ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 173)

Not really a thought, but maybe more of a mission. I know someone who's starting a 365 project starting tomorrow and what a great way to start a new year. Not that I agree with the whole "resolution" thing, I'm more of a improve yourself daily type person. I have several blogs (because I'm cool like that) and I believe I'll continue to write this one, but maybe not 5 days a week. We'll have to see. I really need to concentrate on becoming gainfully employed again. Blogging provides a necessary refuge, but it doesn't bring in any moola. A pity, I know. I'll get it started and let you all know and link it up, of course!
as for 2010, you started out with promise and many things went well. things got shuffled, rearranged, reassigned, and scrutinized later on though. i discovered things about myself and what i need out of life, i realized maybe i should reprioritize some things as well. my kids flourished, thankfully, and for that I am truly grateful. I look forward to 2011 and what promise a new decade may bring. May 2011 be as bright for everyone as the milky way on a crisp starlit night.

Is there really a point?

I'm not too sure about this because I'm not sure that anyone really reads any of this anyway. I've even lost 3 fans from my Facebook fan page this week alone. I have heavier things weighing on my mind and decisions that need to be made, none of which I'm ready for. I'm not ready to give up the blog just yet though and if the handful of people who actually read this will stick with me, I promise I'll be good again. Whether I have a point or not.

and to think, in year's past I would have laughed..

Laughed at all the other Mom's pulling out their hair with all the kids out on Christmas break. I always worked, the kids hung out at daycare, who entertained them and carted them on field trips to the library and the pool and the local museums. "My kids are driving me crazy", I'd hear as I gloated that mine were well taken care of while I worked. That was last year though and seeing that no one has seen fit to gainfully employ me, I am one of those hairless Moms with the bored whiny kids. Well, actually it's not that bad...my boys are self-sufficient, entertain themselves well and have been engrossed in the various video games and Lego's they received for Christmas. My daughter on the other hand....eh, not so much. She insists she wants to help me do whatever it is I'm doing and when I let her, her interest only lasts for a few minutes before she's whining to be done. Don't get me wrong, she got plenty of things to entertain her for Christmas, she just would rather pick on her brothers or hang on me. Um, yeah. If Mother nature would cooperate a little more and send some more of that famous sunshine we're known for this time of year instead of the buckets of rain we've gotten instead, I would actually have a problem. "Huh, you're bored? Go outside then, bye!", I would reply to the constant "I'm boreds" streaming from her mouth. But, no. I sit and count of the days until the break is over and am thoroughly grateful for visitors this weekend and other things to do. Thus is life I suppose and fast forward a few years and I'm going to miss having them all here to bug me at all, right? ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 170)

Stick a fork in the holidays, cuz they're done!

Well, done enough anyway, although looking through my house it's hard to believe it! Various package wrappings and a few random gifts for relatives, to be seen later in the week, strewn under the tree. The counter is littered with half empty goody plates and my front room still has stockings on the sofa and a box with discarded paper stuffed to the brim. The rooms' of my children look like war zones, Lego's scattered from end to end and dirty clothes falling out of hampers. I have, however, gotten started on the cleaning processes. One room at a time and here's where the "TiP" part comes in, tackle the mess one room at a time.
I have to have the house picked up again for the weekend because of the before mentioned visiting relatives and that leaves me 3 more days to get the house in shape. Today the kitchen, tomorrow the bathrooms, and the next day the living spaces and the kids to clean their bedrooms. I have the kids do theirs last because honestly, they don't stay clean and I'm all for the least amount of yelling as possible! ;0) This will be accomplished while I get through the mountains of laundry, slowly...ever so slowly. I've found that I can easily wash, fold, and put away the laundry while I'm on the phone, so chances are if you call me, that's what I'll be doing!
As overwhelming as the the after effects of the holidays are, cleaning up after them doesn't have to be. So, don't let it! Start with one room and clean it completely and move on from there, you'll get it all eventually! ;0) That's your TiP fOr TuEsDaY! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 169)

Yes, if you read my blogs you will notice that I am a dummy and posted this post on my family blog as well. D'OH!! Yeah, yeah...feel free to read it here too. ;0P

...and now a very special tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe post because apparently what "I like" is to drive myself insane!! ;0)

                            *What I Made for Christmas*

I painted 3 pictures in all (I just mailed two of them away neglecting to snap pictures of them, oops!)

I sewed fleece travel pillow covers for my sons, and appliqued their names on them as well

I appliqued and sewed 3 pillows with my the hand prints of my children

My daughter and I made our own wrapping paper with brown parcel wrap and potato stamps

I made 5 pretty skirts in all, my daughter LOVED hers!

Including the stockings and the tree ornaments and many different kinds of goodies, I was one very busy Mommy this Christmas season! See the rest of the madness here and here. It was so much fun though, having Christmas on the cheap. We felt bad that the kids weren't as spoiled as usual, but honestly everything they got, was something they really wanted! They had a great time! As for the Christmas goodies here's one of the recipes I used:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies (gluten-free)
Ingredients
1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not imitation)
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
4 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-free flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and the sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla and the pumpkin until well blended.
Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

I know what you're thinking, aren't your recipes dairy-free as well? I know that chocolate chips generally aren't, but I found some great gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips from Enjoy Life, that are both safe for my allergy-ridden eater and taste identical to the real thing, SCORE!
I hope that all of my readers had a wonderful Christmas with their families as I know I did, especially now that it's done! Now if I could only get my house back in order we'll be all set! ;0)

The reason for the season...

