Planet Dida

Taking Christ out of Christmas?

2011-12-23T14:10:00.000-06:00

Stephen and I are noticing a new trend among many churches over the last several years that is really sad to us: not having church service if Christmas falls on a Sunday. This happened several years ago and we are noticing it again this year.

What? Not having church on Christmas? Have we forgotten what Christmas is about? Our culture tends to think it is about family and gifts, however as born again believers we ought to respect our Lord and Savior by having a service, no matter how inconvenient or how big or small.

I have often heard believers complain about the secular media taking Christ out of Christmas; specifically by not saying "Merry Christmas." First, why do we expect non-believers to act as believers and second, are we not doing that same thing by forgoing church services?

As my husband and I are in disbelief at this seemingly growing trend, I can't help but wonder what Jesus thinks. Is He proud of us? Can we not make room for Him? Can we not sacrifice whatever it takes to meet with Him as a body of Christ on His day [Sunday] and on the day we celebrate His birth? It makes me sad and frustrated that we expect others to keep Christ in Christmas, yet forgo our "Christ-mass" by canceling services. Back in the day it would have been unheard of to not meet at a church on Christmas! Several churches in our area, including big ones have canceled services. There are some people that never step foot in a church unless it's a holiday. What if...just what if that might have been the service they gave their life over to the Lord?

As believers we can't be hypocrits. The world loves to use hypocrisy of believers to not come to Him. Let's not give them another reason too, and lets be an example to the world what this season is about no matter what personal sacrifices or inconveniences we must make! Christmas is about Christ; it's not about what wish list we have, what food we'll have for dinner or who is coming over. Sure, those things are nice and I do believe they can have a place at Christmas and on Christmas day and be a blessing; but I do believe Christ should come first. Lets not leave the "mass" out of Christmas.

I am Thankful, cont.

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000-06:00

I had a perfect opportunity to practice more of what I wrote about in my previous post. As I attended a Christmas party last night I was bombarded with my baby who is in an attachment phase [if that's what you want to call it] and a toddler that needs what feels like my constant attention, yet is very independent and strong willed [but so precious and funny]. So I had a crying baby who didn't want to be put down, a toddler needing to be fed all while wanting to do it herself and being very vocal about that, and myself wanting to enjoy my friends and eat too!

I was really frustrated, but in the midst of my frustration I kept telling myself over and over:

I am thankful I have two children. I am thankful I have been giving these precious kids.

My facial expressions probably didn't relay that [which I need to work on], but in the midst of not being able to enjoy conversation with friends at first and feeling frustrated, I am again grateful for what I have been given and actively kept reminding myself of these precious gifts. My girls are a large part of my world and a gift beyond measure. I can't imagine life without them. I have a husband who is such a good father and help. He never complains about rescuing me; changing diapers, feeding the kids, entertaining them or initating helping. I am constantly reminded what a treasure I have in him as well and have never met anyone like him. He is one of the best papa's!

It's amazing how other people's trials can affect you for the better, if you allow them to.

I am Thankful

2011-12-16T13:33:00.001-06:00

As I sit here, I reflect on all that is going on around me. A college friend lost her full term baby last week, someone else we know has a severely disabled 2 year old who has been in and out of the hospital over the last couple of months-this last bout for over 21 days, college friends of ours lost their 2 year old this summer and we have a young man in our church, only 22 years old, who has battled a severe case of cancer nearly his whole 1.5 year marriage and from what I know will probably join the Lord soon.

Why does God allow such heartache? Why such severe pain and trials? I wish I had some beautifully worded and perfect answer, but I don't. It's as simple as that- I don't know why.

Many tears have been shed by my husband and me as we pray for and think about these situations above. Even as I sit here and type I can't help but cry. These situations have certainly made me more thankful for what I have. It's also made me realize life is so short and to TREASURE what I have.

I am thankful that even when my babies wake up in the middle of the night, I get to comfort them.

I am thankful that when naptime is cut short for whatever reason, I have a child waiting for me.

I am thankful when my babies are having a bad day and crying and crying, I have a child.

I am thankful when it's one of those really hard parenting days, that I am a parent.

I am thankful for the time I've had with my girls.

I am thankful for my husband and nearly 10 year marriage.

I am thankful.

To Mike

2011-10-03T15:44:00.000-05:00

My best friend in high school Mike, would have celebrated his 36th birthday today. He passed away at the age of 30 due to a stroke. I had lost contact with him sometime in college, and was trying to find his whereabouts when I sadly came across a military article about him, announcing his death. My world was shaken that day as I sat at my coffee table in disbelief I had lost someone that once had been so dear to me. Since then I have reconnected with some of his family; it's bittersweet.

