream (although I haven't gotten any yet since cloth diapers don't really cause rashes) & this is also a fantastic resource about laundry detergent. The most research you should do about CD is about what detergent to use. There is a specific kind to use depending on your water/diapers. This site has almost every detergent on the market & how its ranked with CD.
www.greenmountaindiapers.com- I ordered all of my covers (the ones I started with, I make my own now), diapers & 1 wetbag (I made the other one) from this site. The company sends a booklet about diapering, what to expect, what to watch for, what not to do, what to do when certain issues arise. It's great! They also ship immediately so it takes no time at all to get the diapers you need!
www.pottypail.com- This company is where I ordered my potty sprayer. The options for getting poo off the diaper are: dunk it in the toilet until it comes off, buy liners, or get a sprayer. We opted for the sprayer:) I did the dunking in the toilet until the sprayer came & let me tell you, I was sooo happy when the sprayer came! haha!
I use Clotheez prefolds with Snappis to close them then use a cover overtop. Prefolds look like traditional diapers & Clotheez are the best on the market for absorption.
Snappis work like the closures on an Ace bandage. They are wayyyyyy easier to use than pins!
These covers are made by BumGenius & cost around $17 each. They are great cuz they're just like regular diapers.
I only bought 4 covers intentionally thinking it would work with my every other day wash schedule but didn't take into account that my children poo a lot!:) And I like to change the cover too since I feel that they hold the smell when they poo. I just wipe the cover out when it's only a wet diaper but I like them to smell really nice so when they poo I just change the cover too. Soooo, I refused to pay $17 per cover again, so I did some research about making my own. This is what I found:
I found the company Babyville Boutique while on the Internet. Their products are soooo cute!! (the covers below are made with all their product) My mom owns a sewing shop so she looked it up & discovered she can order their products! Awesome! She carries this book & is ordering more supplies as I type!:) Pleasant Mountain Stitchery (www.pmstitchery.com) The really great thing about this book is that there are many different patterns in it so if you wanted to try something different with diapering you can & it be cost effective!
I actually like these covers better than the ones I bought & these cost around $6 each to make! And that cost will go down as I make more because that includes the cost of the book.
Kitchen decorations
We just moved into our house last July so the decorating seems to be neverending! The only two rooms we have left are the kitchen & our bedroom. But, as every parent knows, we'll be last to getting to our room because of all the other things that we need to buy first:)
The kitchen is almost finished....we just need to paint! It will be Jalapeno Green I think. I'll post a couple pictures of the finished product:)
The kitchen is almost finished....we just need to paint! It will be Jalapeno Green I think. I'll post a couple pictures of the finished product:)
Sorry about th epictures being sideways! I couldn't figure out how to rotate them:)
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Homemade grape jelly
Ok so I tried my first attempt at making jelly tonight. I haven't tasted it yet & as you can see below, they are still setting up so hopefully it turns out!:)
This being my first try, the process goes so quickly & you have to move quickly that I wasn't able to take step-by-step pictures. But, I plan on making strawberry jam next (my absolute fav!) so I'll make sure I take pictures of everything I used. On this go around I used 'Sure Jelly' brand pectin for jams & jellies, Welch's 100% grape juice & good ol' sugar. As my confidence booster & educational tool I used www.heart-hands-home.blogspot.com. This blog is a plethora of information!! This blog explains the basics of canning & how to get started simply. Just make sure you have 2 BIG pots...one for making the jelly & the other for using to boil the jars if you don't have a canner. I personally do not have a canner so I just put a towel in the bottom of a big pot & made sure that there was 1-2 inches of water over the jars when they were ready to be sealed. That's important. Thankfully my wonderful husband is home today & took the kids outside to play while I did this because it requires uninterrupted attention for about an hour & 'uninterrupted' doesn't happen very often around here:) I'm actually super excited about making my own jelly! I think it would be a great idea as a gift to put together a basket of 'homemades': bisquick (pancake mix), brownie mix, jelly, homemade bread (which I'm going to attempt tomorrow maybe)! If you do this please let me know! I'd love to see & hear what you put together:)