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Merry Christmas to all my loyal blog readers that celebrate the holiday, (at risk of not being entirely politically correct and all) and Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings to everyone else! I'm sharing biblical passage today as a reminder (to myself included) to remember the reason we all drive ourselves mad with the holiday rush in the first place! To celebrate the birth of Christ. Christians celebrate the holiday in the spirit of kindness and giving in remembrance of him and his teachings. Others celebrate on the notion of family and togetherness and getting great stuff? I'm not sure really because I celebrate for the first reason, him...the reason for the season. On that thought, I'm going to be taking this week off from the daily blog-grind and take the time to enjoy my family. I wish everyone peace and happiness for the week ahead and hope that everyone finished their holiday shopping because I have, yippee!!! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 167)

"Everything that's really worthwhile in life comes to us". ~Earl Nightingale



Really worthwhile, have you stepped back and put this into perspective? I can ask myself this very question and honestly I'm not sure I have the answer. I'm sitting here trying to think of some words of wisdom to add, but I'm failing miserably...so, forgive me if I just share the quote today and let you reflect on what it means to you. Life in general is absolutely worthwhile, just a thought...

I got nothing.

 

Well, I lied I got something...yes, and that would be lots and lots of stuff to finish! I'm not ignoring you my dear blog friends...I just seem to have been sucked down the black hole of the holiday madness! You understand, right? ;0)

A stitch in time...Christmas gifts sneak peak

Fancied up denim skirts for my nieces...

A sparkly, pretty dress for my daughter

Adorable!

and an itty-bitty baby beanie!

All out on the cheap for Christmas means I've been chained to my sewing machine for weeks trying to whip up homemade gifts for everyone this year. My blog posts have been short, my house isn't particularly clean, and I've been missed on facebook (silly, I know!) and I thought I'd share a sneak peak of some of things I've done so far. I'm just going to be sharing pics of the gifts to people who don't actually read the blog, just so the element of surprise isn't spoiled.
The denim skirts.
I actually had a far more complicated project in mind for my nieces (and my daughter insists she needs one too...) involving layers and frills and after picking out a sewed on backward piece one too many times, I came up with a new plan. What little girl doesn't like pretty things covered with tulle? Well, my nieces (and daughter) sure do and so I went to the thrift store and picked up 3 denim skirts for 3 dollars a piece. They were all in great condition and I took them home and cut off the bottom hems. I have blue and yellow tulle remnants that I picked up for under a dollar and plenty of girlie floral cotton blend material in my stash. I chose coordinating material for the tulle and sewed ruffled bottoms for the skirts. I then ran a length of coordinating ribbon over my seems and stitched it down as well. After a few well placed flowers (to cover up the ribbon ends) I was done! I can't believe how cute they turned out! Maybe I'll have to make for myself...hmmm...;0)
My daughter's sparkly Christmas dress.
I know the pictures don't do this dress justice, but I'm impressed with how cute it turned out! Even a Christmas dress from Wal-Mart will run you 20 bucks and as tradition the girls in the family always get a new one every year. I knew I could do it cheaper and set out to try. I first picked up some sparkly pink material that has little stars through it, in the remnant bin for 2 bucks. They also had some pink cotton for a buck and I picked that up for the lining. Now for the top...hmmm...I went to the thrift store on the off chance they had something pretty to use and I scored! I found a stretchy-velvet top with sheer sleeves covered with sequins, that looked like it belonged to a skirt or something, in my daughter's size for 3 dollars. I also picked up some black satin ribbon for the sash and a package of pretty pink rosettes for about 3 dollars as well. I made a skirt out of the sparkly material and the pink cotton for the lining. I didn't have quite enough of the pink lining material, but was lucky enough to have some extra in a shade darker and I just sewed a couple of darker panels to the front and back, you can't tell at all though! I attached the skirt to the bottom of the shirt next and went about trying to figure out the best way to attach the sash. I measured out the length of the sash and took two short pieces of ribbon and stitched them to the front to act as belt loops. I then used some iron on hemming tape and ironed the sash down and stitched the front of it too. I finished up with the rosettes and just look at how adorable it turned out!
The baby beanie.
This is a project I started as I hitched a ride to Vegas on Monday and finished up yesterday. Super fast! My friend's little baby is adorable and teeny! She is 10 months old and weighs 13 lbs and stands up at knee height, she's so little! Imagine having a 10 month old that only wears 3-6 month clothes and won't keep anything on her head unless it's tied on! Yep, that might make it difficult to find a warm little hat that fits and it has been. So, when she was here last week I took a quick measurement of her head and started planning for a little hat to fit it. I made a cute one for my daughter a few years ago and I patterned this little one after it, it's so cute!
As you can see, I'm well on my way to having a pile of wonderful homemade gifts to give out for Christmas! Now if you'll excuse me...I need to get a sewing! ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 164)

Merry Christmas, Mom's lost it!

                        What do you mean I can't do it all?!

Oh, and how I wish I could too...poo. Is this frazzled look a permanent stain across your face this time of year? I'm not going to lie, I probably look like this far too often. There are so many things I would like to get accomplished and just so many hours in the day and being overwhelmed gets to you after a while. I am up to my ears in projects and in fact have one on my lap I've been applying a few stitches to when my computer is taking forever to load and I want to get everything done. Yes, everything and the house cleaned and the kids fed and two concerts attended tonight and an interview gone to this morning and a blog post written and...and...and...phew! I can't do it all, no matter how hard I try...So, what do you do when you can't? Here's a few tips:

Let something go.
Do you have to attend every single Christmas party you've been invited to, are the kids just going to trash the house again after you cleaned for hours? Exactly. Don't be upset if you missed an event and I will be only spot cleaning this week until all of my homemade gifts are done. It'll just have to do and I know I will be scrubbing the house spotless next week and the kids didn't seem to care we missed one Christmas event. So be it!