Mike was never fond of religion or anything faith based but I can only hope that as he lay in that locked in state for the month before passing, that the Lord spoke to him and revealed Himself to Mike. It has grieved my heart not knowing his fate, but not too long ago I had a dream about Mike and in it he told me, "Don't worry Lisa, I went to heaven." I woke up so moved by that dream, told Stephen about it and we both concluded that maybe the Lord was speaking to me through that dream. I can only hope so.

I wish Mike were here for me to say Happy Birthday!

Dear Annie

2011-09-28T13:15:00.000-05:00

I don't often read the section of the newspaper titled "Annie's Mailbox" [an advice column], but did this morning. It made me realize that no matter how tired I am or how I often say to myself, "I'm not going out today anyways, why bother," or whatever the reason...to take the time to continually take care of my appearance by trying to look presentable; not only for my own sake, but to honor my husband [yes it's okay to have pajama, no makeup days here and there too]. It was brilliant and I got a good laugh out of it.

As printed nationally in the newspaper on September 28, 2011 to Annie's Mailbox:

"Dear Annie: I know you won't print this, because your column is all about badmouthing men. Hollywood does the same thing.

Why is it terrible when a man belittles his wife, but funny when she belittles him? Explain why Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck are "sexy" when they don't shave, but women complain about us for the same thing. Some of us have nose and ear hair, and women call us slobs. Maybe we don't change our clothes every day. So what?

This is for all the wives and girlfriends: When was the last time you shaved your legs, underarms or even your face? Do you really think a moustache or two-inch hair sticking out of your chin is an aphrodisiac? It's not. When was the last time you used makeup or put on some perfume? Do you really think wearing sweatpants on your 300-pound body makes you look like an athlete?

I try to appreciate the finer, nonphysical things about women. A beautiful heart and personality are much more attractive than a pretty face. But an ungrateful attitude is many times worse than some extra hair. Why don't you try to appreciate us for providing a decent home and working hard all our lives to support our families? When you change your attitude, a little extra hair won't seem important. — Sloppy Old Man"

I wish he would have added something to the effect of how men and women act before they are married, how they dress and look presentable most of the time before they are married and generally carry a grateful attitude before they are married...then years down the road complacency sets in. Why is that?

What I got out of this was-it doesn't matter what you look like; you could be thin, average or heavy set...you can still take care of yourself, make yourself attractive and have a grateful and beautiful spirit [which matters the most]. That's what spoke to me.

My New Home Business

2011-09-13T09:28:00.001-05:00

It's official, I am now selling my home baked sweet treats and want to introduce The Dessert Girl!

Would you consider following my new blog? By doing so, it will help pass the word around about my homemade [all from scratch!] baked goods available for order and pickup in my home. If you've ever had one of my sweet treats I'd love it if you'd leave a comment on that blog [the homepage] as well.

Couple of things to note: when visiting the blog, you may have to "refresh" the homepage to actually see the followers and the tab that allows you to follow. Apparently Google has had issues with this link for months, but unfortunately they have yet to fix it.

Another issue is that apparently you have to use Internet Explorer to make a comment on my homepage. Don't know why, but that's what I have heard. Maybe you won't have that experience!

I'd also love it if somehow you could link my Dessert Girl blog to your Facebook account too [if you don't mind].

Here's my new business blog address: http://thedessertgirl.blogspot.com

She's Two!

2011-09-11T08:32:00.001-05:00

I normally don't post about my children [or at least pictures] for personal reasons, but I wanted to publicly say Happy Birthday to my baby girl! My oldest turned two yesterday. At 9:01pm last night, my husband and I fondly remembered the exact minute she entered our world. Throughout the day we recalled the events leading up to her arrival and you can't help but notice how time goes by quickly. What a blessing she has been; what a precious gift we've been given. Through all of the tears and frustration we've had as parents at times, we've been graced with a little girl that makes us roll with laughter, keeps us smiling and helps us burn calories as we chase her around. Our lives have been enriched by her; we would certainly be devastated without her. So Happy Birthday to my sweet baby "M!"

Cage Free Eggs on Sale

2011-09-08T15:16:00.002-05:00

As a sort of follow up to the previous post concerning cage free eggs, Kroger [at least in our area] has their store brand cage free, natural eggs on sale this week for $2.00 a dozen! That's 88 cents off!!! That's even 49 cents cheaper than HEB's store brand cage free which is normally where I get them.

