If you came to this site from the http://sprinkles.wordpress.com link, please update your bookmark or feed to http://alittlemorecrazythancool.com. No new posts will be posted to this current link associated with http://sprinkles.wordpress.com. All further posts will be at the new site! Thanks so much for taking the time to make the switch!

]]> http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/sigh-3/feed/ 3 mamastoff 100_2557 100_2563 100_2566 100_2567 100_2568 100_2574 100_2579 100_2583 100_2591 100_2594 100_2599 100_2602 100_2603 http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/diy-day/ http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/diy-day/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:19:56 +0000 mamastoff http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/?p=1335 ]]>

Today’s project is another super-simple one. And it may sound a little cheap, but… well, I am!! Haha! We’re currently living in a rented condo where I actually have the freedom to paint the walls but have chosen not to because we really don’t think we’ll be here after our year-lease is up. And I’m NOT wasting money on painting just to have to paint over it with “builder’s beige” again! So upon moving in, I noticed that I just HAD to do something with my kitchen that was just so…. blah.

Enter posterboard. And scrapbook paper. Haha!

I literally duct-taped black posterboard to the wallspace above the cupboards and then cut strips of black and white patterned scrapbook paper to give a little more visual interest and glue-sticked (glue-stuck?) them to the posterboard.

Seriously a little crazy, but the lighting is so dim in there anyway- people can’t tell what it’s made out of! Looks like I painted it!

Check out more DIY projects here!

Reasons I love my Youth-Pastor-hubs:

*his heart- he genuinely cares for other people

*his blue eyes (why oh WHY haven’t my children gotten his eyes!)

*he’s an incredibly hard worker

*he calls me when he knows I’m having a rough day just to let me vent

*he has come home from renting a movie with a chick flick rather than a boy-movie on numerous occasions

*he’s sensitive AND strong

*he’ll sacrifice watching a big game to hang out with our family

*he’s driven across town just to change a friend’s baby’s diaper for me while I was watching her because I was pregnant and dry-heaving from just the thought of doing it myself

*he can grocery shop with the best of them

*he runs after who God wants him to be

*he’s a gifted writer and speaker

*he loves watching “What Not to Wear”- seriously! (Don’t tell him I said so, however!)

*he values my opinions and convictions

*he has taken days off of work to take care of our family when I’ve been sick

*he does the dishes every single day

*he slept in the living room with a golf club in hand for a couple weeks following our windows getting smashed in

*he’s intelligent

*he loves his children more than words can say

*he can draw Elmo better than I

*he has helped me with scrapbook layouts

*he prays over our family every morning before he goes to work

*he has sacrificed many things in order to follow God

*he is funny

*he’s my best friend

I’ll leave you with a little funny conversation that happened yesterday:

Dan: Hey, can you shave my neck tonight?

Me: Sure.

Dan: You used to take better care of my grooming.

Me: You used to be my only child.

Both: (hysterical laughter)

Usually he doesn’t find me that funny but this time I got him.

Love laughing with you, babe! MWAH!

…for a new week.

Romans 8:35-39

³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁶ (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

]]> http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/deep-breath-5/feed/ 0 mamastoff 100_2559 http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/diapers-pacifiers-and-other-holy-things/ http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/diapers-pacifiers-and-other-holy-things/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:21:17 +0000 mamastoff http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/?p=1322 ]]>

Can’t take credit for the title of this one. It’s the title of a great devotional book for moms that a friend of mine loaned me a while back. Now I’ve read lots of “mom-devotional” books and none have really given me much to chew on. But this one is different. The author, Lorraine Pintus, takes her day-to-day life and very eloquently shares how God has used even the silliest moments to teach her something big. Like I said, been done before. But not this well. There are SO many great lessons in this book, but one that really stuck out to me recently is this:

“As a parent, you often choose not to explain yourself to your children because their young minds cannot comprehend your reasoning. When this happens, how do you want your children to respond? How does God want us to respond when we are unable to understand His ways?”