Rethink your priorities.
Absolutely would I love to make sure that everyone in my life has gotten something from me for the holidays, but when funds are low and time is at a premium everyone might not get something wonderful. Don't worry if you were only able to send a card with a heartfelt note this year, I'll bet your friends were glad to just know you were thinking about them. I know I would be!

Refuel and refresh.
Take a break, do something just for you, put yourself in time out. Thinking of homemaking like a job helps with this. You wouldn't go all day working without taking a lunch break, right? For the most part no and don't feel bad that you stopped for a few minutes to do something else. I take a minute to reset and get back to it when I'm getting frustrated with a project or task and sometimes just a minute is all I need to gear up and get back to it again.
Cheer up, I won't be able to do everything either. My house is a wreck, the kids ate PB and J for dinner, and I have 1/2 of my projects left to complete...the thing is though, I'm okay with that! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 163)

Haha I gotcha! You came here totally thinking I was going to be droning on about how much I love a certain product, didn't you? Well, I fooled you! I had no qualms about sitting here today and sharing with you one of the many things I just can't seem to do without...that was until I had a chance to go to Vegas for the day. Yep, you heard me...I said Vegas!! Cha-ching baby! Actually, in all honesty Vegas is really only an hour and a half away from where I live and going there is really no big deal. We are not even doing anything remotely fun either...nope dragging a U-haul trailer down to pick up some chairs...whoopee? I just thought I'd try to make you jealous...you know, with the monotony of my pathetic life...um, yeah. ;0) No worries, I'll be back tomorrow!

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 162)

AWESOME.

        "The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement."
Now ain't that the truth? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and thought, "Gosh, I'm perfect!" You're right, none of us have done that. Nor would I want to, in all honesty! There is always room for improvement in all areas of life and I'm all for that. Don't you always feel great when you know that you've been able to make a difference in your life or the life of others? I do for sure and I encourage others to do the same in their lives. Start out small by maybe being a little more patient with your kids or by trying something new or by setting a goal and working hard to achieve it.  I had a friend tell me recently, "Gosh is there anything you can't do?" Of course there is! I know how to do lots of things, but I'm no where near perfect and of the things I know how to do, I can't do them all well and that's where I can improve! I try very hard not to let my own fears and self-doubts keep me from trying something different or new. Everyone can always"try" and how can you succeed if you didn't even do that?...just a thought! ;0) 

Christmas cards on the cheap!

 

I wasn't kidding when I said I was going all out cheap for Christmas, this even includes the Christmas card department. I love to send out cards at Christmas and when you figure in the cost of the card plus postage, it can really add up. I spent a while trolling the different options for Christmas cards and I was not able to come up with a ultra cheap alternative. My man uses VistaPrint to make up his cards and post card mailers for his business and claimed he could get post cards for 21 cents a piece. You save loads doing it this way, I mean consider that it only costs 29 cents a stamp and 21 cents a card so, if you have a hundred cards to mail that's only 50 bucks! Cha-ching!
After a little finagling and a well placed business logo he ordered them up and I'll send them out to family and friends and he can hand his out to good customers for networking purposes. Sounds like a plan to me! ;0) So, last call if you missed my facebook event and would still like a card, send me a message with your address and I'll hook you up! Seasons Greetings and all! ;0)

A stitch in time...Christmas is a coming (the results)

Oh, Christmas tree...

My felt wreaths that took forever to complete, but are really pretty!

Spray painted pinecones strewn under the bows...

Your stockings have to match too, right?

and pretty stars in gold and teal, twinkle amongst the branches...

As promised, I provided pics for my decorating madness. Many an hour spent over the last few weeks with needle in hand and painted fingers, provided for some pretty Christmas decor!
I know I mentioned that my colors were teal and gold this year and I had every intention to stick with just those colors and a little cream too, but as I wound the lights over my tree I discovered that I did not have enough white LED lights to cover the whole tree. After an annoyed grumble, I decided that I would use a couple of strings of red lights too. Of course, that meant that I needed something in the red dept. as well. I had a stack of colored foam sheets that had several red pieces and I quickly cut out some red hearts and sprinkled them evenly over the tree. I also twisted some red and white pipe cleaners into candy cane hearts and added them as well. The result is a pretty, if perhaps patriotic-looking tree!
Do you like my  no fireplace mantle solution? Yes, I did just string my stockings through gold ribbon and secure them with our monogram pins I collected last year. I then tied the ribbon to my archway and pushed a pushpin through the middle to secure it, it's pretty I think! ;0)
Not too bad for decorating on the cheap!

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 159)

Flaming Christmas tree, eh? That can't be good. As I was sitting here doing a little research for today's "TiP" segment I came across quite a lengthy list of holiday safety tips for children put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) here.  It lists tips for keeping kids safe through the holiday season and although I imagine it's fairly helpful to some people, I myself find it rather redundant. For Example:


Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted. 
Um, what? I have never in my life time seen a metallic tree. If I am mistaken, please send me a note, but I'm thinking that they don't actually exist. If they do, I can only imagine that they aren't popular....seeing as though they would be metal...and not at all tree-like. Um, yeah.

