A Little Birdie Told Me...

Google Friend Connect is going to be no longer as of March 1, 2012...(yes, that's like two days away...)

What does this mean to you?

Nothing!!!  Because I have a blogger site...and I'm about to share what I just read:

"We're retiring the service for all non-Blogger sites on March 1, 2012."

So, y'all are good to go here, because I'm a "Blogger" site.

Holla.

Day M - Motivation Station

...moving right along...

Today is being brought to you by the Letter M...

My motivation:

Everything I do is for my family.  My husband motivates me to be a better wife, partner, lover and friend.  My children motivate me to be a better mother, leader, teacher and friend.  They motivate me to be a better Christian.  Everything I do is for my family.  I am constantly striving to set a good example for my children.

I would be nothing without them.

Weekend Wrap Up - A Day Late

Better late than never, right???
This past weekend the kids and I headed to Illinois for an overnight stay at my younger sister, Leslie & her husband, Zack's house - my older sister, Stephanie, had plans to spend the night there on Saturday, so we were invited to come and join in the fun...

Since Gordon had some things that he needed to get done around the house, Saturday, the kids and I packed up and headed out.

While I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I'm usually taking (I seem to be majorly slacking in this department - pretty sure it's because I hate dislike my camera...)  I had forgotten to charge my camera (I know!!), so we used my sisters camera, which I don't have now.  :-/

So here you have it...our weekend through some pictures...

One overnight = Full car trunk - how can that be???

Saying Bye to Dadda...



 

Once we arrived at Leslie's - we jumped right in and broke out the Cootie game.  Good times.

Pretty sure we didn't end up actually playing a game...but GT did have a good time playing with all of the Cootie parts. (That sounds kind of silly now that I'm rereading it.)  :- ) 



Vadyn striking a pose....sans bow

Uncle Zack playing w/ Miss V



Leslie's Lasagna for dinner....YUMM-O!!!



Cousin Alan came to hang out with us, too!!

(I'm realizing as I'm finishing up posting the pictures that I really need to get those other pictures from my sister - while we pretty much did nothing while we were together, these pictures really don't do much to capture our weekend.)

...look what I came home to!!!
(my heart melted...and the card made me cry)

When the kids and I arrived home on Sunday, I opened the door to see a very beautiful bouqet of flowers.  To tell you that I was shocked would be an understatement.  The last time I received flowers from Gordon was 8 years ago for my birthday.  He has other ways of making me feel loved and special, but tell me - what girl doesn't love receiving flowers from her man???

You know you had a good weekend when you end up with rugburn on your nose!?!

So there you have it...well, some of it anyhow...

Illegal Everything

You Gotta See This!!!

American has become a country where no one can know what is legal anymore.  Kids who open lemonade stands or who are selling Girl Scout cookies on their front lawn (this happened in Hazelwood, MO) are now being shutdown by police.  The governments adds over 80,000 pages of rules and regulations every year - it's not surprising the people everywhere are breaking the law without even trying.

Take the time and watch this.

It's incredibly eye opening.  Here are some of the highlights from the video:

"A small businessman spent 6 years in federal prison for breaking Honduran regulations (and, to make it worse, the Honduran government said he didn't)."

"A family in Idaho can't build a home on their land because the EPA says it's a wetland-but it only resembles a wetland because a government drain malfunctioned and flooded it."

"Want to start a taxi business? Too bad - it's illegal. Illegal, that is, unless you buy a government-issued "taxi medallion" that can cost as much as a million dollars. One city has a free market for cabs - Washington, DC - but lobbyists there are pushing to regulate."

"Increasingly, government tells us what we can and can't eat -- bans on trans-fat, happy meals, "raw" foods. California officials raided a raw food club, and arrested clerks for selling unpasteurized milk. Farmer Joel Salatin, author of "Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal," explains why Americans DON'T have the freedom to choose the food they eat."

"Drug use is illegal - but should it be? Where drugs are legal, businessmen replace gangs as the dealers and pay taxes. Portugal decriminalized all drugs 10 years ago--including crack, ecstasy, and heroin. What has happened since then?"

"Our government bans prostitution because people think it's a dirty, dangerous business. But in brothels where prostitution is legal there is no crime or disease."

"In the last few years, cops have arrested and jailed people for taping in public. The arrests are not legal, but they happen anyway."

If you are not going to take the time to view the entire video...at least go to YouTube and see some of the highlights.