Wow. I mean, WOW. Am I the only one who is completely utterly blown away by this? Jace and I have this talk almost every day. Jace LOVES asking 100 TRILLION questions a day right now and I spend most of my day answering them. I try not to be the parent who just says “because” to get out of actually answering a curious little boy’s questions. But like Lorraine said, there are times when there is a question where the answer is just simply, “Because Mommy said so” or “Because that is the rule”. And the response that we expect from our children is a heartfelt “Yes Ma’am/Sir”. We talk tirelessly about obeying simply because we are told to. We are told to obey our God and we are told to obey our parents.

So her point shouldn’t really come as some big surprise! But boy oh boy did it really just smack me upside the head! “How does God want us to respond when we are unable to understand His ways?” When was the last time any of us gave God a hearty, “Yes Sir!” and moved on without questioning His plans. As if we might actually know more than Him and be able to convince Him so. Yeah, right.

I’m so thankful for this book and even more so for the day-to-day moments that God uses to teach us something profound.

“Mom, can I sit in your lap?”

“Sure! …Jace, don’t ever grow up, ok?”

“But I have to, mom.”

“Why, bud?”

“Because I want to grow up and be a daddy!”

*Melting heart*

…for a new week.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

… how can you not love this?

Enough said.

My cup runneth over.

]]> http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/14/i-mean-seriously/feed/ 0 mamastoff 100_2180 100_2181 http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/new-designs-coming/ http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/new-designs-coming/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:21:35 +0000 mamastoff http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/?p=1308 ]]>

Consider yourself warned!

Check back really soon for new designs including new headbands for women and hair clips for little girls!!! I’m so excited to show you what I’ve been working on!

They will be in my shop by the end of the week so come back soon!

Here’s a little sneak peek!!!

(photos aren’t the best- camera battery was dying so I was in a hurry!)

…for a new week.

Psalm 5:11-12

¹¹But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;

let them sing joyful praises forever.

Spread your protection over them,

that all who love your name may be filled with joy.

¹²For you bless the godly, O Lord;

you surround them with your shield of love.

]]> http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/deep-breath-3/feed/ 0 mamastoff 100_1816 http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/green-halloween/ http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/green-halloween/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:41:46 +0000 mamastoff http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/?p=1301 ]]>

Came across this event in a local magazine and saw that it’s a national campaign- so check it out for yourselves at greenhalloween.org!

Busiest blog day ever yesterday! Wow! Thanks for the visits everyone!

I’ve got a lot of projects on my plate for today so I’m just going to leave you with some eye candy from a walk I took with the kids yesterday! This is fall, Florida-style!

Have a great Wednesday!

Ok so this last one isn’t exactly a treat for the eyes- more like chills for the spine… *shiver*

(photo by Kyle May)

Say what? Weird title and you’re thinking- “I’m outta’ here!”

But just wait. It’ll get better, I promise.

See, the other day I had some errands to run and Dan stayed home with the kids. So I had an opportunity to crank up some tunes of my choosing instead of answering my 3 year-old’s never ending questions (not that I don’t love that, because I do!). So I reached in my ol’ cd case and just grabbed something and pulled out an old Sarah Evans cd. Popped it in and turned it as loud as I could. If you were in the Tampa area and happened to see a crazy lady rocking out in a silver mini-van, well- I hope you enjoyed the show! The first song on the cd is called “Rockin’ Horse”. I’ve heard this song HUNDREDS of times. Seriously.

But this time I heard it differently.

Have you ever heard a song over and over but then you never really paid attention to the lyrics? This was SO like that.

The words really really spoke to me.

The rocking horse came
From an old oak tree
Just missed the house
When it was hit by lightning
My daddy painted that horse
A midnight blue
Shooting stars and silver horseshoes
And it was something magic out of something frightening

That’s how I live my life
I take it as it comes
And I find the hidden love
When it’s pouring down on me
In my mind I see
The rocking horse inside the tree

A broken heart
Means deeper feelings
A thorn in the flesh
Means room for healing
Oh salt in your tears
Can open your eyes
Wounded years
Make you realize
It’s just something magic out of something frightening

Repeat Chorus

Things aren’t always as they seem
Take the nightmare from my dreams

Repeat Chorus

This may not seem profound to you, because I really feel that God uses all kinds of different means to speak different things to different people- but boy oh boy did He speak something into me in that moment. Seeing the magic in something frightening is such an awesome lesson- and thinking of seeing the rocking horse inside the [fallen] tree is such a great visual! There are so many moments in my life where I’m sure I’ve missed the magic moments in the midst of turmoil but I can honestly say that there are plenty more where God has planted the good right in front of my face so as to not be missed. And for that I’m so grateful. What are you grateful for this Tuesday?