When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "Fire Resistant." 
Kind of like the picture above, I imagine your tree bursting into flame would be a bit of a bummer. I don't recommend dousing it in gasoline either...just saying.



Avoid trimmings that resemble candy or food that may tempt a young child to eat them. 
If you seriously have children that would be tempted to actually eat the fake food decorations, then me thinks you have bigger problems on your hands! I'm not talking about babies that really would eat anything, or pets, but if your kid is big enough to know better and is tempted to snack on the decorations anyway....yep, that's what I'm talking about. ;0)

Children under age 8 can choke or suffocate on deflated or broken balloons.

Okay, my own personal opinion here, if someone banned balloons all together I would be thrilled. My kids fight over balloons, my kids beat each other up with balloons, my kids refuse to get rid of their balloons even when they are flat and wrinkled, my kids still cry when they fly away because they refused to let me tie them to their wrists. See what I mean?

Bacteria are often present in raw foods.  Fully cook meats and poultry, and thoroughly wash raw vegetables and fruits.

What? I needed to cook that before we ate it? Huh, I guess you learn something everyday.;0)


So hey, don't worry about your kid chewing on the lights cord under the tree or anything...nah, you should be more worried about, "Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens" Ahh...but I LIKED catching household items on fire...poo. Silly old safety tips anyway! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 158)

Febreze Air Effects!

'Tis the season and all and my house smells of cinnamon potpourri, fresh baked cookies, pine trees...er, not. More like garbage, smelly socks, whatever garlic-laden concoction was made for breakfast, and don't forget poop! Don't think me to be a terrible housekeeper, I really do clean and empty the garbage and do the laundry and make the garlic king's breakfast...it's just that life runs faster than I do! As much I would love to spend every waking second cleaning something (okay, I really don't!) I do have people come into my house and me myself and I would really love my house to smell seasonably fresh all the time, wouldn't you?
Haha, this is where Febreze Air Effects comes in! The scent I have featured above (Cranberries and Frost), I used last year and loved! It made my house smell crisp  and wonderful. This year I have some Pumpkin Harvest  fall leftover and when I use up the rest of that I will be snagging some Cinnamon and Sugar home to try!
Febreze Air Effects is some good stuff and it's safe for kids and pets too! Want your house to smell yummy and seasonably fresh? Try some Febreze Air Effects, I like it and I'll bet you would too! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 157)

 You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give." Kahlil Gibran

Now how many of our kids think that the reason for the season is getting stuff? I mean, I know that's all I thought about as a kid. We did perform service for the needy as well, but seriously it was all about the stuff! This year is very different for our family, the reality of unemployment and a depressed economic situation in our area is hitting hard this season. While we still have the essentials of food, shelter, and love, we have next to nothing for extras like lots of Christmas presents. My Mom asked me if the kids were excited for Christmas and I had to tell her truthfully that they really aren't this year. It's tough when you know what you would normally be able to provide for them and where they normally get plenty for Christmas, it'll be very little this year. Many homemade presents and goodies and decorations are the reality, but you know what? I love, love that I am able to give the gift of me this year. I've spent many years working through the holidays and I haven't had a Christmas day I didn't have to work in like 7 years and it's nice! The kids are able to participate in activities that they wouldn't have been able to because I had to work and couldn't take them. They can get rides to friends' houses, I pick them up everyday after school. We get to play outside before dark, we get to spend hours at the park when we have time. If we want to go someplace for the weekend, then I don't have to beg for time off of work. We'll be able to make goodies to give away to neighbors and friends, we'll be able to enjoy the company of each other. And as simple as that is, it's plenty.

A stitch in time...Christmas is a coming!

A menagerie of felt ornaments...

and fabric for homemade stockings too...

a little panted star action...

and spray painted pinecones and leaves too!

As I prepare furiously to get the last of my tree decorations finished for this weekend, I thought I'd share a glimpse of what I'm making. Each year at the end of the season when all the decorations are on sale for 75% off, I choose my Christmas color theme for the next year. Last year I was able to snag some adorable sparkly teal bead-garland for like a dollar a strand. This paired with some gorgeous gold gem ornaments, birthed my theme for this year. Now heaven forbid I was able to find matching stockings anyplace, so I got creative. I snagged some material from the remnant bin at my local Wal-Mart that was a good match along with some remnant cream felt and it set me back a whole 3 bucks! I found a stocking pattern off the net and got to work cutting out and stitching together stockings for everyone.
This fall the kids collected three large grocery bags of pinecones at our local park and I used most of them as decoration in my empty window boxes. I purposely saved a bag and spray painted them gold to match, 3 bucks for spray paint, pinecones, free!
I went to Michael's to get some felt for ornaments and came across some wooden stars for like 40 cents each and came home and painted them teal and gold to match and talked my man into drilling holes in the centers for me. A little gold yarn later and I had star ornaments!
The felt was on sale for 5 sheets for a buck and I loaded up. It took me a  little bit to decide exactly what I wanted to make out of them. At first I thought stars...but I had several of them already and I didn't want my tree to read as western in theme. I finally decided on wreaths! I folded the felt into fourths and took my trusty sharpie and a small bowl and traced circles for the wreaths. I next found a plastic cup and traced around it for the centers. After cutting out all my wreaths I decided I should do something with the centers left over. I traced stars out of the cream felt centers and glued them to the teal with a little tacky glue. I then used my gold yarn again and threaded through two points in the middle so they looked like threaded buttons and came up through the backs and tied small bows to the fronts. For the wreaths I blanket stitched the middles together and lined the insides with a strip of batting and blanket stitched the outsides shut. I wanted them to have a little more gold on them, so I wove some more gold yarn across the fronts in a triangle pattern. These are a little more time consuming, but completely adorable!
All of this good stuff will be paired with wide ribbon garland, white lights, some matching glass balls for cheap from Tai Pan Trading and of course the things I picked up last year. I'll post pictures of it all up when it's done! For now I need to hurry and complete my ornaments for Christmas is a coming! ;0)

I'm just being myself...