If you can't find them in the store, ask a sales clerk and they can tell you where in the store to find them; that's what I had to do [cause in one of our Kroger's they were with the more natural foods, not with normal eggs].

Before You Buy Your Eggs...

2011-08-23T20:09:00.000-05:00

For as long as I can remember I've been passionate about God's creation, particularly a strong conviction about being good stewards of His earth and animals. I was just doing some mild research on cage free egg production b/c I have purchased cage free for some time due to the belief it's more humane [although it's certainly not a flawless system], and I wanted to make sure that it was living up to what I had remembered and it not being one of those loose terms like "natural" can be. After reading what the humane society wrote, I will continue to spend my 20 cents an egg buying cage free, although I am not completely happy with what I read. Anyhow, you may find this interesting on battery cage eggs vs. cage free. My suggestion is that you read this in it's entirety, the last part [bulleted section] is pretty eye opening and it's a fairly quick read. My conclusion is actually a question: Are we being good stewards of our Father's creation?

http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/cage-free_vs_battery-cage.html

Sesame Street

2011-07-31T17:36:00.005-05:00

I was vacationing at my parents recently and our whole family was getting together. I needed to make some cupcakes for all of the little kids, so I figured something Sesame Street-ish should do it. I made Elmo, The Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch cupcakes [not pictured]. I am not sure yet whether or not I'll sell these when I officially start my baking business as they are super time consuming. Still trying to decide...

Get Your Fill

2011-07-03T16:17:00.006-05:00

I was in the mall recently and stopped at a cookie stand to purchase a treat for Miss M and me. A guy ahead of me in line was purchasing those icing filled cookie cups. I thought to myself, "How can he handle that major sugar load?" I am a sugar mama, however even that seems like too much sugar to me. As I was staring at his mountain of sugar he was kind enough to offer it to me since they were the last ones [he must have thought it was desire in my eyes]. I kindly declined, although quite appreciative at his kind gesture.

He was also purchasing a fairly large frappacino and was telling me he needed his sugar fix. You're telling me! Actually he was a very sweet guy and I have to admit I can relate to him.

Anyhow, I got to thinking that obviously these types of cookie desserts sell, so maybe I should look into creating some of my own [since I am starting a business soon]. I tried making some with a buttercream frosting the other day, they were just too terribly sweet...yes, even for me; Stephen agreed. So I found a recipe for a less sweet whipped frosting, made my favorite chocolate chip cookies in a standard muffin tin, as well as in a mini muffin tin and piped away. The frosting itself is very good. The recipe is definitely a keeper and I imagine it will be delightful on cupcakes or as a Whoopie Pie filling. Still can't decide if I like the combo of the cookie and frosting; hopefully I can have my friends give me their opinion tomorrow. Stephen really liked them, but we both think the cookies are so dang good on their own, do they really need this extra embellishment? I don't know; can't wait to see what others think.

Dark Chocolate Goodness

2011-06-26T17:54:00.003-05:00

I have been searching for the perfect brownie recipe for a while now. All this time it was in my collection of recipes, waiting to be rediscovered. I don't know why I didn't remember it. There are 3 types of brownies: chewy, fudgy or cake like. I prefer the chewy or fudgy, preferably a combination of the two; I also prefer darker chocolate. Lo and behold my recipe did not let me down. Dark chocolate goodness, here I come!

All the Rage

2011-06-23T09:50:00.003-05:00

Cake balls are all the rage these days. Well, actually it's cake pops. Certain places sell cake pops for nearly $3 a piece! Wow. I have often been told I should go into business selling my tasty treats, and I have for a long time desired to do just that. It's figuring out HOW to do it that's tricky. I decided to make some cake balls and sell them in packs of three for $2 per pack at my sister- in- laws place of employment, as an experiment. If they don't sell well at first, I am determined to not be discouraged. Afterall, Paula Deen was rejected over and over when she started selling her homemade items and look where she is now [but I do NOT want to be on TV for the record!].

What I Love About Sharks

2011-06-11T17:19:00.003-05:00

For some time now we have been in need of a new vacuum. We recently had a garage sale and were able to use some of those earning towards a new one. During my last pregnancy I had a sleepless night and ended up watching a Shark Navigator Liftaway infomercial. Normally I wouldn't give these the time of day, but I found myself intrigued by this particular one [which they design to do of course].

After doing quite a bit of research we decided to purchase the basic Shark Navigator [for the great price]. Let me tell you, we love it and it was worth every penny! The best part is we got it on sale for $20 less than an average sale price and $40 less than many stores everyday price. Wow!