Ok, so today’s post really could not be ANY simpler. Really.

Can you wrap a present?

Then you’re done. Seriously.

First, find ANYTHING in your home that is either hanging on your wall or stuffed in a closet that is a flat square- ie: canvas, styrofoam, a relatively flat picture frame (meaning not having a bulky protruding frame). If you don’t have anything like this, then go to Goodwill or The Dollar Tree and see what you can find. Remember- it doesn’t matter what it looks like. You’re going to be covering it anyway!

Then dig out your favorite wrapping paper or else go see what you can find on sale at the closest store- I have gotten some GREAT patterns at my Target. Yes, it’s MY Target. I practically live there and it’s not even 1/4 mile from my house. Lucky me!

Grab some tape and wrap it like a present! Done! Now you’ve re-purposed something that you may have not otherwise re-used again or else created some DIRT cheap new artwork to hang! Can anyone say budget-friendly???

Oh- and try it with fun fabric patterns and some good tacky craft glue!

Good luck!

Hello again everyone here from {aefilkins}!

What are your hobbies? What do you wish that you knew how to do?

What I love to do:

Hang out with the fam

Pour into my kids

Learn more about healthy living

Scrapbook

Design/Create

Watch some good movies

Go for walks

Photograph my kiddos

Things I wish I knew how to do:

Sew

Knit

Surf

And I’m sure there are more things but I just can’t think right now! Probably a good thing that I’m not dwelling on things I can’t do- haha!

What about you?

…before a new week!

Psalm 33

¹ Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

² Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

³ Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.

⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars;
he puts the deep into storehouses.

⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.

For those of you interested- the kids’ updates are up!

Click HERE!

Dear Craig,

Thank you for your list. It has saved the day yet again and I’m indebted to you for it.

I’m excited to tell you the little story in which your list helped me so. Oh. So. Excited. Let me tell you!

My camera was recently poked in the lens area by some certain little children whom shall remain nameless… just pictured…

So there was a black dot showing up in all of my photographs when I would zoom in. Simple enough problem to solve- I stopped using the zoom. Well, just yesterday it began showing up all the time. In all pictures no matter what. Great. SUPER tight budget over here and my camera was a goner.

So while the kids were napping my fingers strolled on over to your beloved list. JUST to dream- that’s all. No way would I be able to afford a decent camera right now.

I’m sorry I doubted your skills. Really sorry.

Typed in digital camera and there it was.

“Kodak Easy Share Z812 IS- like new” in a town just a few miles down the road and for a price that I just might be able to manage!

Really? Ok, worth a click. I was SURE it had been snatched up already. Saw a phone number and called it’s owner. It was AVAILABLE. She had only had it for a year and ended up getting an even fancier camera which I’ll probably never be able to afford- but hey, that’s fine with me! I’ll take her 2nd hand camera!

Got the kids up from their nap, dressed/snacked/pottied them and we were on our way. Sure, there were some potential road bumps along the way but not even a 3 year old’s weak little bladder would keep me from such a deal. After the world’s fastest pit stop (thank you Beef O’Brady’s for not asking me why I was RUNNING through your restaurant with a kid in hand and a kid on the hip) we made it to the owner’s home just exactly at the proposed time.

There it was. My new camera.

Thank you Craig.

Sincerely,

Your biggest fan- Amber

So I told you I’d tell you how to make these!

(Jace’s “tree-fort”)

So simple!

So if you’re new to my blog, we just moved across the country and are currently renting a condo-home which technically I am allowed to paint but I’m TRYING very hard to find other ways to decorate since I don’t know how long we’ll be in this home. I really don’t want to paint all of the walls only to have to paint them back to “Boring Beige” in another 6 months. SO- let the creativity flow!