Sorry that the image is a bit on the blurry side, I swiped it from Amazon. It was so cute, I just couldn't resist! If anyone knows me, they know for a fact that I am a Peanuts nut, Snoopy in particular. How can anybody be grumpy when faced with a happy go lucky beagle? I know I sure can't and I imagine this is the basis for his mass appeal. I am a grown-up though and my house isn't covered with Snoopy based items, but there are two large shelves to house my collection of Snoopy things I've amassed over the years. I have Snoopy on my car, I had a Snoopy flag in my yard (until the mean ol' wind snapped my pole in two) and even when my ex-husband came over to pick up the kids last year (oh yes, he visits that often...) he was able to immediately pick out our house because of Snoopy. "Let me guess, it's the one with the Snoopy flag...", he said to his Mom.
I laugh that I feel the need to point out that I'm an adult because you see I have this Snoopy blanket, this blanket goes with me everywhere I travel. It sits on my bed for snuggling or on the couch as well. It took all I had in me when friends of ours came over last weekend, not to go steal it back after I had forgotten it on the couch and my friend curled up under it. I still had to wash it immediately after she left though...hmmm. I accidentally left it at home last time I traveled and pouted so miserably, my Mom took pity on me and bought me another blanket to substitute. It wasn't the same though! Poor Snoopy blanket, it has seen better days and try as I might, I have never been able to find another. I sat and scoured pages and pages of Snoopy items over the weekend on the web in attempts to find a suitable replacement. After and hour or two I was done and was getting ready to get up when I spied an ad at the bottom of the page I was looking at for a Snoopy twin sized blanket (the size I have now) and for a great price! Score! I motioned to my man and pointed out exactly what I saw and he shooed me from the room. How much you want to bet I'll be getting a new Snoopy blanket for Christmas?! ;0)
I know it's silly to have such a juvenile fetish and seeing as though I'm a 30-something year old Mom of three, you would think I would be beyond such things. I just can't help it though! I'm just being myself and no one can tell me I'm doing it wrong! ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 153)

As we gear up for the madness that goes along with the season, it is so easy to get caught up in the rush. I know I get stressed out from time to time and what do you do? Do you go nuts? Do you yell at passing dogs and children? Do you make everyone miserable because your stressed? Well then, knock it off! Take a few minutes to decompress and chill. Put yourself in time out occasionally too.
One of my great loves in this life is music, especially piano music. I never get tired of listening to it and I find that it helps me stay calm too. David Lanz (featured in the video) is a great New Age artist and he weaves melodic notes of tranquility, instantly calms and soothes the frazzled spirit and is by far one of my favorites. When I find myself stressed out by the mere fact that living in this age is hard sometimes, I load his music in my YouTube playlist and chill while I complete my computer work. Instantly life is better and whatever is stressing me out so, doesn't seem to be so bad.
Taking the time to chill and reset occasionally will help you enjoy the "reason for the season" and enjoy what life has to offer or at least it does for me! TiP fOr TuEsDaY and chill out! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 152)

Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

Happy Monday to you all! Whether you like it or not I'm back, after a longer-than-necessary hiatis! I'd feel horrible, but according to my news feed I've had 7 visitors in the last 3 days and 3 of those were me. Apparently everyone else was busy too and I'm okay with that! Since I have the luxury of sending all my kids back to school for the day and no one is getting out early and I have no where overly important to go, I get to sit here and type for a couple of hours! Ahh...bliss!;0)
Okay I'll get to the product all ready, since I'm sure this is why you all are here in the first place (yes, all four of you). Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour! I know that anyone who claims themselves G.F. is well versed with the Bob's Red Mill product line. I don't think I've used any of their products that I didn't like, but I love the All-Purpose flour especially! I have substituted this flour in so many things with great results, that I just HAD to share with you! Just look at my recipe side bar and several of the recipes use this stuff, it's great! For Thanksgiving alone I used it to make pie crust (yum!) and my gluten-free, dairy-free pumpkin pie turned out great! We used it to whip up a batch of turkey gravy as well, yum yum! My pumpkin bread recipe uses this great flour, as well as, my delicious potato soup! I make home-made pancakes with it and will be making sugar cookies for everyone to decorate soon as well. I've made loaves of bread with it and pizza crust, really the possibilities are endless!
I want to truly thank the good folks at Bob's Red Mill for manufacturing such a great product and I want to especially thank Costco for carrying the large bags of it again! I scored 2 of them yesterday, SHAZAAM!! Holiday baking made gluten-free, yes! ;0)

Thanksgiving Day 2010

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed

when you are discouraged thinking all is lost 

count your many blessings name them one by one

and it will surprise you what the Lord has done..." 

Johnson Oatman Jr.

                                                                       J. Lamb 2010

I don't know about all of you, but I sure am thankful. Not only because of the date on the calender, but in general as well. It's so easy to get caught up in all the things that need to be accomplished, in all the things you can or cannot help, in running as fast as you can in the rat race. I don't know if I'm a little different or what, but if I don't take the time to step back and reflect occasionally on all the good things, I lose sight of what is really important in life. I'm well aware that what's important to people is really a matter of perspective, of where you are in the journey of life. This is what I know is important to me and what I am truly grateful for:

My family.

