Over at La's Blog, she's doing a great little idea that was passed along to her! I love little things like this and I haven't done a give away yet so here goes!
So, here's how it works.
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me, especially for you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations!
1. I make no guarantee that you'll like what I make but hopefully you like it!
2. What I create will be just for you!
3. I have a year to get it done; cross your fingers it doesn't take nearly that long!
4. You have no clue what it'll be.
The catch? You must re-post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog! So, the first five people who post, and are willing to pass it along, will get something handmade by me!
Please get me your email address if I do not have it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Ahhh Sweet Release
After what seems like forever trying new things (and doing a lot of whining) we have finally gotten a little break in LD's sleeping issues. We have not had a night terror episode since shortly after my post about night terrors. We tried several different things to get her to go to sleep nothing seemed to be working until last week.
Have you noticed when you get most desperate you come up with the most sensible solutions? Here is what worked - a "Good Girl Chart". LD loves it when we tell her she is being a good girl or that we are proud of her. On the Good Girl Chart I made columns for the days of the week and than made rows for each daily activity. There are just a few, she is only 3 and as much as would have liked to add things like; did the dishes, swept the floor, vacuumed and dusted, I decided to start out slow. So her daily responsibilities are; stayed dry all day, good bedtime, good nap time, picked up toys, brushed hair and teeth. She has done really good earning her stickers. I also made the stickers by punching hearts out with my heart punch and running them through my sticker maker. She isn't as into making the stickers as I thought she would be but she loves her chart and each week she earns a toy for "lots" of stickers.
There is an initial small fit when putting her to bed and the pick up toys category has yet to get a sticker but I learned a long time ago to choose your battles. The other items on the list are much more important to me. Do you have chores for your kids? What are some of their chores? If you do not have children, did you have chores as a child? What were they?
Have you noticed when you get most desperate you come up with the most sensible solutions? Here is what worked - a "Good Girl Chart". LD loves it when we tell her she is being a good girl or that we are proud of her. On the Good Girl Chart I made columns for the days of the week and than made rows for each daily activity. There are just a few, she is only 3 and as much as would have liked to add things like; did the dishes, swept the floor, vacuumed and dusted, I decided to start out slow. So her daily responsibilities are; stayed dry all day, good bedtime, good nap time, picked up toys, brushed hair and teeth. She has done really good earning her stickers. I also made the stickers by punching hearts out with my heart punch and running them through my sticker maker. She isn't as into making the stickers as I thought she would be but she loves her chart and each week she earns a toy for "lots" of stickers.
There is an initial small fit when putting her to bed and the pick up toys category has yet to get a sticker but I learned a long time ago to choose your battles. The other items on the list are much more important to me. Do you have chores for your kids? What are some of their chores? If you do not have children, did you have chores as a child? What were they?
Saturday, August 29, 2009
I am Such A Dreamer
As I have mentioned things around here have been out-of-control crazy. I have been saying, I will do this and that when things settle down after the holidays. Well now we are headed back into the holiday season and guess who has not settled down. Eek! I am starting to accept that one more child can add this much more to your life and this is just how life will be - for the next 18 years. Eek again.
I remember when the holidays were my "busy season" and things would actually calm down after the holidays. Oh well truth be known I like being busy. I also like breaks, thank goodness the hubby and I have a Vegas trip planned for October. We need it!
The busier I get the more I day dream. I love to day dream. About traveling mostly and what my home will look like when the kids are gone and I turn each of their rooms into places for me (CLOSETS!). Maybe a smoking lounge. Just kidding I don't smoke - but there are days I consider it.
I have big dreams of holiday projects, I will share them as we start doing them. Did anyone else notice some of the craft stores putting out Christmas stuff last month? Apparently they have given up on summer just like I have - on to the holidays.
I remember when the holidays were my "busy season" and things would actually calm down after the holidays. Oh well truth be known I like being busy. I also like breaks, thank goodness the hubby and I have a Vegas trip planned for October. We need it!
The busier I get the more I day dream. I love to day dream. About traveling mostly and what my home will look like when the kids are gone and I turn each of their rooms into places for me (CLOSETS!). Maybe a smoking lounge. Just kidding I don't smoke - but there are days I consider it.