This is so terrifying to me.  :-/

Confession Friday...02-24-12

* I confess...today will be day three for me without soda!!!  Day 1 went great for me, but yesterday I was realllllllly wanting a soda.  I decided to pour myself about 8 oz. and enjoyed that - NBD.

* I confess...that I am going to start referring to my children as "the littles".  I've recently discovered a new blogger that lives in the North of England and I absolutely LOVE the way she writes.

* I confess...if I were a ninja, my name would be Rinkutakiariarika.  Say that 10 times fast.

* I confess...that I've started washing my face at night with the Oil Cleansing Method and let.me.tell.you...it's incredible.  I would have NEVER thought that oil would work to clean.  If you read about it though, it makes sense.  I now make my own laundry detergent, fabric softener, baby wipes and face wash.  SCORE!

* I confess...I used a straw for the first time the other day to hull a strawberry and I will never cut the top off of a strawberry again.  Neither should you.



Look how good it worked!!!

* I confess...that I'm looking most forward to Day Q of the ABC Blog Challenge.  I've started making a list.

* I confess...that GT projectile vomitted all over the kitchen table, in the middle of dinner, the other night - it reminded me of the pie eating contest scene from Stand By Me - I thought we were all going to lose it.  Before I became a Mom, I never would have been able to hold it together.

* I confess...that blogging has really become a new favorite for me.  It has helped me to really self examine myself and I really think that I am a better person because of my blog.  It will sound silly to some people (probably those that don't blog)...but I know some of you know exactly what I'm talking about...

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Catching Up...

Today is being brought to you by the Letters J, K & L...

I'm sure the reason why so much time has passed since my last post for the ABC Blog Challenge is because of the topic of Day J - Junior High.  I was not a fan.  I've tried to figure out something great to post - but I've got nothing - just some randomness and not too good of memories about that time in my life.  I'll share the randomness...

*  I went to a small Catholic school in Southern Illinois.  There were 13 kids in my class (including myself for my 6th & 7th grade years and then in 8th grade, my class size went down to 12).  I can still recite the class roster, in alphabetical order, to this day.

*  I "ran" the mile for the track team, simply because noone else was willing to do it (and possibly I was trying to impress the coach/my teacher).  It turned into me more like me walking the mile...my time was around 12 minutes - and I was alllllllways the last one to finish the race.

*  I had a poem published in the Junior High Writer when I was in eighth grade.  I was very proud of that accomplishment.  Still am!  It was a poem titled The Snow Skier - maybe someday I'll dig it up for y'all.

*  My favorite class was science.  We had the coolest science teacher.

*  My seventh grade teacher locked me out of the classroom one time after our after lunch bathroom break because he said I was always the last one back from the bathroom.  I made the most of it and went over to the sixth grade classroom and taught religion class.

See....nothing....not really...

Moving on...

Bahahahahahahahahahahaha

I'm a firm believer in Godincidence and not coincidence.  I think everything happens for a reason and when seemingly coincidental things happen to a person - it just means that they are on the path that God has chosen for them.

I thank God for unanswered prayers.  It's not my will, but His will be done.  He is the Man with a plan and I trust in that.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Phew....glad to be over that hump...

Day M...next week!!

A Little of This...A Little of That...

First off...our boy was the recipient of a very much needed haircut last week...

BEFORE:

Poor kid, the camera has been in his face his whole life
and I can barely get him to look at the camera anymore.  When he does look,
this is the look I get.  Or something very similar...
Can you see him saying, "Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese"??

 AFTER:

...as I was saying...

...and Vadyn can't stop staring at her brother...

She is in LOVE!!

I've been having a lot of fun crocheting lately...yes...I said fun.  I'm excited to show you the current project I'm working on, but I want to wait to show you the finished project.  Hopefully it won't take me tooooo much longer.  I'd like to think I'm over half way done...

So, along with my new hobby of crocheting, I've really started to get the urge to sew.  I follow some really great blogs that are always giving tons of ideas for things I could make myself and it's realllllly got me wanting to break out my sewing machine.

My sewing machine, is my grandma's old sewing machine.


The light still works!!

The instruction manual is copyrighted in 1970, so the thing is older than me, but...it's what I'm going to learn to sew on.  I'm sure it's not thaaaaaaat much different than a machine nowadays is - and besides, this one has a history!! (Not to mention, I couldn't very much justify going and buying a machine when I had  one sitting in the basement)  So I'm excited to start some projects on that bad boy, but first I've got to get it all oiled up and practice sewing some hankerchiefs or something.  Then look out!!