Full of quirks and idiosyncrasy, but never lacking in the love and support department. I love my Mom and Dad so much, they did the very best job with what they knew and I never felt deprived in anyway and never had to wonder how much they loved me. Thank you! My kids. I don't know what I did to deserve such wonderful, well-behaved, thoughtful kids, but I'm not complaining! Not having them to kiss every night for almost 2 years was the hardest thing I've ever had to endure, I will never not appreciate that they are here everyday, to drive me nuts and to love! I love you guys! My Man. I will not tell you that it has always been easy with us, in fact it's an ongoing process, but I really do love and appreciate everything you do for us and the wonderful job you do in helping raise "our" kids. I love you!

 The Basics.

You never know how important little things like food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in are until you don't have them. I've been very poor in my lifetime, so poor that if not for the help of others we wouldn't have had those basic things. If you have much in your life, then you owe it to yourself to help others that don't have as much as you. It doesn't have to be much, donate used clothing, donate food, donate time to help others less fortunate than you.

My life and freedom.

I have the wonderful opportunity to wake up each and every morning with the simple knowledge that I am alive for another day and I am free to live it how I choose. I am alive to see the beautiful scenery of the world around us, I am free to move about and breathe as I choose. I can write about whatever I want without the fear of being persecuted for my beliefs and I know enough to appreciate that freedom. I love the fact that I am alive to be here and love my loved ones. I am truly grateful.

The great Turkey Day Gluten-Free Menu

No pics for the post today, I really didn't have time to round any up...no matter though! I thought I'd take a few minutes to tell you how to make Thanksgiving yummy and gluten-free and it really isn't that hard! ;0)

Turkey. Actually nothing fancy has to be done with the turkey at all, just avoid using the little seasoning/sauce packet that comes with the bird. Not only is it loaded with preservatives and isn't any good for you, 99% of the time it has a gluten based substance in it as well. Just baste the turkey with a little butter (or soy butter), add some fresh herbs (think rosemary and thyme), we usually add crushed pineapple to the top of ours as well. That's it!;0)

Mashed Potatoes. Believe it or not, I think gluten-free/dairy-free mashed potatoes taste every bit as good or better than the regular kind and these aren't hard at all either. Boil cubed potatoes with two or three cloves of fresh garlic (yes, boil the garlic too) when they are soft enough, drain them, add some soy butter (Earth Balance is really good) and some original flavored soy milk. Just enough to blend them smoothly and not be runny. Add a dash of onion powder and a little dill for flavor and you have some awesome good gf/df mashed potatoes.

Stuffing. Wait a minute, you can even make stuffing gluten-free? All it takes is using a loaf of gluten-free bread (I use tapioca loaf from Ener-G, although I wouldn't recommend making sandwiches with it as it's kind of dry, but perfectly acceptable for stuffing!) and then following your favorite homemade stuffing recipe. I wish I had the exact recipe to share with you, but since I don't actually make the stuffing (that would be my man's job)...you'll just have to trust me on this!;0) It involves eggs, celery, onions, and seasonings and is super yummy!;0)

Pumpkin Pie. I used a recipe that some one sent me last year that was a crustless version of the confection and although it was yummy, it wasn't really "pie" (I added it to the sidebar if you want to try it!). This year I'm going to make the real thing myself and see how it turns out. Crust. Pie crust is made with all purpose flour, salt, shortening, butter, vegetable oil, and milk Replacing the flour with my trusty Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour and using soy butter and soy milk should do the trick. The key with replacements such as these is to watch the consistency of the finished product, just adjust amounts of each as necessary...haha, I'll let you know how it turns out!;0) Filling. I essentially have to do nothing different with the filling, Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix (in the can) is already gluten-free (score!) and adding the necessary eggs and evaporated milk is the only trick. Eggs, no problem. Evaporated milk, that's a little trickier. I'll use soy milk, but not as much as the recipe calls for because it will be runnier than necessary anyway. The pie itself will be soft no doubt, but as far as I can tell it should taste perfectly yummy anyhow! ;0)

So if you think that gluten-free Thanksgiving dinner might sound a little "weird", I'll assure you that it really isn't! In fact most of my dinner guests tomorrow will have no idea what's gluten-free and what's not! ;0)

Today I'm thankful to have so many things to be thankful for!

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 149)

I'm truly thankful for the warmth and friendship of others I have the opportunity to enjoy.
 It's just the start of the crazy holiday madness, have you "lost it" already? I mean there just aren't some things that can be helped around the holidays traffic, spending money, obnoxious relatives, consuming far too many calories, whiny kids, lack of sleep...need I go on? Ha! I didn't think so! So what can you do to keep the holiday madness in check? A little organization is key my friends!
1. Create a master list.
Take the time to write out everything you'd like to accomplish for the holidays, the goodies you want to make, the presents you need to buy, supplies you'll need for all of it. Refer back to it often and check things off as you do them, you'll save yourself many a headache in the interim.
2. Budget it out (and stick to it!).
It's so easy to go way overboard in the spending dept. during the holidays and the best way to keep that in check is to plan out how much you want to spend and on what. I try to spend equally on my kids, say $100 a piece and I stick to it because no one wants to hear the kids whining that Susie got more than I did...bleh. Also while you're at it, make sure you are only buying things that the kids will in fact use and enjoy. I suck and my kids get a couple of fun things and a lot of practical things, it just saves me trips to the donation center later.
3. Think simple.
Keep the season simple and teach your kids to focus more on the "reason for the season" other than the gifts they'll receive. Play secret Santa for someone or the "12 days of Christmas" for a less fortunate family. They'll appreciate what they do have and it'll foster a life-long appreciation for service to others. I don't remember all the gifts I got as a child. The best things I remember are the fun times we spent as a family together and serving others.
4. Be realistic.
Everyone wants the holidays to be memorable and if your "to do" list is longer than you have time, then cut out some nonessentials. Recruit your spouse and your kids and have them help with everything including decorating, food prep, and what not. Remember it's far more important to make memories for your family by spending time with them and enjoying the little things.
5. Enjoy yourself too.
I know this last one is really hard as a parent, I'll confess to a few manic episodes during the holiday craziness myself. Take a deep breath, remember that all of this is supposed to be fun, and make sure it is. If you aren't having any fun then stop and try something else, hell, put yourself in time-out if you need to! ;0)