To start- go to Wal-Mart and get some cheap twin flat sheets in green and brown. One of each for each tree you want to make. DO NOT WASH THEM! You’ll want them to be starchy and stiff. On the backside of the green sheet, randomly pinch sections as though you’re tie-dying and wrap a rubber band around it (leaving about an inch above the rubber band). Keep these at least a foot from each other. Now, grab a box of nails and a hammer and get to work! You’re going to have to let the sheet hang over the back of your head so you can nail the under-side. Start at the top and nail each little gathering to the wall making it so the sheet is puffy between each and NOT pulled tightly. The sheet should be stiff enough that the puffs will stay that way but if they flatten over time, just wad up some old newspaper and “stuff” it!

For the trunk, just fold over the brown sheet several times (or cut) to get the desired width and nail it to the wall under the green sheet.

CAUTION: make sure children do not pull on trunk hard enough to make the nails fall out on them. Mine could care less about it so they have not attempted this, but an extra curious kiddo just might!

**Do this with white sheets as clouds over a window or on a blue wall for even more fun!

I’ve always loved little homes. Before I was married I lived in the tiniest apartment I’ve ever seen. We’re talking like a dorm room, people. And I L.O.V.E.D. it! Everything was [literally] at my fingertips, it was less to clean, forced me to get rid of lots of “stuff”, etc.

But then I got spoiled when we got a house when we got married. Now I could write a book on why that was not a smart choice. But hindsight is always 20/20. That’s for SURE. But regardless, in that house I had 2  stories as well as full basement and full attic. And garage. And a large yard. Plenty of space to not realize just how much stuff two people (and some babes) can accumulate in those first few years of marriage. Plenty of space for said babes to roam and play.

Then we moved. And it was a great move for great reasons. I picked out our new condo-home online (literally never stepped foot in it before signing the lease) and knew it was much smaller than our house up North but that was fine with me. Then we got here, opened the door, and I’d be lying if I said the small-ness of it didn’t take my breath away! Wow. But I was determined to make it work, got rid of MORE stuff, arranged furniture creatively, and used closet and cupboard space well.

Now:

I love it.

I really do.

All 1000 square feet of it (which I really believe has to include the back porch as well as closets).

People may think I’m crazy but it works for us. And while I most certainly see a day where we’re back in a house with a little more space, I’m totally 100% content and grateful for our current little home. We are blessed to have such a home and I thank our Father daily for His provision.

(Not at all proportionate)

]]> http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/unwrapping-tuesday/feed/ 2 mamastoff Picture16-11 floor_capri http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/sigh-2/ http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/2009/09/24/sigh-2/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:04:31 +0000 mamastoff http://sprinkles.wordpress.com/?p=1231 ]]>

Taking some time to enjoy the beauty of my porch today (dirty as it is from not having been out there in a while!)- had the windows open this morning and it just reminded me of when we first moved here almost 7 months ago!

Wish you could smell this basil! I need to cook with it soon!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love blue glass?

And my architectural pieces.

Ahhhh…

almost forgetting I’m still sick…

Sick this week.

YUCK.

So, remember my problem?

Well I’m finally satisfied with the layout of our home!

{for now}

We’ve switched our room and the kids’ room, our bathroom for the kids’ bathroom and our closet for the kids’ closet.

M.U.C.H. more work than it sounds!

The main reason for this big switch was the fact that we live in a tiny 2 bedroom condo right now and I began evaluating all of the rooms in the place considering which ones wern’t being used in the absolute best possible way. My answer was found in the walk-in closet in the master bedroom and the master bath. The 2 biggest needs we had were: storage and more floor space for the kids to play (NOT happening with a twin bed, a crib, a changing table, and 2 shelving units in one little room.

So…

drumroll, please…

(and don’t be waiting for amazing pictures b/c my camera is on it’s way out… )

We moved Jace’s bed off of the frame and on to the floor in the corner of his new room so that Elle can climb on it too and use it as a place for them to jump off some energy (without angering the neighbors below us!) or just to play on. (Went with a fun “tree-fort” theme in case you couldn’t guess)

We opened up the old master walk-in closet and moved her bulky crib in there (don’t judge me-lol)= INSTANT additional floorspace!!! Her clothes are in there too.

Moved Jace’s clothes into the master bathroom’s closet.

And our clothes into their old closet.

