January 2012

One of my unwritten goals for 2012 (unwritten because it sounds kind-of lame) is to use my blog to meet new people and create new friendships. Being a stay-at-home mom can sometimes feel so isolating, you know?  So when I heard about the Blogger Exchange Party, I knew it was the perfect way to start off 2012 and I couldn’t sign up fast enough!      I was paired up with Heather, who blogs here.  She is a momma of two, a big movie buff and bowler, as well as a lover of all things pink and glittery!  From the moment I “met” her, I knew I liked her and was determined to think of a really good gift.  Now my family will laugh at me, but just like I do with my husband, my relatives or my kids, I was on a mission to find the best gift for Heather (and in the designated price range!). After reading much of her blog, and lots of deliberation and “Mark, what do you think of this?”, this is what I came up with:  Because she is such a movie lover and saw something like 60 movies last year(!!), I thought she may enjoy the Ticket Stub Diary.  I have given this as a gift before and it was well-received.  A fun way to record all of those movies for 2012! 🙂  And since I couldn’t help myself, I included a little tissue cozy that I found on etsy to represent her love for bowling. 

I packaged everything in the only pink wrapping paper I own (oh perks of living with a ton of boys!) and some vintage lace and rick rack.  Then off to the Midwest it went!

And this is what she sent me! 

Amazingly generous, right?  I was blown away by all of her gifts but this may be my favorite part:

She sent little goodie bags for the boys!  They were so surprised! Thank you, thank you, thank you Heather! 🙂 This swap was so much fun and it really got my wheels turning.  I can’t wait to share my big idea with all of you.  Be sure to check back next Monday for the big announcement!  Source: safoodbank.org via Kelsey on Pinterest

I’m on an organizing roll, people.  Yesterday, I went through my pantry and organized everything in preparation for grocery shopping tomorrow.  There was a lot of “Why did we buy this?” and “Nobody is going to eat this.”  I ended up with a bag full of (relatively healthy) food to donate to the food pantry at our church.   

As luck would have it, I found this neat graphic on Pinterest and just had to share it with you.  This time of year is hard on the food banks.  The need is so great.  It makes my heart so sad to think of mamas who go without so they can feed their kids.  I mean, can you imagine? 

I want to do something.  I want to do more.
I’ve decided to purchase a few extra items when I see them on sale at the store.  Sale on mac and cheese?  Into the cart they go.  Super clearance on peanut butter?  I’ll take it.  I figure it won’t solve world hunger, but every little bit helps, right?

Have a good weekend, friends.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned here that I got a new camera for Christmas.  I’ve wanted a
“fancy” SLR camera for years and years now, but have made do with my little point and shoot.  So you can imagine my surprise when my husband wanted to give me this amazing gift!  Photography is so interesting to me and I’m anxious to learn everything about it. 

Anyway, with a new camera comes new accessories.  Here’s my wishlist for all those “extras”:

A cool strap (because every photographer needs one of these, right?):

Jo Tote: A really cute and functional bag to carry all my camera stuff.  I love that it will also hold some diapers and snacks for the kiddos.

Another lens:

For all of you experienced photographers out there, any recommendations?  I’m in the market for a good how-to book!

Sometimes life gets so busy that I forget to notice and appreciate the little things. Here are some of the things I am loving this week:

 I WANT TO REMEMBER… how adorable D is when he declares either of his brothers is his best friend.  This happens on nearly a daily basis.  The two most recent: “Mamma, J is my best friend because he kisses me.” and “M, you not my best friend anymore?” (they were having a spat)

I WANT TO REMEMBER… how sweet it is to watch the bond between baby J and his daddy.  They have had a special connection since he was a tiny newborn.  I can’t wait to see their relationship as he grows up.

I WANT TO REMEMBER… M and the crazy things he’s been saying lately.  At bedtime, my husband always prays “in thanksgiving for my family”.  M, in an attempt to one-up his father, tried this new prayer: “in Christmas for my family.”  I guess the holidays work interchangably.  🙂

I WANT TO REMEMBER… this amazing prayer prayed by Mother Teresa:

“Dear Jesus, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others. Amen.” 