Try to keep all of this in mind as you run like a madwoman through Wal-Mart on Thursday morning because you forgot to buy potatoes...tsk, tsk, should have read my TiP fOr TuEsDaY! ;0)

Shameless plug time!

This is my friend Jamie, she makes great cards and crafts! You should go and check her blog here and enter her giveaway for a 55 dollar CSNstores gift card! You've been told, so hop to it! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 148)

Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa!

I'm thankful for always having enough to eat. Unfortunately, I know what it feels like to go hungry. I also know what it's like to depend on the kindness of others just to have the basics. My family always takes the time to donate to the food bank every year and I encourage anyone who is able to do the same. You'll be helping people right in your community. children, the elderly and maybe even someday someone will be helping you.You just never know...

What's a better treat for those chilly temperatures than hot cocoa? You're right I can't think of one either! So, if you're going to drink hot coca why not drink the best hot cocoa I say! Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa is the best, hands down! They have so many yummy flavors too, think Chocolate Mint Truffle (my personal fave), Dark Chocolate, Candy Cane Cocoa, Cherry Chocolate, Chocolate Cinnamon, Dulce de Leche, Pumpkin Spice....you get the idea! Not only is it really darn good, it's also gluten-free! Rock on!!
Is the nippy weather getting the best of you? If so, cuddle up with a cup of Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa and warm up! tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 146)

Making sense of our past....J.Lamb 2010

Bringing peace for today......J.Lamb 2010

and creating vision for tomorrow......J.Lamb 2010

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

What a thought provoking quote this is and the more I think about it the more I can relate to it. Let me try to break it down into what it means to me personally and she if it does the same for you.  Are you truly grateful for all things in your life? Just a thought...;0)

"Gratitude makes sense of our past..." I'm thankful for ALL events that have occurred in my past, the good and the bad. The good are the things I can reflect and share with my posterity, the laughter, the tradition, the warm fuzzies I felt. The bad are all the things that happened through the fault of no one or of my own making. I can reflect on them now and learn from my mistakes and hopefully emerge stronger and a better person overall.

"(Gratitude) brings peace for today..." In all life's harried moments where we feel overwhelmed and  little bit down, I've found that it always helps to be grateful for what I have today. I'm thankful for my family, I'm thankful a warm/safe roof over head, I'm thankful for food to eat and great friends to share it with, I'm thankful for the opportunity to be alive and the ability to enjoy this beautiful world in which we live.

"and (Gratitude) creates a vision for tomorrow." Being grateful for things we take advantage of like freedom, creates all the opportunities we have to learn, create, live, and grow. I can do anything through hard work and love of my fellow man for that is the freedom I, as an American posses.

*sniffle*

 

 

Here I am sniffling and despite my best efforts I was not able to ward off the cold that has slowly weaved it's way through my household. It started almost 2 weeks ago as my oldest came down with it while we visited my sister. He ran a fever for a day, sniffled for a couple more and got over it. My daughter wasn't so lucky, she started with the sniffles first, she ran a fever and missed a day of school, and has sniffled on and off for the last week or so since. My little one sniffled for a few days didn't run a fever and was through. My man wasn't so lucky, he tried to fight it and thought he was winning until last night, and he has discovered he has bronchitis now. I thought I wasn't going to get it. Yep, I pranced around thinking, "Hey I got it beat!" I mean it's been almost 2 weeks and I have been exposed to the germs continually. You would think I would have caught it BEFORE now, apparently not, poo. I sit here sniffling now and completely void of any ambition to accomplish anything, except maybe a nap. My nose is red and chapped from being blown, my head feels as though I should be releasing a pressure valve.
Yuck, but hey...even though I'm not feeling at my best, I am still grateful for my health. I rarely catch anything and the kids and my man are fairly healthy too. That's it for now for my body is insisting on a nap...;0)

Thanks.

Hard to believe Thanksgiving is just over a week away! I almost fell over when I came to that realization yesterday! That means cooking turkey, making stuffing, hosting guests, cleaning the house, putting up with the kids being out of school for 5 days straight...ugh, it's enough to make you want to pull your hair out! But hey now, let's take a deep breath and remember the reason for the holiday...yes, that would be thanks.

A. Lamb 2010

*The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.  No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.  ~H.U. Westermayer*

D. Lamb 2010

Now, that's something to think about. No matter your situation in life, no matter the rush you are in, no matter the impossible perfection you are trying to achieve, someone has it worse than you, period. A quick thought to just that and whatever daunting task or situation that lies ahead of me instantly becomes minuscule. I'm going to take everyday up to Thanksgiving to be thankful and share it here with you and I would love to hear what you are thankful for too! 