We’re using the extra-large bathtub in there for extra storage and covered it with some thick plywood and an extra mattress (a thin one that is spring-less) and made a special “reading corner”/”hide-away”/”puppet theater” space (C’mon, think like a kid! How cool!). Although currently the curtains are pulled shut and I’m using it as a “hide-away” for all of the items I’m listing on ebay!)

Made that bathroom theirs…

and their bathroom ours.

And therefore, their bedroom became ours.

Whew!!!

I sure HOPE I’m done moving stuff for a while!

Stay tuned for a tutorial on making cool trees in your kids’ rooms for CHEAP!!

Hi.

My name is Amber.

And I have a problem.

I’ve lived in my home for 6 months, finally have gotten it the way I wanted it and the way I thought it worked best, and… I’ve decided to change it all.

By myself.

With 2 kids.

1 of whom doesn’t entertain herself.

Oiy.

What have I gotten myself into?

More later as to why on earth I would do such a thing…

“Mommy, you should draw a face on my big toe.”

Silliness. Love it!

I recently had some great coupons for Bounce’s new dyer bar.

Gotta’ say… I like it!

Leave’s a nice soft fragrance- not overwhelming- and left the clothes feeling nice and soft!

I’m pleasantly surprised. I don’t know why- I was just expecting it to not be worth it. But it seems to be working! I’ve done at least 10 loads of laundry with it so far… and so far so good! Thanks Bounce!

Welcome to my first week of Friend Makin’ Mondays!! This is hosted by my bloggy-friend {aefilkins} as a way to get to know each other! So join in!

Since fall is {almost} in full swing, you know what that means! Season premiere week is right around the corner!!

What fall shows are you looking forward to the most?

Mine:

Biggest Loser

So You Think You Can Dance

Flash Forward

Glee

LOST- I know it’s a winter premiere but I’m just tooooooo excited!

What about you??

… for a new week.

Psalm 37

¹ Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
² For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.

⁵ Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
⁶ He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.

*sigh*

Today I said goodbye to a large chunk of my children’s history.

I shipped off all of their winter goods (and the were GOOD) to some very lucky winning ebay bidders. I feel blessed to have had such nice things for my children and even more blessed that other people will still get good use out of them.

Because I ♥ kid’s clothing so much I’ve decided to pay homage to a couple of my faves…

This adorable little snowsuit had sweet little bear faces on the hands…

these snow pants lasted 2 winters…

(Coat still available!)

this handsome orange down coat…

this little corduroy pea coat…

and don’t even get me started on my maternity coat…

this one is still available… sniff, sniff!

(Note the little bear ears- SO stinkin’ cute!)

Bye-bye cute winter clothes!

And thanks for paying for a trip up to Ohio this fall!

Ok, so I’m not the best with Photoshop.

Someday I’ll learn how to not make my headers look grainy. (No, it’s not your eyes!) But for now this will do and I’m SO excited about having a new layout in which I can post larger pictures!

Elle at Daddy’s first home game!

They ended up winning 38-0!!!

Go Warriors!

I have one song for each, Jace and Elle, that really just expresses my love for them but I chose this one a couple of years ago for all of my children. It’s so brilliant in it’s description of how they will be safe not only in my arms, but in His as well and that they are not really mine, but His.

Your baby blues
So full of wonder
Your Curly Que’s
Your contagious smile
And as I watch
You start to grow up
All I can do is hold you tight
Knowing

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Story books
Are full of fairy-tales
Of kings and queens
And the bluest skies
My heart is torn just in knowing
You’ll someday see
The truth for lies

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

Castles they might crumble
Dreams may not come true
Cause you are never all alone
Cause I will always
Always love you

Clouds will rage in
Storms will race in
But you will be safe in my arms
Rains will pour down
Waves will crash all around
But you will be safe in my arms

In my arms
In my arms

Since we are now in Florida I’m selling most of our winter gear from up North! I’ve got kids coats in all sizes, snow pants, and even a maternity coat! Mostly Gap and Old Navy!

Check them out

HERE!

Click HERE now!!!!

The last time these two little dresses saw the light of day it was in the Florida sun 26 years ago. The first one was my baptism dress. As a child I put these dresses on many dolls and now they are on the prettiest doll- my Elle. Even more special, while taking her pictures she found a flower that I have vivid memories of as a little one. They covered the ground at my favorite childhood playground in Maitland.