I've really been loving my homemade laundry detergent.  The dishwashing detergent has left me not so happy, (I bought "the real stuff" from the store) but my laundry detergent and fabric softener is really proving awesome.  There are so many positives to the detergent, but mostly I just love how clean everything is coming....I plan on doing an update post on this, so I don't want to give too much away here, but even the colors of the washed clothes are brighter.

This is a pair of GT's pajamas.  One of the pieces has been washed in my new homemade detergent and one in the old detergent...can you tell which piece is brighter?  SERIOUSLY....LOVE THAT DETERGENT!!  I wish I would have switched a looooooooong time ago.

I am amazed.  Let me know if you want to try a sample...

Some other randomness from recent times:

I've started putting my hair in a sock bun at night...

THIS:

PRODUCES THIS:

...and I only used a sock.  You heard me.  Read more about sock bun curls here.

I am amazed every morning.  Hey, it's the little things...

Also this past weekend:

Vadyn tried a Cheeto for the first time...I'd say she loved it...

 ...and one more picture of my baby that I can still get to look at the camera...
 

LOVE



I Got Some Blogging To Do...

First things first...there will probably be a few catch up posts today...so I hope you all enjoy.

Now that we have that out of the way...I have to say...THANK YOU!!!

For what, you may ask...well.  You all (yes, you) have helped me to stay accountable.  When I first posted the picture of my short, brittle nails on my blog, I was hoping that it help me to stick to my guns and really concentrate on growing them out, and it did!!!  I have strong, healthy nails again!!!  Sure, this may be small potatoes for some of you...but it's not to me!!  I've been enjoying having fingernails again.  : )

Can't remember what my nails looked like when I started all of this?  Check out my original post here.

HUGE improvement, if you ask me...

So...the next thing you are all going to help me conquer:



Soda.  Yep.  I'm addicted.  BAD.  Like, it's all I drink in a day, and I drink a lot.  No water, no juice, no milk, no tea, no nothing...It's a very bad example that I'm setting for my kids.  So....I've decided to quit.  Cold Turkey - well, sort of.  I've been waiting for just the right day for it to be the first day without soda and I decided yesterday that today would be the day.  I kept getting hints from The Big Guy and I'm alllllll about listening to His hints.  I can take a hint!!

So, today is the day folks.  I poured and drank my last soda last night.

Sweet Nectar

I know this is something I can do...about 10 years or so ago, when I first met Gordon I quit drinking soda for a while, too. It was the skinniest I 've ever been.  Now, granted I've had two kids since then, but I am really thinking that without all of the extra calories and sugar that I've been pouring down my throat everyday, I'm bound to see an improvement.

I'll keep you posted on my progress...

Day I - Illegal Past

No...I haven't forgotten about the ABC Blog Challenge.

Today is being brought to you by the Letter I...

...and here I go making it my own again...

Let me introduce you to someone.  (Not like I know him personally or anything...but I find his story intriquing...and his story fits today's topic for the challenge)

This is Mark Wahlberg.

Formerly known as "Marky Mark"

Bahahaha...Sorry. Couldn't resist....

You can read more about his story and his accomplishments here and here.  For the purposes of the challenge, I'm just going to give you the jist of it and why I chose him for my post today.

This is the main reason.  When I heard the interview for the first time, I got out my phone and recorded a snip it of the interview, just to make sure I had it to hear again.

It's not a secret that Mark had numerous run-ins with police as a child and that he became addicted to cocaine and other drugs by the age of 13.  He dropped out of school at the age of 14.  He was convicted of assault at age 16, and as a result of his assault conviction, he was sentenced to serve 50 days in prison.  It was while he was there, that it hit him.  He was surrounded in the prison by people from his "hood"...guys that were just a few years older than him...guys he knew...and that wasn't what he wanted for his life.

Today, we know Mark Wahlberg as a successful actor, producer and musician.  He is a husband and a father.  A devout Catholic.  He attends church every day.  We could all learn a few things from him, and I'm not just talking about his faith. If you listen to the interview, Mark talks about how even if he doesn't go to mass every day, he still makes the time to go to church.  He said it 'gives him the opportunity for him to focus his day, while expressing his gratitude and it allows him to clear his head so that he can focus upon his actions as well as the elements in his life that he needs to avoid.'