What I love about this vacuum:
-There are no expensive replacement filters! No extra expenses at all!
-Lightweight and pretty quiet
-The cord is super long, longer than any vacuum I've seen
-You can see what you vacuum up in the canister. What a wonderful marketing ploy
-With an EASY touch of a button, the canister comes right off
-The contents are discarded from the bottom of the canister by pushing a button. No mess!
-The no loss suction technology is very accurate. It has wonderful suction
-I can go from hard floors to our entry rugs with ease & the carpets don't get sucked up
-You don't have to lift up the vacuum when going to and from higher/lower floor surfaces
-It cleans hard floors super well, which is one of the things I researched most in vacuums
-To go from hard floors to carpet you switch a button that is located on the on/off button. With my last 2 vacuums you had to reach down at floor level to move a lever when switching floor types

I haven't used the attachments yet, but so far this is a wonderful product at a great price. I rarely buy things at full price, but this is one product that would have been worth it had I needed to!

Whoopie!!!

2011-06-08T15:35:00.009-05:00

I had my first Whoopie Pie about a month ago when Stephen and I went out of town one day. Ironically it was from a gas station, but nonetheless I fell in love. I have yet to find a Whoopie Pie that is as tasty as the one I had that day, so naturally that gave me a reason to bake. I have people coming over tonight so I searched for a recipe and found two that seemed appealing; chocolate whoopies and oatmeal whoopies.

I am not real impressed with the chocolate. The chocolate flavor isn't as intense as it should be, nor as sweet as I think it should be. So I'll either modify the recipe using dark chocolate cocoa powder next time or scrap that recipe altogether and find a new one.

The oatmeal whoopies are pretty tasty; I haven't decided if they need modifying or not. They remind me of the oatmeal cream pies.

All in all, it was a great time of baking, experimenting and hoping that even though these didn't come out quite as decadent as I had hoped, they will still be enjoyed by my friends and neighbor.

My Dream Day

2011-06-04T20:24:00.007-05:00

I helped host a baby shower at my house this weekend. Oh what fun I had baking! Friday was dedicated to baking, baking, baking...and getting my house ready. I make a yellow cake as the main dessert and some chocolate cupcakes. For the game gifts instead of buying gifts as I usually do, I decided to make a homemade treat - soft and scrumptious frosted sugar cookies, packaged in a bakery box with a bow. This was one of my ideal ways to spend a day!

Mother's Day Delight

2011-05-09T09:20:00.008-05:00

I made cupcakes as gifts for Mother's Day. What fun I had making these. Wish I could sell them, they are such a delight to make!

Cake-alishious

2011-04-24T16:29:00.006-05:00

I made this cake a couple of weeks ago as a going away treat for a teacher at Stephen's school. It was actually pretty simple and I had a fun time doing it, and loved the end product. Baking is such a treat for me and way to "escape" from it all [as long as Stephen is here to watch the girls that is!].

Cupcake Anyone?

2011-04-24T07:20:00.005-05:00

Many of the teachers at Stephen's school know I love to bake, as I often bake for them. I am always looking for new recipes and creative ways of making treats into edible art. Recently a few students made some fancy "flower" cupcakes for Stephen's team leader and one of the teacher's told Stephen to take one home to me b/c she thought I'd love this idea. She was right! I am so glad she thought of me, b/c this is by far one of the cutest designs I have seen.

The flower look on the cupcake comes from miniature marshmallows that are cut diagonally, then dipped in colored sugar. I made these last night [pictured below] for an Easter celebration and I absolutely love this concept. They take time, but are well worth it for a special occasion!

Childhood Lost?

2011-04-14T13:40:00.004-05:00

I was watching a show today and startling information was shared: 15% of American girls are starting puberty by the age of 7!!!!! Girls are losing their childhood as well as being at higher risk for cancers, depression and other problems due to early puberty. My thought is, if 15% are starting at that age, what ages are the rest of the population starting? I bet it's not much later for many. Researchers think that perhaps the cause is hormones in food, obesity and BPA [Bisphenol A] found in canned goods and in some plastics.

