random stuff

So here’s all the random stuff that’s currently going on with me:

G went to vacation bible school last week from 9 am – 12 noon. My husband took a long lunch break each day to pick him up, and then came home to have lunch with us. What a treat to have everyone home for a sit down lunch. Check out these pretty blue berries and cantaloupe. I thought they were deserving of a picture.

I got a major hair makeover. I got four inches cut off the length, bangs and highlights! You can look back a few posts ago and see that it was previously long, one length, light brown and boring. I will have pictures of the new do soon.

I have completely fallen off the FlyLady wagon… That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Baby B finally got her first tooth (at 11 months)! We thought she might forever be our toothless wonder. I’ve been busy planning her first birthday party. For the invitations I used a heavy, embellished cardstock and made postcards. I love butterflies; B’s room is decorated with quite a few. The card read:

We can’t believe it’s been a year.
B’s first birthday is already here.
Have some cake, join the fun.
Our little princess is turning one!

My neighbor just had a baby, and has asked if I would be interested in keeping him when she goes back to work at 12 weeks. The extra income would be great, but I’m not completely sure that this would be best for me, big G or baby B. My husband and I plan on praying about it and hopefully we will come to a conclusion.

That's all for now, have a blessed day.

parenting with kindness

I'm a big fan of 18 Kids and Counting. One thing that I admire about Michelle Duggar is how calm and gentle she is with her children. She's inspired me to take a look at myself and try to make some changes. I also found this webpage to be helpful.

I have resolved to work on the following:

Choose kind and gentle words
Watch my tone of voice
Don't criticize, encourage more
Stop yelling

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1 (New International Version)

If I were...

1. If I were a month I would be: June
2. If I were a day of the week I would be: Saturday
3. If I were a time of day I would be: 10:00 am
4. If I were a direction I would be: South
5. If I were a piece of furniture I would be: a bed
6. If I were a liquid I would be: sweet tea
7. If I were a stone I would be: an amethyst
8. If I were a tree I would be: a dogwood
9. If I were a bird I would be: a purple finch
10. If I were a tool I would be: scissors
11. If I were a flower/plant I would be: a lily
12. If I were a color I would be: purple
13. If I were an emotion I would be: love
14. If I were a vegetable I would be: broccoli
15. If I were a car I would be: a Jaguar
16. If I were a material I would be: cotton
17. If I were a scent I would be: Ralph Lauren - Ralph
18. If I were a body part I would be: eyes
19. If I were a facial expression I would be: a genuine smile
20. If I were a subject in school I would be: math
21. If I were a game I would be: Mexican Train (dominos)

The Challenge - Part Two

I’ve continued on with the skirt challenge, you can see part one here. However, I slipped up along the way and wore jeans one day… I wrote a little about how different I felt in skirts, what surprised me more was how I felt on the day I wore jeans. In skirts I look more feminine and maybe it’s subconscious, but I seem to behave more feminine as well. On her final day of the challenge, Kristin wrote that this wasn't just about fashion; it was more about God’s design of a woman. Femininity is more than wearing a skirt or dress now and then; it also includes maintaining an attitude of submissiveness, self control, modesty, and meekness.

That said, ideally I would like to dress in a modest and feminine way, yet also be stylish. It’s quite different seeing a picture versus looking at your self in the mirror. You can really see what works and what doesn’t. Now on with the pictures:



Day 4: Hmm, nothing too exciting, but I'm in a skirt.

Day 5: This dark denim pencil skirt is new. Previously I thought of skirts and dresses just for formal occasions, church, weddings, etc. Wearing skirts in a casual everyday way was so different for me. I purchased this skirt specifically for this reason. I think it is a “classic” piece that will now be a staple in my wardrobe.

Day 6: Have you noticed a pattern? My entire closet is pretty much black, grey, white and purple.

You can check out others who participated in the challenge here. Also check out Joy's post here discussing her experience and thoughts on feminine dress.

The Challenge

I have fallen into a complete fashion rut. Nearly everyday I throw on jeans and a t-shirt. I can list several reasons… well more like excuses. I’m at home most days, at least half of my closet doesn’t fit, I’m breastfeeding, etc. I stop in at Kristen’s blog occasionally for inspiration. Usually I think oh that’s cute, but then just continue on in my same dull duds. Well this week she’s hosting the Feelin’ Feminine Challenge, and I’ve decided to play along. You can read all the details here, and see others who are participating here. Basically you have to wear skirts or dresses for seven days straight.

Day 1 - I wore this to the baseball park. I trudged through the dirt, climbed bleachers and sat in the sweltering heat all in a skirt. I managed just fine.

Day 2 - I know we’re both squinting, the sun was so bright. I don’t know how I feel about this outfit. The skirt choices are limited in my closet; this one hasn’t been worn in years…

Day 3 - I struggled to find shoes that went with this outfit. I reluctantly went with my burgandy flip flops and bag. I need to invest in some cute new flats.

I’m surprised at how different I feel in skirts rather than pants. I feel, well, feminine. I want to keep this up, it’s going to be this week’s resolution: to wear more skirts and dresses. I'm going to try for three times a week. As for the hairstyle portion of the challenge, well, I'll take that on another week.

patting myself on the back

I had a really productive day! I actually had some down time this weekend, so I was recharged. In addition to the everyday chores, I changed G’s bed sheets. I cleaned the kitchen trash can. It’s now pristinely clean!


I vacuumed upstairs, then made several batches of baby food, with my faithful sidekick B. Yes, she is a little sweetie. A little sweetie who is currently cutting a tooth, and drooling uncontrollably. Thus forcing her to sport silly bibs all her waking hours. I digress.

Mid afternoon the door bell rang… It was Tipton & Hurst! H sent me my Valentine’s flowers early. He left for out of town business this morning. I’m usually bummed and extra stressed when he’s gone, so he thought I might appreciate them more today.

an ode to my dvr

DVR, DVR, how I love thee
DVR, DVR, I’m now commercial free
My favorite shows, no longer do I tape
They’re all on demand, when I need to escape

OK, I can’t come up with anything else clever to continue on with my rhyme… I think its fun to see other people’s DVR lists, so here is mine:

America’s Test Kitchen
Everyday Foods
Grey’s Anatomy (I’m losing interest in this quickly)
Little House on the Prairie
Oprah (I delete these 90% of the time, but occasionally there’s a good one)
Project Runway
Real Simple, Real Life
The Office
Top Chef
17 Kids and Counting