The part of the interview that I recorded for myself was when he said, "I pray to be a good servant to God, a father, a husband, a son, a friend, a brother and uncle, a good neighbor, a good leader to those who look up to me and a good follower to those that are serving God and doing the right thing.”  I think we could all say his prayer.

I think a lot of the time people do not know what to pray for.  I know I find myself in that position a lot, not wanting to always be asking of God.  So, I've learned something from Marky Mark.

If you don't read the whole interview.  At least scroll down to the interview with Piers Morgan and listen to that.  It was very insightful.

What Did You Do Last Night???

Whew...what a night.  : )

Let me start with a couple of pictures from Monday night...because they are just that awesome.  : )

They may not be the best quality...but they definitely say 1,000 words.

Look at these two enjoying each other!!

Sorry...couldn't resist.

So, yesterday.  Valentine's Day...

I had to work at the office during the day.  When I got home, Gordon & GT headed off for their Valentines Day excursion (GT's very first movie at the movie theater - Star Wars Episode 1 in 3D, nonetheless - yes, I missed this first and there are no pictures!!!!!) while the Little Miss & I prepared to get our laundry list of things done while we had the house to ourselves.

Vadyn & I started with a trip to the Dollar Tree.  Seriously, LOVE that store.  We may or may not have spent an hour in there last night, filling our cart to the brim dropping twenty bucks...after we got home from the store...we got busy.

First on the docket:  Homemade Dishwashing Detergent.  You heard me...

The ingredients:

Equal parts of each.  I started with 1/4 cup, 1/4 cup and 1/4 cup...
(Since it's my first time making it, I wanted to test it out)

I found the recipe here.



 I mixed it right in the container I planned to store it in and voila!!

Load the dishwasher, use one Tablespoon per load...

(Do you like the action shot)

I'm excited to see how this compares to the detergent I've been using (which hasn't been getting my dishes clean, causing me to have to handwash dishes that have already been in the dishwasher...not good!)

After that was done...I made homemade laundry detergent.  Oh. Yes I did.  I am sooooooooo glad I did, and I think you should, too!!!

What was Miss Vadyn doing during this time, you ask...

Scooting around the kitchen...and smiling!!!!

Back to the detergent...

The Ingredients
(That's right...two of the same ingredients as we used for the
dishwashing detergent!!...get excited)

The recipe I used can be found here.

One bar of Fels-Naptha soap (you can use other kinds, too...just check out the link), One cup of Super Washing Soda and One cup of Borax.

First, shred the bar of soap:

Next time I'll use something that grates a little better...this just shredded it...
another trip to the Dollar Tree!!!

Add one cup of Washing Soda

...and one cup of Borax

Next time, I'll mix it in the container that I store it in...I'm so excited to try out my new detergent!!  I've heard only positive things about it & I'm most excited about the money saving potential!!  Just like the dishwashing detergent, you only use one tablespoon per load (you can add extra for tough stains).

Viola!!
(Yes, I realize I abbreviated tbsp. two different ways.  I like to mix it up a little bit, what else can I say)

These next two pictures are for all of the people who've asked me how I get Vadyn to leave her bow alone.  Well, she doesn't anymore.  Are you happy???!!!

 

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! (Even without her bow) After the laundry detergent, I made another batch of my homemade fabric softener (this time I used blue conditioner, so it turned out the same color as Snuggle/Downy, it's the little things, lol) and then the boys came home from their movie.  They had a blast, just like I knew they would.  GT loves Star Wars and he had no idea what his Dadda had in store for him when they left the house. Since Gordon was home now, I enlisted his help with cutting a roll of papertowels in half, because I had another batch of baby wipes to make.  (Yes, I was busy last night!!) This time we used the saw.  I'm still trying to perfect this part of the method.  The mess isn't too bad, I'm just looking for the best way to cut the papertowels without shredding the paper towels too bad.  It wasn't really any better or any worse... After all of my home made fun, it was time for GT to get into the shower and get ready for bed.  Gordon & I had a little celebrating to do.  After all, it was Valentine's Day!! Guess who needs a haircut? But before I put the kids into bed (or Gordon & I did any celebrating, for that matter), I made a quick trip to Michaels.  I'm making some puppets for my crochet class. (Insert sssseriously excited squeal here...just wait til you see them)



Oh yeah.  Yarn SALE!!



When I got home, Gordon & I put the kids to bed & then enjoyed our one on one time...but I can't blog about that.  Let's just say, there wasn't a lot of crocheting getting done.

 

; )

XOXO