I have big dreams of holiday projects, I will share them as we start doing them. Did anyone else notice some of the craft stores putting out Christmas stuff last month? Apparently they have given up on summer just like I have - on to the holidays.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Super Clean - Super Green
**EDITED** See below.
As I mentioned on Tuesday I wanted to share with you a product that I use ALL the time. When I first started cleaning it was a gift from a friend who has cleaned houses for many years. This thing is AWESOME!! Many of my clients have purchased their own and they last a very long time. I have had mine for about 2 years now. It is called The Super Cloth - seriously it is Super. The best part is you do not use chemicals with it and you can use it to dry things like tubs and sinks after you clean them. So no more paper towels either.
picture from supercloth.com
On Sunday hubby had to go into work so I started to clean. It is so easy to clean with this Super CLoth that I ended up cleaning my windows throughout my house and even the window sills. The Super Cloth cleans windows and mirrors with just a few swipes and does not leave streaks. It cuts down on cleaning time by a big margin.
How to use: Rinse in water and squeeze out excess water. You do not need to use chemicals.
What to use it on: You can dust with the super cloth, use it on tile in the shower, mirrors, fixtures, windows. I also use mine on on the TV and Computer screen but I make sure the cloth has been rung out very well. You can also dry things after you clean them.
Warning: If not rinsed and laid out to dry it can start to smell. You can use a little dish soap or hand soap to freshen it up.
I promise you will NOT regret this purchase. I have touched on some of the uses for the Super Cloth, if you have one already let me know what you use yours on. When you get yours let me know other ways you use the Super Cloth.
*EDIT*
What it is: The Super cloth is made of Polyamide base. It feels like rubber/micro suede. That is the best description I can think of. It works almost like a squeege to wipe water towards a drain. It does absorb water, so as you dry an area you wringe it out to get rid of the excess water and continue drying. I believe the reason it works so great on so many surfaces is because of the texture of the material. The texture is soft enough to be used on windows, mirrors, computer screens, tv screens and tile. It gently scrubs off things such as soap scum on tile or toothpaste off of a mirror. The cloth also works great on shower doors! After you have cleaned an area you just rinse, wringe out and keep going. I hope this information helps.
As I mentioned on Tuesday I wanted to share with you a product that I use ALL the time. When I first started cleaning it was a gift from a friend who has cleaned houses for many years. This thing is AWESOME!! Many of my clients have purchased their own and they last a very long time. I have had mine for about 2 years now. It is called The Super Cloth - seriously it is Super. The best part is you do not use chemicals with it and you can use it to dry things like tubs and sinks after you clean them. So no more paper towels either.
picture from supercloth.com
On Sunday hubby had to go into work so I started to clean. It is so easy to clean with this Super CLoth that I ended up cleaning my windows throughout my house and even the window sills. The Super Cloth cleans windows and mirrors with just a few swipes and does not leave streaks. It cuts down on cleaning time by a big margin.
How to use: Rinse in water and squeeze out excess water. You do not need to use chemicals.
What to use it on: You can dust with the super cloth, use it on tile in the shower, mirrors, fixtures, windows. I also use mine on on the TV and Computer screen but I make sure the cloth has been rung out very well. You can also dry things after you clean them.
Warning: If not rinsed and laid out to dry it can start to smell. You can use a little dish soap or hand soap to freshen it up.
I promise you will NOT regret this purchase. I have touched on some of the uses for the Super Cloth, if you have one already let me know what you use yours on. When you get yours let me know other ways you use the Super Cloth.
*EDIT*
What it is: The Super cloth is made of Polyamide base. It feels like rubber/micro suede. That is the best description I can think of. It works almost like a squeege to wipe water towards a drain. It does absorb water, so as you dry an area you wringe it out to get rid of the excess water and continue drying. I believe the reason it works so great on so many surfaces is because of the texture of the material. The texture is soft enough to be used on windows, mirrors, computer screens, tv screens and tile. It gently scrubs off things such as soap scum on tile or toothpaste off of a mirror. The cloth also works great on shower doors! After you have cleaned an area you just rinse, wringe out and keep going. I hope this information helps.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Hello - Anyone There?
Yes I am here but I am BUSY! I have not been posting often lately, sorry. It has been crazy but I think things will settle down soon. What I mean by settle down is there will actually be a set schedule. I can handle almost anything - as long as there is a schedule.