I am my little sister’s Confirmation sponsor and we are praying this daily until the big day.  I hope it’s as powerful a prayer to her as it is to me. 

Do you read Learn with Jenny?  She is an amazing woman with a powerful story…you must check her out!  I love her zest for life and her quest for intentional living.  She is starting a new series on her blog about creating a life list and that is right up my alley! (You know how much I love lists!) 

Part One is actually the preparation before you create your list.  She asks three questions: What do you value?  What excites you?  What are your inspirations?  Good things to think about, right?  Below are my answers.  I’d love to hear some of yours!

Values List
Jenny says: “These are the things that really matter to you. Simply, these are your beliefs and ideals that you hold as special.”

  • Family
  • Creating a welcoming and loving home atmosphere
  • Charitable giving/service and modeling that for my children
  • My Catholic faith and continually growing in faith
  • Recording my family’s stories for future generations
  • Creativity
  • Living intentionally

    Excitables
    According to Jenny, “These are the things that make you feel centered, grounded, yet alive. These are the simple acts that often bring out the best in yourself, serve to spark an active imagination, or put yourself in a healthy, energetic mindset to dream big.”

    • Laughter
    • Giving gifts
    • Being in the kitchen
    • Heart-to-heart conversations with family
    • Taking photographs
    • Working on my Project Life album
    • Reading
    • Sewing of any sort with my hands, not so much with a machine
    • Getting out of our everyday routine, even if it’s a day trip or small excursion

    Inspiration
    Jenny says: “What serves to inspire you? There are things all around you that help to influence you or inspire you everyday. These include people, events, blogs, magazines, music, concerts, life experiences, photography, etc.”

    If you’re interested, Jenny has a free printable worksheet you can use.  I found that this was a really enlightening exercise and I am excited to work on my own life list in the coming weeks. 

    How was your weekend?  Ours was pretty low-key, but still went by too fast!  How does that always happen? Anyway, I’m all over the place this morning.  Care for a glimpse?

    1. I spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon working on next week’s school.  Usually I like to stay three or four weeks ahead…oops!  We are reading Very Last First Time so we’ve got Inuits, arctic animals, and oceans on the learning schedule.  I’m hoping the boys are interested…if not, I’m declaring it Polar Bear week.

    2. Came across this article and thought it was so true for all of you newer mammas out  there: To the Mother with only One Child .  A must read.

    3. I think I’ve started something big.  Puzzle mania has hit the house!  The big boys will sit for almost an hour (an HOUR!) doing puzzles over and over again.  Can I just say how glorious the silence is?  My new tip for Mammas: puzzles.   

    4. I was honored to be a part of this list on Grace’s blog last week.  I may or may not have put off doing a mountain of laundry to check out some of the girls. 🙂

    5. I have home improvement on the brain in a big way lately.  Gearing up to repaint the walls and all of the molding in my living room…well hello crazy burst of energy!  Where did you come from? 

    mmbutton3-1332458

    The cotton balls are supposed to be snow.

    This week in school, we are reading Katy and the Big Snow and learning all about how a city runs.  I found this idea on Pinterest months ago and thought it would be fun to do with boys.

    OH. MY. WORD.  I truly underestimated the awesomeness of this little project.  If I hadn’t run out of painter’s tape, we would have had our roads spanning the entire kitchen floor.  The boys have played happily all week and it has been a life-saver when I’m trying to bake something or get dinner on the table!

    This is a great idea for rainy days, winter days, even I’m-dying-for-a-break-from-these-kids days.  I did the majority of the taping, but I’m sure a child slightly older than my oldest can be left free to his own imagination.       