This being my first try, the process goes so quickly & you have to move quickly that I wasn't able to take step-by-step pictures. But, I plan on making strawberry jam next (my absolute fav!) so I'll make sure I take pictures of everything I used. On this go around I used 'Sure Jelly' brand pectin for jams & jellies, Welch's 100% grape juice & good ol' sugar. As my confidence booster & educational tool I used www.heart-hands-home.blogspot.com. This blog is a plethora of information!! This blog explains the basics of canning & how to get started simply. Just make sure you have 2 BIG pots...one for making the jelly & the other for using to boil the jars if you don't have a canner. I personally do not have a canner so I just put a towel in the bottom of a big pot & made sure that there was 1-2 inches of water over the jars when they were ready to be sealed. That's important. Thankfully my wonderful husband is home today & took the kids outside to play while I did this because it requires uninterrupted attention for about an hour & 'uninterrupted' doesn't happen very often around here:) I'm actually super excited about making my own jelly! I think it would be a great idea as a gift to put together a basket of 'homemades': bisquick (pancake mix), brownie mix, jelly, homemade bread (which I'm going to attempt tomorrow maybe)! If you do this please let me know! I'd love to see & hear what you put together:)
Monday, May 14, 2012
New Mommy Survival Kit
New Mommy Survival Kit. I saw this idea on Pinterest & have so many friends expecting so had to make a couple to keep on hand! Great gift to grab & take to the hospital! All Mommies, even of multiples, need to remember these:) I bought almost all the supplies at the Dollar Store, used a gift bag, got coordinating scrapbook paper, typed this up & glued it to the front. Any Mommy would appreciate you putting this together for her.:)
KISSES: For both Mommy & baby
MIRROR: To remind you that you're important too
MARBLES: To replace the ones you lose
HAIR TIES: To remind you to stay flexible
LIFESAVERS: To save you from 'one of those days'
TISSUES: To wipe your tears & baby's tears too
ERASER: To remind you that everyone makes mistakes
STARBURST: To give you an extra 'burst' of energy
SOUR PATCH KIDS: To remind you that every baby is different
TYLENOL: For when all else fails
COZY SOCKS: To remind you to take time & relax:)
Congratulations!!
KISSES: For both Mommy & baby
MIRROR: To remind you that you're important too
MARBLES: To replace the ones you lose
HAIR TIES: To remind you to stay flexible
LIFESAVERS: To save you from 'one of those days'
TISSUES: To wipe your tears & baby's tears too
ERASER: To remind you that everyone makes mistakes
STARBURST: To give you an extra 'burst' of energy
SOUR PATCH KIDS: To remind you that every baby is different
TYLENOL: For when all else fails
COZY SOCKS: To remind you to take time & relax:)
Congratulations!!
Homemade Brownie Mix
Yes, it exists!:) Brownie mix probably shouldn't be a necessity in a home but it is definitely in our home!! I cut this recipe in half since I was low on ingredients but it ended up working out beautifully because it fit in the biggest bowl I had nicely without making a mess. I got this recipe from www.heart-hands-home.blogspot.com. This gal has a plethora of awesome stuff on her blog so you should check it out!! It says this mix costs less than $.50 per batch so totally worth it! You can keep it on hand for those last minute potlucks, cookouts or late night cravings!:)
Beneath the mix recipe I posted her Texas Sheetcake recipe because it looks to-die-for:)
(I like to make a couple bags to make brownies so I can just grab one & make them up quickly then put the rest in a big bag in case I wanna make Texas Sheet Cake)
Brownie Mix
8 cups of sugar
6 cups of unbleached flour (I used bleached cuz that's all the Dollar Store had:)
2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
Mix together and store in air tight container. **Note: when you go to her website you'll see she keeps her mixes in these very stylish glass jars that are fabulous. I found those big jars at Hobby Lobby for $11.99. They were 50% off last week & I was tempted to get one to store mine in because they do look absolutely fabulous but I have a tiny kitchen & unfortunately no space to store all those big jars. I also read on the comments that the jars can be found at Walmart for about $4! Oh golly! Now I might just have to get some! You could use them for gifts too for that price!