Some of you asked for this, so here it is!
Combine in one bowl:
1/2 c white flour
1/2 c wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Stir well

Combine in another bowl:
3-4 overripe bananas, mashed (I added overripe strawberries one time with the bananas for a great new taste!)
2 beaten eggs (or 4 beaten egg whites for a healthier option)
3/4 c brown sugar
dash of vanilla
1/4 c butter
1/4 c applesauce
Chopped walnuts if desired
Stir well

Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients while stirring. Only stir until all dry ingredients are moist. DO NOT OVER STIR!

Pour mixture into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar and uncooked oats on top and bake in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick comes out clean.

YUM!

So I recently posted some pictures on Facebook of a trip my family took to Daytona. A friend promptly asked me an obvious question, “Curious, what made you decide to keep Elle rear facing past 1 year?” I shared with her a link that I had found with some comprehensive information about the subject and she immediately wrote me back to tell me that she would be turning her almost-2-year-old around the next day.

Wow. That got me thinking. Now I’m not one to push my parenting tips on other people.  But this might just be a case of people not having the information they need to make a decision for themselves.  I just happened to hear a snippet on the radio one day this summer that the American Acadamy of Pediatrics (whom, by no means do I bow down to- but this is something where I really think the data is cut and dry) was changing their recommendation of what age/weight a child should be turned forward-facing. So I got home, researched it, and went out the next day to buy a car-seat that would allow Elle to be rear-facing for a couple of more years. At that point I still had her in her infant car-seat anyway because my little doll is such a petite one. So hearing this info really helped confirm my mothering instincts to keep her that way until 30-35 pounds.

So I have decided that it is in fact, really important to me for all moms of young children to have this info so that they can make an informed decision.

Here is a great link which contains oodles of info in one little article: http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=9316

AND, did you know that 8 out of 10 car-seats are installed incorrectly? Please click go to http://www.seat-check.org to find a location close to you that will do a free safety inspection.

Our babes are worth it, right???

As most of you know I have an Etsy store in which I sell some of my “craftiness”. One of my more popular items is the wire name. I see it’s main purpose as a replacement for the overpopular wooden letters in kids’ rooms. However my super-creative customers have had their own ideas lately!

* One lady had me make her granddaughter’s name out of slightly thinner wire and then she sewed it on her laptop bag as a going-away-to-college gift

* One lady had me create a lounge sign for  a new room in her home

* One had me create “Garbage” and “Recycle” to place above their respective bins

*One customer ordered her friend’s horses names as gifts to hang on their stalls

Love these ideas! Love that my customers are more creative than I am!!!

My friend, Mary found this on Allrecipes.com and we’ve adapted it just a tiny bit. Costs a little bit more than I normally spend on one dinner, but it is actually big enough to feed my fam for two. I’ve never been a huge Mexican food fan but I LOVE LOVE LOVE this! Even my picky son ate it- although it was a tad on the spicy side for him- even with all “mild” sauces.
Anyway- try it! You’ll love it! The site calls it Burrito Pie but I called it Taco Cake for the sake of my 3 year old.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef (I used 1 lb ground turkey)
• 1 onion, chopped (I used 1/2 an onion)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced (omitted; added black beans)
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chili peppers (mild)
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (mild)
• 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce (mild- didn’t quite use a whole jar)
• 2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
• 12 (8 inch) flour tortillas (only used about half a pack)
• 9 ounces shredded Colby cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet (I used my largest pot!) over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and refried beans. (I added black beans and some brown rice- maybe 2 cups cooked) Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

AHHHHH-Mazing!!!

Yeah, I thought so! Seriously everyone should be doing this! There is no reason not to! Do you use Google or another search engine to search the internet? Ever? Exactly. Then follow the link below and sign up for Swagbucks which will reward you for your searches! The results are from Google and Ask.com so you’re still getting the results you were looking for AND getting free stuff! I’ve been using it for several months now and I really don’t search excessively but I’ve earned 311 points to date! That’s the equivalent of around $20 cash. Hey, I’ll take it! Would you??? Sign up now!!

Written Sunday August 2, 2009.