    P.S. My husband thinks I would make a fine urban city planner.  Please take note of my amazing parking lot. 🙂

    Hearts, Mittens, Apples, Onesies, Owls Today’s cool etsy find are these amazing cookies made by Karen at Sugar & Flour.  Aren’t these cookies so neat?    They are made from a vanilla/almond sugar cookie dough and frosted with vanilla/almond royal icing. Baked fresh to order! 

    I have ordered from her twice before and have been so pleased both times.  And the cookies….oh yum!  You must try them for yourself!  Her cookies are perfect for birthdays, baby showers or just because!  Wouldn’t the apple cookies be so cute individually wrapped as teacher gifts?  You can find her store here.

    Do you choose a word to guide your year?  After some prayer and a lot of thought, I’ve decided on DREAM.  For awhile, I have been “in the trenches” so to speak when it comes to motherhood.  With multiple little ones seeking my attention for feeding, playing, diaper changes, baths, you name it…well, I really didn’t have the time to think of anything else. 

    The past six months or so have been different. I feel like I’ve hit my stride when it comes to balancing motherhood and my home. Sure, some days are more difficult than others, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I can glance out to the future…and dream.

    I have dreams for making a difference in this big world. I have dreams for my little family. I have dreams of moving to a new town into a home that will be ours forever. This year, I want to dream big dreams…allow myself to put it all out there and see what God has in store for me. I’m excited to see where He leads.

    What is your word for 2012?

    1. My geriatric tendencies are getting worse.  If being sound asleep by 10:00 wasn’t bad enough, I now enjoy the fascinating pastime of puzzle making.  1000 pieces are no match for me!  2. M’s new line: “Hey Mamma, when I grow up, I’m gonna marry you.”  Sweet boy knows how to wrap his Mamma right around his finger, the little stinker. 3. Pigs in a Blanket is on the menu for lunch today.  I know, culinary greatness at its best.  (Bonus tip: I’m not a fan of the term “wienies”, so I’m forever grateful to Trader Joe’s for their labeling as “Cocktail Pups”. )  4. The boys are just dying to play in the snow, but we’ve yet to see any real snow this year!  Double bummer since we are in the middle of two weeks of winter “study” in school. 5. M and D got these awesome cars (they are called PlaSmart PlasmaCar) for Christmas and I think they have been the most used present so far.  6. I read Start Something That Matters in two days. I give it five stars and a bunch of exclamation points. My husband and I have had a couple of amazing conversations directly because of it..lots of “dreamstorming” going on over here! mmbutton3-1332458 Source: whispsofme.tumblr.com via icicle on Pinterest

    What if… we did away with the anxiety-ridden expectations of what a good mother should be and lived our lives in the freedom that we’re doing the best we can?

    What if… instead of saying no (largely because we’re inconvenienced or lazy), we said, “Why not?”

    What if… we stopped obsessing about our “pre-pregnancy” weight and now embraced our new normal and the blessing(s) that got us this way?

    What if… we fed our children the best we could afford, but didn’t stress about the occasional chocolate chip cookie or Happy Meal?

    What if… we stopped worrying about what everyone else thought of us and instead focused on what we thought of us?

    What if… we lived our lives with the joy of the front row instead of living in the third row?

    Source: mighty2save.tumblr.com via Urban Farmgirl on Pinterest

    Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

    This week’s decluttering took me to my embarrassingly huge fabric stash.  With my three little guys running around, I just don’t have the time to sew and quilt like I’d like.  As time goes on, my tastes in fabric change and I’m left with things that cause me stress instead of pleasure.  And that just won’t do, right? A quick search through Pinterest led me to Haiti by Hand and their current project: “Clean Out for Quilts“.  They are collecting fabric so women in their community can sew items for Haitian women and children.  A perfect match and great motivation to really critique my stash.  I went through every last piece of yardage I owned and worked quickly.  If I couldn’t immediately see a quilt or clothing made from a fabric, it was gone.  If it was beautiful, but likely I would never use it: gone.  The result was a filled-to-the-brim Flat Rate box full of fabric and a much more managable fabric stash.  A win/win for everybody!  If interested, you can find more information here.