I actually noticed this trend of early puberty for some time now and my personal opinion is that these things are also perhaps a cause of many of the infertility issues we see today. Years ago a friend and I started researching BPA, when findings were in infancy as to BPA and the estrogenic affect it has when it leaches in foods and water. I think some people thought we were crazy because we started trying to find BPA free items. I also generally buy organic dairy [I can't afford all organic foods, nor think it's necessary, so I pick and choose what I think is the most important for us]. I even bought glass carboys to use as our water jugs on top of our water cooler, b/c the plastic ones aren't BPA free. I really started to become more aware of what I was consuming and putting on my body. We were both really enlightened by what we had learned. Luckily today it is SO MUCH easier to find BPA free plastics, canned goods and items. And for the record, the FDA prohibits the use of hormones in chicken, so don't fall for buying expensive "hormone free" chicken. Other meats can have added hormones.

I hope more research is done and that Americans take seriously what is happening to girls. Early puberty has a multitude of problems, from what I can tell so far. And I would go as far as to say that if hormones, obesity and BPA have this affect on girls, in my mind it seems inevitable it has some affect on boys too [that is just my opinion].

Here is a more in depth look at BPA, what it is and does, and which plastics to try to avoid:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A

I Bet I'm the Only One

2011-02-15T12:54:00.002-06:00

I bet I am the only one who got a Pinata for Valentine's Day. Yes...Stephen got me a Pinata. I grew up in a predominately Hispanic culture, Pinata's being everywhere. I just love those things. The only thing I don't like about them is that they are usually filled with cheap candy. Anyhow, he remembered I liked them and when he got home from work he had me wait inside the house, promising not to peek at what he was doing outside. I am really good at figuring things out [which bothers me b/c I love surprises] but this time I could not figure out what he was doing. In fact, I was trying to busy myself so I wouldn't think about it. Boy was I not expecting to get this star shaped Pinata, as I entered our backyard and saw it hanging from the tree.

It was really hard to break open, and my abs were so tight from swinging that I finally had to have him hit it to break it [the inside was made of cardboard and not traditional paper mache]. Once it was opened though, an overflow of candy heaven awaited me on the ground. He had picked out really good candy for it...chocolates, taffy's, suckers....nothing cheap.

So I feel quite lucky that I am possibly the only girl that got a Pinata for Valentine's Day. Quite creative!

Christmas Stocking

2011-01-22T08:26:00.005-06:00

Wow, I went nearly 2 months without a working computer or internet at home, hence my reason for not posting any blog posts or keeping up with my friends blogs for that matter. Not being without these modern conveniences was hard at first. I felt a sort of seclusion from the world; then it became a blessing. We just got our old desktop to work in the meantime and even though I have been catching up on things, I decided last night that I still want to minimize my time on email, the internet, etc. because it was so good not to worry about those things!

I have a lot a blog posts I want to create, but it will take time to collect my thoughts again and moreover find time as we have a baby due in less than 7 weeks, we are still doing renovations on our newly bought home and I have a 16 month old.

Anyhow, I wanted to post a picture of the Christmas stocking I made for Madeline this Christmas [2010]. I had purchased the blank green stocking for a few bucks at an after Christmas sale in 2009 when she was just a few months old, resolving to make it personalized...knowing I have never really sewn in my life [other than mending holes or putting on a button]. I decided to take an applique approach as I felt this would be the easiest to do for a first time sewer. Each owl is composed of different fabrics [I made my own pattern for each part of the project actually] and the letters were handcut from a pattern I also made. I was really happy with the end product. It certainly isn't perfect, but one day when I am old I hope Madeline can appreciate this handmade gift I made her; I really enjoyed doing it and hope this is the beginning of many new sewing projects.

Paper Boxes

2010-11-06T14:08:00.009-05:00

I love organizing; I love making things. Recently I learned how to make little boxes out of paper and really like this concept because I use these petite boxes for baked goods, candy....anything I can think of really. I just wrap up my goodies, place them in the paper box, drop it in a cellophane bag, tie with pretty wire lined ribbon and hope it will put a smile on someone's face!

I found another use for these paper boxes...organizing. I was in need of some compartments for my desk drawers for items such as paper clips, thumb tacks, rubber bands and the like and didn't want to spend money on plastic containers. They aren't ever the right size anyways it seems [for those types of things], so I thought the paper boxes would work perfect. They did! Not only are they perfect, but every time I open my drawer I get to see the decorative paper that holds my office items [I love, love, love scrapbook paper!]. And I love this new use for my petite boxes.