To make:
2 1/4 cup brownie mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup canola oil (or melted butter or margarine)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square pan. Combine ingredients and mix until smooth. Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is set. Cool, cut, serve.
Texas Sheet Cake
4 cup brownie mix
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10" x 15" jelly roll or sheet cake pan. Put brownie mix in bowl. In small saucepan bring oil, water, and sour cream to a boil. Add to the brownie mix. Stir in eggs, vanilla, & baking soda. Pour into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Prepare frosting and frost while cake is still hot.
Sheet Cake Frosting
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Beneath the mix recipe I posted her Texas Sheetcake recipe because it looks to-die-for:)
Brownie Mix
8 cups of sugar
6 cups of unbleached flour (I used bleached cuz that's all the Dollar Store had:)
2 cups cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. salt
Mix together and store in air tight container. **Note: when you go to her website you'll see she keeps her mixes in these very stylish glass jars that are fabulous. I found those big jars at Hobby Lobby for $11.99. They were 50% off last week & I was tempted to get one to store mine in because they do look absolutely fabulous but I have a tiny kitchen & unfortunately no space to store all those big jars. I also read on the comments that the jars can be found at Walmart for about $4! Oh golly! Now I might just have to get some! You could use them for gifts too for that price!
To make:
2 1/4 cup brownie mix
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup canola oil (or melted butter or margarine)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square pan. Combine ingredients and mix until smooth. Bake for 30-35 minutes until center is set. Cool, cut, serve.
Texas Sheet Cake
4 cup brownie mix
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10" x 15" jelly roll or sheet cake pan. Put brownie mix in bowl. In small saucepan bring oil, water, and sour cream to a boil. Add to the brownie mix. Stir in eggs, vanilla, & baking soda. Pour into pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Prepare frosting and frost while cake is still hot.
Sheet Cake Frosting
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Homemade Makeup Remover
Mother's Day is just a few days away so I'll tell you what I did for gifts..I made the homemade laundry detergent for my mom & mother-in-law....I already gave it to them so no worries of them finding out. But it would be a great idea to put together like a 'homemade basket' of things you've made as a gift: laundry detergent (nothing better than a years supply!), makeup remover, wipes, bread, jam. I'm going to try my hand at jam next & I found a recipe for homemade candles but I don't have all the supplies for that yet:) I have searched for makeup remover that isn't greasy but effective. This is it! And the beauty of it all, it's the exact same ingredients as the baby wipes!:) I got this recipe from www.kristanlynn.com
Supplies:
1 C water
1 1/2 Tbsp. baby shampoo (tear free)
1/8 tsp. baby oil
Combine all ingredients & try!:) I got the colored bottles on the left at Walmart for like almost $2 in the travel section, then I went to Hobby Lobby & in their 'sand art' section for kids they had the clear bottles on the right for $.77! The colored bottles do have a flip open lid though so that is one benefit but for that price difference I don't care to take the lid off each use. I also had the Cucumber Melon baby unopened from my baby shower with Ava!:) It smells great! With this recipe, I filled up the two colored bottles & half of a clear one.
Supplies:
1 C water
1 1/2 Tbsp. baby shampoo (tear free)
1/8 tsp. baby oil
Combine all ingredients & try!:) I got the colored bottles on the left at Walmart for like almost $2 in the travel section, then I went to Hobby Lobby & in their 'sand art' section for kids they had the clear bottles on the right for $.77! The colored bottles do have a flip open lid though so that is one benefit but for that price difference I don't care to take the lid off each use. I also had the Cucumber Melon baby unopened from my baby shower with Ava!:) It smells great! With this recipe, I filled up the two colored bottles & half of a clear one.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Homemade Febreeze
I think I have a serious obsession with Febreeze.... I'm serious. I love for my house to smell good! I'm constantly fighting the diaper champ stench & the wet bag with the cloth diapers in it! Ugh!! Also, what is the mysterious smell coming from the bathroom occasionally?! I also have an obsession with apple smelling candles but that's another post (I WILL figure out how to make my own apple scented candles so I quit spending so much money on candles!:) But I digress.