Before I had the baby I had my own cleaning business. I was not going to go back to work but have decided to take back a few of my houses. I actually really like the alone time involved in cleaning and the houses I clean are all people I have known a long time. On top of this I was offered a position doing bookkeeping/office tasks. It is a great position with a non-profit organization that provides children tutoring for reading. I am really enjoying the work so far and my co-workers. A great part of the job is that I can do 90% of the work from home. So I will be at the office a few hours 1 day a week and clean 2 days a week. SO the girls will be in daycare 2 days a week. This is a great arrangement because my daycare provider does a great preschool program so LD will have school 2 days a week. I also love planning special things to do 2 days of the week versus 5.
So this is where I have been I have some post ideas for this week to include the miracle cleaning solution - that is green!
Before I had the baby I had my own cleaning business. I was not going to go back to work but have decided to take back a few of my houses. I actually really like the alone time involved in cleaning and the houses I clean are all people I have known a long time. On top of this I was offered a position doing bookkeeping/office tasks. It is a great position with a non-profit organization that provides children tutoring for reading. I am really enjoying the work so far and my co-workers. A great part of the job is that I can do 90% of the work from home. So I will be at the office a few hours 1 day a week and clean 2 days a week. SO the girls will be in daycare 2 days a week. This is a great arrangement because my daycare provider does a great preschool program so LD will have school 2 days a week. I also love planning special things to do 2 days of the week versus 5.
So this is where I have been I have some post ideas for this week to include the miracle cleaning solution - that is green!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
I Feel Like Tacos Tonight.......
Sorry for the delay and I promise these tacos are awesome! Now just so you know I do not measure things - I do it to taste. I will put some measurements down but before you serve make sure to taste it.
Here is a picture of it in the pan - not real exciting but they were so good I never got a picture of them in the shell and served.
Taco Surprise
1 or 2 TBS - Olive oil
1/4 c - onion
1 TBS - minced garlic
1 # - lean ground turkey
1 tsp - cumin
1 tsp - chili powder
1 tsp - oregeno
1 tsp - onion powder
1 tsp - garlic salt (I like the grinder)
1/2 c - tomato sauce
1/2 c - 98% ff chicken broth
1/4 or 1/2 c - chopped pineapple
Saute onion, garlic in the olive oil. Add turkey brown slightly and than add the seasonings, the tomato sauce and the chicken broth let simmer until the turkey is completly cooked than add pineapple and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
I served mine on white corn tortillas, Taryn at The Colorado Desert has a Whole wheat Tortillia recipe if you like. These are pretty healthy so whole wheat would be a good option. Also I had the usual taco toppings, lettuce, cheese, jalepenos, tomatos and guac. My guac was made fresh - and it was AWESOME!!
I also thought that crab or shrimp would be amazing with these. Hope you enjoy them! Let me know what you think.
Here is a picture of it in the pan - not real exciting but they were so good I never got a picture of them in the shell and served.
Taco Surprise
1 or 2 TBS - Olive oil
1/4 c - onion
1 TBS - minced garlic
1 # - lean ground turkey
1 tsp - cumin
1 tsp - chili powder
1 tsp - oregeno
1 tsp - onion powder
1 tsp - garlic salt (I like the grinder)
1/2 c - tomato sauce
1/2 c - 98% ff chicken broth
1/4 or 1/2 c - chopped pineapple
Saute onion, garlic in the olive oil. Add turkey brown slightly and than add the seasonings, the tomato sauce and the chicken broth let simmer until the turkey is completly cooked than add pineapple and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
I served mine on white corn tortillas, Taryn at The Colorado Desert has a Whole wheat Tortillia recipe if you like. These are pretty healthy so whole wheat would be a good option. Also I had the usual taco toppings, lettuce, cheese, jalepenos, tomatos and guac. My guac was made fresh - and it was AWESOME!!
I also thought that crab or shrimp would be amazing with these. Hope you enjoy them! Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Tacos Tomorrow - 8th Grade Today
I know I promised everyone tacos today, but it was poor planning on my part. I officially have an 8th grader in my house. I wanted to share some pictures because everyone knows how crucial the picking of the first day outfit is. I got invited - but vetoed. Oh well I still got the invite to help.