Here is a link on how to make these boxes. Super easy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBf957XC-4k

My Civic Duty

2010-11-03T06:21:00.006-05:00

I did my civic duty and voted yesterday. I really wrestled with whether or not to vote because generally I do not like most politicians, no matter what party they belong to. Corruption, misrepresentation and double lives seems to flourish in that arena. Furthermore, I really find myself annoyed at campaign ads. Instead of stating what issues they will stand and fight for, it just seems like a never ending, childish and immature attack on one another. In fact, after all of the campaign ads, I still know little about what the candidates stand for. I find that I generally have to do more intense research [which isn't a bad idea anyways]. I decided that there are some issues certain candidates will fight for that I feel strongly about, so I should embrace my right as an American, bite the bullet and vote for [I know this sounds strong], the "lesser of two evils." Moreover, there was a time that women were not able to vote, and as I contemplated voting yesterday I remembered this, hence deciding to hit the polls.

My point for this post: something happened at the polls that really baffles me. I have voted in the past and this has never happened. As I was voting, a man working the poll came up to me, looked over my shoulder and proceeded to tell me how I can vote straight ticket if I wanted too. I was so taken back that he interrupted me AND looked at my screen [which was already marked for who I was voting for], that all I could say was, "I know how to vote, can I please have some privacy while I do it?" I am perplexed as to why he did this. It's not like I was looking around for help. My eyes were fixed on the screen the whole time. Isn't it against the rules to talk to someone as they vote? Stephen and I talked about it afterward, and we remember that one time we were talking to each other while voting [in booths next to one another probably] and we were told not to do that.

So I am wondering if what he did was wrong. It's baffling...

In the Market?

2010-10-20T14:39:00.006-05:00

Are you in the market for a new refrigerator? Well even if you aren't, you may want to store this in the back of your mind for a rainy day. :o)

We had to buy a fridge recently and were on a tight budget. We found an awesome deal on a french door fridge with the pull out bottom freezer. They are a big hit right now and I found myself loving the way they looked and was in disbelief at the deal we had come across.

Let me preface this by saying...I am very thankful for our fridge. We never imagined having a brand new one and one so affordable [after sale prices, coupons and reimbursement for a couple of scratches upon delivery, we spent very little for this thing compared to the sticker price it had]. On the other hand, I'd like to share with others my experience, hence this posting.

What I have learned: I don't think I'll buy a french door fridge again. They are very impractical for various reasons, the main being you pretty much have to open both doors in order to take anything out. That may sound trivial, but it can be a big pain, my husband and I both noticing this. The design of it is not very efficient. We have one with the large deli tray that spans the bottom of the fridge and that drawer is one that is often used, thus us having to open both doors a lot. Both doors also have to be completely opened or they will shut on you. You can't just have them slightly ajar. Another design flaw is that unless you want to constantly move shelves around or take any out, there is only one designated space for large items. For me this is inconvenient because I often make large batches of soup or dinners in my Dutch Oven, therefore this being the only large container I can put in there at one time. That didn't even occur to me when picking it out.

I love the pull out freezer concept, although if it is packed full the bottom drawer will automatically pull out the top one. It is harder to organize anything in the freezer because of the design.

So to close, not matter how aesthetically pleasing these french door refrigerators are, I would not recommend them. In the meantime I will choose to love mine, bond with it, be extremely thankful for it and enjoy it for it's outside aesthetic appeal [which I love!] and the fact that we are blessed to have a new fridge. But if I can give any tips to others when it comes time to investing in a new refrigerator, that would be great!

The Secret

2010-09-30T18:52:00.005-05:00

I love to bake and that is one of my love languages....baking for others. I am a firm believer in eating healthy and eating that which brings life and not death, but I also believe in balance and having a treat here and there [the key is self-control!].

I often bake for the teachers and staff at Stephen's school and today I decided to try something new. I made a scrumptious chocolate chip cookie recipe and instead of putting them on a cookie sheet, I sprayed a muffin tin and filled it up with the cookie dough [the recipe made about 20 of these]. They came out fabulous!

One thing I have learned about cookies; the secret is to take them out of the oven when the center still looks slightly uncooked, let them sit on the pan for a minute or so, then place on a cooling rack. I have had the most moist and delicious cookies by doing it this way. Today was no exception and I am a happy camper...hopefully the teachers will be too!

Homemade Dry Erase Board

2010-09-26T15:05:00.007-05:00

I have really been wanting an attractive dry erase board. They are essential for me, as I like to write myself notes. I have an old one but it's just so plain and boring...the typical white board with silver metal frame. Very unattractive. So I did some research to see how to make one out of an old picture frame and lo and behold I found a couple of websites that instructed how to do it. To my surprise though, they didn't use a white board as a background, rather the existing glass in the frame as the part to write on.