S. Lamb 2010

 #1 I'm thankful for my kids, I would not be who I am today without them and couldn't imagine my life if they weren't mine. ;0) They all drew turkey pictures for me today and anyone who knows my kids can guess who drew the blown up one....uh, yeah. ;0)

TiP fOr TuEsDaY (post 143)

Enact a reward system.

Chances are as a parent you already use this for your kids, rewarding them for good behavior I mean! Have you ever thought of using it as a motivational tool for yourself? I don't mean stickers on a chore chart, but in getting things or doing activities just for you. Think of it this way, you don't just go out and buy the kids a toy if they didn't do their chores and have been bickering all day, right? I know I sure don't! I make the kids earn them, that way they understand the value of things and I get a cleaner/calmer home in the process. Why not do the same for yourself? I really want to read this book, but I have laundry to fold first...so, fold the laundry and then you can read that book!
This is what I do:
Actually right now I am behind on my laundry, but I have several sewing projects I want to tackle. I won't let myself start sewing until the laundry is caught up on. I get to do the fun stuff but, only after I get the chores done. It works well when you get paid as well. You worked really hard to pay your bills, why not get yourself a small something. I don't mean go out and break the bank or anything, but something small. I love socks and they're inexpensive, or I'll get myself some pretty nail polish or something similar. Just like the kids get a Frosty on Fridays for good behavior, do the same for yourself!;0)
We all know that being a parent is largely thankless job! You clean, you shuttle, you feed, you love and aside from the occasional sticky kiss do you get a reward? Uh, no. No matter though, if you can get through all the stuff you HAVE to do then why don't you reward yourself with something you WANT to do? Exactly! Way to go, Mom you got the laundry done...here is a chance to do something fun! You deserve it! ;0) And that's your TiP fOr  TuEsDay! ;0)

tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe (post 142)

Hello everyone! Yes, it's Monday and tHiS wHaT i LiKe is still a little hairy, ah, but not for long! If you remember last week I mentioned a little wax stripping action in the quest for hair-removal, here's the good stuff- Nad's hair removal wax strips! I was pleasantly surprised at how easy these were to use and the results! No microwaving, no sticky mess, just a quick rub between your palms and they are set! I position them where the offending hair lies, give a quick smoothing down, and a quick pull in the opposite direction of the hair growth. ZIP! Hair's gone! It's significantly less painful then tweezing a million little hairs. Not expensive either, I picked up a box of 24 at Le Target for about $3.50, not bad and effective too!
My apologies for the last 2 products in the tHiS iS wHaT i LiKe segments being a little on the T.M.I. side, but hey, thus is life! So, if life's a little hairy, then give Nad's hair removal wax strips a try! I know I like them! ;0)

ThOuGhT fOr ThE dAy (post 141)

J. Lamb 2010

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." ~Unknown
If you happen to follow my F.B. fan page, you'll see that I have recycled this from my quote for the day. It's not that I've run out of inspiration, it's just that this quote is profound and speaks to me deeply. How many of us measure what we've accomplished in the temporal sense, or by the surface only? I have this and that and people can see that I have accomplished this, but these are all surface accomplishments nothing to be said about character or integrity. The great things that make us up as individuals aren't those that can be seen on the surface, they have to be felt only. Things that have changed us for the better and have molded our beings. As a parent , I know that my greatest accomplishment ever would be my children. The fact that they are happy and healthy and well-adjusted speaks volumes of character and strength and integrity or at least that's what I tell myself! Just a thought...;0)

Honor those who serve...

A special post in honor of Veterans Day 2010.
"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"  ~Maya Angelou
When you think of Veterans Day what come to mind? Do you think of battles and wars won and lost, do you think of the sacrifice those soldiers made? Do you think of the loved one's left behind, do you think of loved one's who gave their lives? Do you think of unpopular wars, of men and women who served despite political party lines drawn? Do you think of the veterans forgotten over time? Those who are maybe homeless, infirm, disadvantaged, or lost, do you think about them too? I do. When I think of Veterans Day I think of all these things, I think of my grandfathers, uncles, cousins, and friends who served us all and protected our freedom. I think of the freedom we as Americans enjoy and of those who sacrificed so much for me and mine. I salute you all dear veterans and thank you for you unwavering service in the protection of our freedom. God Bless America.

Find the beauty in everyday

How many of us do this, really look around while we're going about our daily business? Keeping our eyes peeled for the beauty of our realm as we shuttle kids or read a book or go about living our lives. You don't? Well, why? I know that I am guilty of being in a rush to get things done frequently and I don't always have the time to appreciate the simple beauty of just being alive. I took some time today to capture some of the things I see everyday as I go about my life and raise my children, it's amazing how simple things can be beautiful.

The view of the sky and the tree with just the last of it's leaves through my window

The strange fence and brilliant blue and red contrast I drive past daily

My love of books, the words, the pages to leaf through....

The view of Red Mountain I see as I take my kids to school

The texture of my couch, all waffley, squishy, comfortable to sink into

The flowers that are barely hanging on after chilly late Fall temperatures

The trees as they frame Utah Hill in the distance when I drop kids off at school

The lamppost in the park where we watch people and their dogs

These are all things I see in my travels daily and I'm not a fantastic photographer with a great camera either. I just have learned to appreciate the beauty that surrounds me even in monotony. The beauty we live in everyday. ;0)