I use bottle after bottle of this stuff! It smells sooooo good!! I found this recipe at www.fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
Supplies:
1/8 cup of your favorite fabric softner
2 Tbls. baking soda
Hot tap water to fill bottle to top
32oz. empty Febreeze bottle or spray bottle
Mix baking soda & fabric softner in bottle, then fill to the top with hot tap water. Shake & you're ready!! When I'm at the dollar store, I just grab 2-3 spray bottles so keep on hand in case I find a recipe for something else:) So you could use one of those instead of an old Febreeze bottle. Also note: the Snuggle bottle you see in the picture contains homemade fabric softner:)
****You'll want to test on a small area of the fabric or item that you're going to spray where it's not visible before you spray the entire thing.
****Shake before each use:)
I use bottle after bottle of this stuff! It smells sooooo good!! I found this recipe at www.fakeitfrugal.blogspot.com
Supplies:
1/8 cup of your favorite fabric softner
2 Tbls. baking soda
Hot tap water to fill bottle to top
32oz. empty Febreeze bottle or spray bottle
Mix baking soda & fabric softner in bottle, then fill to the top with hot tap water. Shake & you're ready!! When I'm at the dollar store, I just grab 2-3 spray bottles so keep on hand in case I find a recipe for something else:) So you could use one of those instead of an old Febreeze bottle. Also note: the Snuggle bottle you see in the picture contains homemade fabric softner:)
****You'll want to test on a small area of the fabric or item that you're going to spray where it's not visible before you spray the entire thing.
****Shake before each use:)
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Homemade baby wipes
When my daughter was born, I only used Huggies diapers & Huggies wipes. Even at that time I tore every single wipe in half to help save (she had a small little tush & really you don't need that huge wipe!) I thought she had to have name brand everything! Then I got pregnant with our son & quickly realized there are great alternatives that are exactly like name brand stuff! We started using store brand diapers (there are certain ones I cannot stand but I'll go over that in another post:) but still used Huggies wipes. Then, in December, I started staying home with the kids & looked for ways to save even more money & found this recipe! I think they work perfectly...especially when you really think about what you're wiping with them & then just throwing away! haha It's like you're wiping poo with money & throwing it in the trash! So why not make your own?
Ingredients
Viva papertowels
2 cups of boiled water at room temp.
2 Tbls. baby wash
1 Tbls. baby oil
Boil the water then let it sit til it gets to room temperature. While that's cooling cut the papertowel roll in half, then take the cardboard roll out of the middle. You could us a really sharp serrated knife but mine wasn't really sharp so I used a hack saw! ha! Mix the water, baby wash & oil in a tupperware container with a tight lid. Place the half roll of papertowel with the cardboard roll taken out in the liquid mixture & let it absorb. Once it's all soaked up, put the lid on the container & turn it over & let sit for about 10 minutes until all the liquid has gone through the roll. Finished!! Pull the center out & you have a continuous baby wipe container:) Make sure to get Viva brand... they are softer & more like regular wipes. If you want to use reusable wipes, use the same ingredients & just cut up a material of your choice... jersey, fleece, etc.
Viva papertowels
2 cups of boiled water at room temp.