To do this, all you need is:
1) Frame with glass
2) Piece of fabric [nothing too bold or busy as you won't be able to see your writing over it]
3) The backing of the frame, or something sturdy to glue your fabric to
4) Spray adhesive [just spray the backing with this and apply your fabric!]

In my experience, I found that the less bold and colorful the fabric, the easier it will be to see your writing. I found a very colorful patterned fabric that I loved, however it was just too bright and busy, so what I did was glue it inside out on the backing in the frame and it worked perfect! The colors are less muted, yet I still get the desired effect.

This was a very simple, inexpensive and easy project which not only allowed me to get the more attractive "dry erase board" I wanted, but it enabled me to do one of the things I love most: re-purpose a frame I didn't have use for!

Does the Perfect Detergent Exist?

2010-09-15T20:44:00.003-05:00

I am perplexed. I really want to find a laundry detergent that is biodegradable, non-toxic , safe for us and that is incredible at stain removal, esp for cloth diapers and baby clothes. I thought I had found a good product when I started using Charlie's Soap, however after going through 2-3 bags, I am so disappointed in the product I have stopped using it. It's horrible at washing away stains. I contacted the company and asked them why this was, because they claim that over time their product will remove stains. The person told me to purchase their all purpose cleaner, use that on stains before washing and it should work. Nope. Didn't work.

I have since ordered another highly rated detergent that is safe for cloth diapers and can be used on clothes too [b/c I don't want to buy 2 separate products] called Country Save, but am still having the same problems. If anyone out there has a solution to set in stains or has found a marvelous detergent meeting my desires, I'd love to hear about it!

If it Whistles, Stop!

2010-09-01T11:07:00.004-05:00

Today I was attempting to microwave some frozen spinach, in the microwavable bag it came in. This is only the second time or so I have done this, as I prefer to use the microwave as little as possible. As I was sitting with Maddie during snack time, I heard the bag of spinach whistling. Soon enough I realized it wasn't whistling while it worked, it was about to explode. And so it did. I didn't even cook it longer than the recommended time. In fact, I did it one minute less, then noticed it wasn't done and did it one minute longer. It was pretty funny.

Just a silly little blog for the day....if something you are cooking whistles in the microwave, you may want to rescue it before it shows you whose boss.

Helpful Tip #6: Striped Sheets

2010-08-30T16:47:00.002-05:00

When I wash sheets, I want to be able to put them on the bed in a hurry and I don't know if I've just missed something or it's truly a pain, but it seems like I rarely find the right way to put the fitted sheet on before having to take it off and switch it in the right direction. With a mattress as big and bulky as ours [but we LOVE it], it gets kind of old.

A couple of years ago I guess it was, I bought our first set of striped sheets [you know, the kind that have the real subtle strips and the sheets are one color]. This has saved me so much time and frustration because you know which direction the sheets are to go on by the direction of the stripes! So if you are one that likes solid colored sheets and run into the same frustrations that I have had putting them on the bed, try striped sheets!

A Year with Our Baby!

2010-08-23T14:03:00.007-05:00

I love, love, love doing Photoshop projects and am always looking for a reason to do one. Recently I made a birthday party invitation for our baby girl's upcoming 1st birthday. I am not going to post the whole invitation for several reasons, but I thought it would be fun to share the pictures I included on the invitation; of her year long transition into toddler-hood[you can click on the picture to obtain a larger view]. There are still days we are in awe we have a little girl.

If by chance you'd like to see the invitation in its entirety, just email me!

Stop Partying!

2010-08-08T08:37:00.003-05:00

It's rare that I hear the Lord speaking clear to me, but several months ago I was going through a hard time and letting it get the best of me. As I was driving one Sunday morning, I felt the Lord said something very clear and extremely relevant and true. I believe it's something that He might have us all learn, even though in this instance it was directed towards me. The phrase is simple and this is exactly how I heard it, thought it was worth sharing:

THE LONGER YOU HAVE A PITY PARTY, THE BIGGER AND MORE OUT OF CONTROL IT WILL GET

3+1=4

2010-08-06T08:30:00.003-05:00

The Lord never ceases to amaze us. We have experienced a lot in our 8 years of marriage. Trials, joys and the Lord has been working mightily in our lives as individuals and as a couple. We are on a lifetime journey with one another and the Lord certainly has been keeping us on our toes, especially lately.

When I got pregnant with Madeline, it was nothing short of a miracle in our eyes. We had been married nearly 7 years and were likely going to be pursuing adoption within the next couple of years. We knew biological children would not be something we would likely have [because of a medical condition I've had since the age of 14]. So when I found out I was pregnant, we both were in disbelief and well....we still are, and our baby is 11 months old!