How cute is she? I LOVE her new haircut! And her cute outfit.
Okay so tacos tomorrow - I PROMISE!!
How cute is she? I LOVE her new haircut! And her cute outfit.
Okay so tacos tomorrow - I PROMISE!!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Control - Even I Need Some
Hi everyone! Well I am back and I am not going to lie, I did not make it. However I did limit my computer use to an hour a day. Which is a MIRACLE! Seriously it was getting really bad, I had to get through my reader everyday and I tried to get a lot of commenting done. While I still want to read and comment I just have to stick to a time limit. Hubby put a timer on AM's log in so she gets 1 hour a day during the week and 2 hours a day on weekends and after that time the computer kicks her out and she can not log back in. I was afraid he was going to have to put one on mine! So now I think I have it under control and I am also getting my schedule under control.
Onto my baby. Look how beautiful she is! (and how long!) Her little personality is really developing and I love it. She is doing a new press lip grin and it melts my heart. I will try to get a picture. She is now 3 months old, well and 2 weeks. I have been meaning to do this post for well 2 weeks and haven't. So here are some photos of my big (little) girl.
Tomorrow I will post a recipe to the tacos I made last night. You must check back, they are healthy and they have a surprise ingredient. Hubby LOVED Them!
Onto my baby. Look how beautiful she is! (and how long!) Her little personality is really developing and I love it. She is doing a new press lip grin and it melts my heart. I will try to get a picture. She is now 3 months old, well and 2 weeks. I have been meaning to do this post for well 2 weeks and haven't. So here are some photos of my big (little) girl.
Tomorrow I will post a recipe to the tacos I made last night. You must check back, they are healthy and they have a surprise ingredient. Hubby LOVED Them!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wisdom Wednesday
Okay today's wisdom is more of a pattern I have noticed on other blogs. I think it is a great idea and really could encourage us all to get a little more done in a day. So how many people have become a slave to their reader, or their email or their FB/Myspace account? I have! Yes not proud of it but I certainly have and you know what happens? I turn into a zombie! I swear I can not get off the couch. The walls around me could fall in and I would still want to clear out my reader! It is great that I have found so many fabulous blogs, but I need to do something about sitting around. So today I am shutting down my computer and will not turn it back on until Friday - Saturday if I can - but realistically Friday. Yes I am getting cold feet as I type this but it must be done! I know we are all busy but we should all make an attempt to get away from the computers and the TV and enjoy our final days of summer. (Although I am in Colorado and still waiting for summer). Good luck to everyone, I am off to find stuff to do with the kids!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Goodnight Already
Okay so I was going to title this "3 Year-Old For Sale". Seeing as how I don't want to go to jail, because I am kidding, I thought better of it. Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine a time when all the children were asleep by 8pm every night during the week. Dishes were done and the hubby and I could climb into bed and watch our shows on Tivo or read a book - Alone - Together. What a lovely time it was. Now fast forward to 3 months before my due date approximately the same time someone turned 3. LD has not willingly gone to bed since that time - 6 months ago. LD is currently up and screaming - in front of the room the baby is sleeping in. It has been so bad I was actually relieved when allergy season was here and I could give her Benadryl. Not that it actually had any affect, but I can dream can't I?
I know I wrote about this very recently but I had not wrote about the bliss that was once our evening routine. I miss that routine and I really need that 2 hours every evening alone with my hubby. It is our time to reconnect from the day and it helps us be a strong parenting team. Instead I am dealing with kids from the second I wake up to the moment I fall asleep and sometimes in between.
I am so tired lately I am drinking coffee and Red Bull almost everyday. I brought a Red bull to church on Sunday and our pastor said hi to us after service and said he hoped my Red Bull helped me stay awake during his sermon. Sigh.
I know I wrote about this very recently but I had not wrote about the bliss that was once our evening routine. I miss that routine and I really need that 2 hours every evening alone with my hubby. It is our time to reconnect from the day and it helps us be a strong parenting team. Instead I am dealing with kids from the second I wake up to the moment I fall asleep and sometimes in between.
I am so tired lately I am drinking coffee and Red Bull almost everyday. I brought a Red bull to church on Sunday and our pastor said hi to us after service and said he hoped my Red Bull helped me stay awake during his sermon. Sigh.
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