2 Tbls. baby wash
1 Tbls. baby oil
Boil the water then let it sit til it gets to room temperature. While that's cooling cut the papertowel roll in half, then take the cardboard roll out of the middle. You could us a really sharp serrated knife but mine wasn't really sharp so I used a hack saw! ha! Mix the water, baby wash & oil in a tupperware container with a tight lid. Place the half roll of papertowel with the cardboard roll taken out in the liquid mixture & let it absorb. Once it's all soaked up, put the lid on the container & turn it over & let sit for about 10 minutes until all the liquid has gone through the roll. Finished!! Pull the center out & you have a continuous baby wipe container:) Make sure to get Viva brand... they are softer & more like regular wipes. If you want to use reusable wipes, use the same ingredients & just cut up a material of your choice... jersey, fleece, etc.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Homemade fabric softner
Ok, today is Monday....in every way! Why are Mondays so jammed packed full of just stuff?! My other question... how does laundry multiply?!! I promise I was caught up & then I turn around & there's 2 laundry baskets full to fold! How did that happen?! Oh well, I'll fold & eat my cheese popcorn while the kids are napping:) Anywho, here's the recipe for the fabric softner. I will once again refer you to the wonderful ladies of The Savvy Savers. They also gave me this recipe. www.thesavvysavers.net
This recipe takes 3 ingredients!! Woo-hoo!! So I'm normally a Snuggle user...it's so hard to get away from it because it smells soooooo good but this does too!! I'll admit it's not as fragrant as Snuggle but when I tell you how much it costs it won't matter! You'll be like Snuggle who?
Supplies:
6 cups water
3 cups of vinegar (white distilled)
2 cups of hair conditioner
Mix into a 1 gallon container & stir but don't shake it. You'll use an entire bottle of the Suave container. Use it like you would your regular fabric softner! That's it! What I did was kept my old Snuggle containers & just pour it into those so I can just measure with the lid from that. You'll want to get a plastic pitcher to stir it in (I've seen these so cheap right now at Dollar Stores) & not all of it will fit in the container so just store it in that until you have room in the bottle. How much does this cost you might ask?? I got the conditioner for $.94 at Kroger & I always keep a HUGE jug of vinegar on hand because you can use it for anything & that was $2 at the Dollar Store! And that right there is exactly why I make my own instead of buying Snuggle:)
This recipe takes 3 ingredients!! Woo-hoo!! So I'm normally a Snuggle user...it's so hard to get away from it because it smells soooooo good but this does too!! I'll admit it's not as fragrant as Snuggle but when I tell you how much it costs it won't matter! You'll be like Snuggle who?
Supplies:
6 cups water
3 cups of vinegar (white distilled)
2 cups of hair conditioner
Mix into a 1 gallon container & stir but don't shake it. You'll use an entire bottle of the Suave container. Use it like you would your regular fabric softner! That's it! What I did was kept my old Snuggle containers & just pour it into those so I can just measure with the lid from that. You'll want to get a plastic pitcher to stir it in (I've seen these so cheap right now at Dollar Stores) & not all of it will fit in the container so just store it in that until you have room in the bottle. How much does this cost you might ask?? I got the conditioner for $.94 at Kroger & I always keep a HUGE jug of vinegar on hand because you can use it for anything & that was $2 at the Dollar Store! And that right there is exactly why I make my own instead of buying Snuggle:)
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Homemade laundry detergent
I'm still trying to figure out this blog thing so bare with me:) I was going to wait to post this tomorrow but I just can't wait to get some exciting things on here so I have just a few minutes before we have to leave. Of course the kids are running rapid in the house & the hubby is playing Call of Duty right now but chaos is commonplace in our house:) I love it!!
This detergent is super easy to make & will cost a FRACTION of what you've been spending on detergent! I'm serious! A fraction!! It hasn't been officially tested for people with sensitive skin but so many people I've talked to said this is the only kind of detergent they can use. Also, it is safe to use with HE machines. The Savvy Savers are the generous women that introduced this recipe to me! You can check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesavvysavers or www.thesavvysavers.net ! They have all kinds of money savings tips & coupons!