Wow. That’s about the only word I have right now. Just got in from our church service today and I’m just absolutely speechless due to the amazement I feel about Dan’s and my journey here to our new city. I mean, we’ve known all along with 1000% certainty that this is all God’s doing, but today was just the icing on the church-cake! First of all, our worship leader, Josh Helms, is one of the most gifted and Spirit-led individuals I’ve seen on any stage. And we have a high level of expectation having come from a place where we had another amazing artist, Benjamin Payne. So the time of worship was simply amazing in and of itself- and then we were presented with perhaps the most amazing presentation of the gospel I have ever heard by our gifted Pastor, Matthew Hartsfield. He was kicking off a new series about the verse John 3:16. Not too exciting, you might be thinking? Well I was absolutely blown away with what a deep theological teaching it was but yet how simply and concisely it was presented. He took us on a journey from John to Genesis where the world first became broken because of the fall. He explained how after Adam and Eve ate from the tree and hid, God sacrificed an animal for them to cover themselves and the shame they felt. It was a lesson and a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice He would later send. But because of the sin and evil already in the world, it ultimately created a “paint-by-numbers” religion where people would line up every day with their sacrifices until the point when their hearts became so hardened and it was not at all what God had planned. It was then that God ended it all- all of the madness, all of the sacrifices with the ultimate sacrifice of His Son. And thus “It is finished”. The madness, the craziness, the sacrifices- all finished.

Some other great quotes from this morning:

“God wants relationship, not religion.”

“We are a part of a soul liberation project”

You can find this message among many others HERE.

So humbled and blessed to be here…

Saw a premiere of Julie and Julia a couple of weeks ago and just absolutely loved it!

Now I’m not exactly a movie critic and I have a horrible memory so I regret not writing about it the moment I got home. BUT I do remember that I did not expect it to be so funny! I laughed out loud throughout the whole thing!

It was a sweet story which encompassed lessons on finding yourself, a love story, loads of humor, and a little bit of “girl power”. Totally my kind of movie.

I’m not usually one to buy movies but I think I’ll be buying this one. And it’s soundtrack!

GREAT music!

Today has been a rough day in our household- attitudes, talking back, temper tantrums… and the kids have been out of sorts too! (Haha)

Jace was in a time out after he completely lost control at lunch and while he was sitting in his time out spot we hear, “Uh, GUYS? We have a PROBLEM here! Guys! I think we have a problem here! We have a big problem HERE!!!!!”

So that certainly broke the tension in our house and created some laughter in and of itself. But then I asked him what the problem was.

He answered, “My p**** (boy part)”.

“It has to pee… NOW!”

YAY! I’m SOOOOOOO excited about a ton of new designs I’ve been working on! And they’re in my NEW Etsy store so check them out here: crazycool.etsy.com

when I said “let the baby parade begin”…

here are all of my super prego friends in Ohio (Court, hope you don’t mind I stole this pic from you!)! Oh, and TWO are having TWINS!!! TEN babies in this picture!

Baby #1 was born just yesterday!

Missing all you!!!

Seriously- is this not the cutest!?! Saw it at our new Ikea for about $5 and thouht this would be perfect for my kiddos since our whole silverware set is oversized and WAY too big for little mouths. I know it’s supposed to be for play, but it’s stainless steel, strong, and washable so that’s all I need to know!

I know. I’m a slacker. I’ve watched as  most of my consistant reader-ship has dwindled since I’ve moved because my writing hasn’t been consistent. And now I haven’t even written in weeks. Sorry, bloggy friends. I’ve been in a funk. A writing funk. An energy funk. A creative funk.

I’m going to do my best to return to the blog- not promising I’ll get to it every day. But anything is better than nothing- and it is something I enjoy!

So stay tuned…

“Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Matthew 10: 29, 31

This is going to sound very very strange, I know. But I’ve had an incredibly nagging feeling (GOD?) to post about this all day and I’ve made the decision to not let it go and write it off as nothing.

I just want to post that if anyone is finding themselves in a situation of having an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy and is thinking about not keeping the baby, that they should contact me and let me see how I can help. You may contact me anonymously by leaving a comment on this post and including your email address. It will not be published to the site- it will just be emailed to me and then I will contact you via email.

Know that you are not in this alone… contact me, please…

I was recently told about this by a friend- can’t wait to see it!

Learn more HERE!