Supplies:
1 box Borax (4lb 12oz)
1 box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (4lb)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb 7oz)
3 bars Fels-Naptha soap, grated
2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (3.5lbs total)
5 gallon bucket with lid
Just get a 5 gallon bucket from your local hardware or the local bakery that might have 5 gallon buckets (in this area Donut World might have some), dump everything into the bucket & mix. That's it!! I heard of some women grating the Fels-Naptha bars with the grating attachment on their food processor but I don't have one so I hand grated them & it seriously didn't take that long. I just used a long kitchen spoon to stir it all up since it's all soap so it won't hurt anything just wash it afterward. I couldn't find a 4lb box of baking soda so I bought 2- 2lb boxes instead----I usually buy generic everything but went with name brand for this. I did buy generic Oxy Clean at Kroger & the detergent is working wonderfully! All of the ingredients you can find in the laundry aisle. Please note: the detergent will not suds up like name brand detergent because it doesn't have all the fillers that name brand has in it so don't fret..it's still getting your clothes really clean. Also, save the little scoop that comes in the Oxy Clean container to use as your measuring scoop. You will only use one of these scoops for a LARGE load of laundry.... again, because it doesn't have all those fillers you don't have to use as much. Calls for 1-2 tablespoons per load.
This recipe yields 365 loads of laundry!! That's right people, if you do one load of laundry a day you have enought laundry detergent to last a year!! Total cost: about $17. You can reuse the bucket over & over again too so you won't have the cost of that out!
This detergent is super easy to make & will cost a FRACTION of what you've been spending on detergent! I'm serious! A fraction!! It hasn't been officially tested for people with sensitive skin but so many people I've talked to said this is the only kind of detergent they can use. Also, it is safe to use with HE machines. The Savvy Savers are the generous women that introduced this recipe to me! You can check them out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesavvysavers or www.thesavvysavers.net ! They have all kinds of money savings tips & coupons!
Supplies:
1 box Borax (4lb 12oz)
1 box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (4lb)
1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (3lb 7oz)
3 bars Fels-Naptha soap, grated
2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (3.5lbs total)
5 gallon bucket with lid
Just get a 5 gallon bucket from your local hardware or the local bakery that might have 5 gallon buckets (in this area Donut World might have some), dump everything into the bucket & mix. That's it!! I heard of some women grating the Fels-Naptha bars with the grating attachment on their food processor but I don't have one so I hand grated them & it seriously didn't take that long. I just used a long kitchen spoon to stir it all up since it's all soap so it won't hurt anything just wash it afterward. I couldn't find a 4lb box of baking soda so I bought 2- 2lb boxes instead----I usually buy generic everything but went with name brand for this. I did buy generic Oxy Clean at Kroger & the detergent is working wonderfully! All of the ingredients you can find in the laundry aisle. Please note: the detergent will not suds up like name brand detergent because it doesn't have all the fillers that name brand has in it so don't fret..it's still getting your clothes really clean. Also, save the little scoop that comes in the Oxy Clean container to use as your measuring scoop. You will only use one of these scoops for a LARGE load of laundry.... again, because it doesn't have all those fillers you don't have to use as much. Calls for 1-2 tablespoons per load.
This recipe yields 365 loads of laundry!! That's right people, if you do one load of laundry a day you have enought laundry detergent to last a year!! Total cost: about $17. You can reuse the bucket over & over again too so you won't have the cost of that out!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Like the new digs?:) Thought I'd make it a little more fun! I can't wait to post all of the things I've been working on! I'll post the recipes for all the homemade stuff I've made too so that you can access it here. I also have a few crafts in the works. The things I've finished I'll just post a picture of the finished product & in the future I'll take pictures as I go so that everyone can have a visual. So far today I've made a curtain for our rental house & accomplished some cleaning. I'll be working on updating the posts probably tomorrow. Today, I am going to the church (Lancaster Community Church or LCC) to get things ready for The Current- women's even tomorrow night! If you want to go just message me! I am the 'craft-lady' for these events!! It's going to be fun!!!! :)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
My first post!!!:)
Ahhhhh!! This is so exciting!! I've always wanted to start a blog & here we are!! Welcome!! I will update more tomorrow because my kids are in bed already & I need to take advantage of that! You all will learn quickly that my two children (ages 1 & 2) do not sleep at night so when they sleep, I should too:)! Have a great night & can't wait to get this thing going!!
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