We found out a month ago we are expecting again. Our children will be exactly 18 months apart, which we are thrilled about. The Lord is mysterious and we are humbled by His goodness. We don't know why He seems to have healed my body when He chooses not to do that for everyone, but we know He has a unique plan for our lives and we want to stand forever grateful at His mercy towards us. We have come out of some very hard times over the last couple of years seeing how God can bring joy, blessing, surprise and refreshment to our lives.

Where's the Fortune?

2010-07-21T20:05:00.002-05:00

I must preface this post by saying I am not into fortune telling, superstition and the like. I am actually opposed to those. I just had a silly thought to blog about, because it's something I've chuckled at for a while. So here it is:

I've noticed over the last several years that fortune cookies no longer have a fortune, rather they have a statement. For instance, back in the day when I was a kid, as soon as you cracked open the light brown, crispy, crunchy, lightly sweetened cookie, a fortune would read something like, "A new friendship is on the horizon," or "New financial opportunities await you." However today it's this cheesy stuff that is not even related to a fortune...."He who has a friend is rich," or something like that.

Anyhow, just a funny and lighthearted observation I thought I'd share. I think the fortune cookie company ran out of fortunes. Or who knows, in our litigious society, maybe they got sued for someone's fortune not coming true so now they have to make statements rather than fortunes!

Double Take

2010-07-08T17:55:00.007-05:00

I often see interesting things while on my walks or when outside. For instance, one day I saw a live Tarantula, another a beautiful butterfly whose wingspan must have been 3 or 4". Stephen thought I should do a project where each day for one month, I take a picture of and blog about something I find on my walk. I may just do that. On our way out yesterday I saw an interesting caterpillar strolling on the hood of our car. It was so fascinating to watch and it was breathtakingly beautiful to me. It looked like a Maltese dog.

So I just had to share a comparison of the caterpillar vs. a Maltese.

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!

2010-06-07T16:21:00.006-05:00

I've enjoyed making cakes since I can remember. I used to watch my mom make cakes for certain events while I was growing up and learned a little bit about decorating from her. Here are some pictures of cakes I've made over the years. I have been practicing more lately in hopes that I will no longer be an amateur, rather someone who is quite good at it and possibly make some extra money at it!

The Tiniest Frog

2010-05-29T20:44:00.005-05:00

Today on my walk I came across what I believe to be the world's tiniest frog. It could have easily been mistaken for an insect, but the unique hopping led me to believe otherwise. Glad I trusted my instinct and checked it out! I've seen these before, but not for some time and I have always wanted to get a picture. Well today I actually had my camera with me on my walk which is rare, so I feel pretty lucky and very pleased that this little guy let me pick him up! Isn't God amazing?

A Different View

2010-05-10T20:00:00.006-05:00

Finding time and energy to blog these days with an 8 month old is harder than it used to be. However I love to write and I have some spare time as my baby is sleeping. Yeah!

Lately I have been distraught by marital statistics and stories relating to marriage that I have heard about via the media/Hollywood [I think the two are closely related]. How unfortunate, but the media seems to be no place to find 100% factual information and I am learning more and more just how very true that is. For instance, two things that have caught my eye in the news or some type of media lately are:
1) Married couples have less sex and less satisfying sex than non married couples -and-
2) When affairs happen, the marriage is portrayed as one that is distant and cold and/or the wife is a labeled a "witch"

I would really like to address these two topics because I feel it's important to expose lies that the media and Hollywood so craftily and subtly tell. I am an open and honest person mind you. If the openness of how I write about these topics embarrass you, I apologize.

In regards to the first lie, my husband and I were talking about this and feel that a few things are going on with this survey that was recently published in the paper. Here are our observations as to why married couples supposedly have less sex/less satisfying sex than non-married people:

1) people are too busy and don't have time to have sex. We are saturated with doing this, doing that, taking kids to this practice or to that event, working....working...working. Furthermore we have created a culture where the kids come first and the spouse second. No wonder there is no time or desire for sex! A friend and I were recently talking about this. Why is it that so many women don't want to have sex? Many women are tired [and rightfully so] and therefore don't have the energy for it, so they consistently [the key word is consistently] say, "Not now...I'm tired." However, how would a woman feel if she were really have a bad day, and needed to cry and talk to her husband about it and he said...."Not now honey. I don't feel like listening to you." Yet that is how many women treat sex with their husband. For women, they need to talk and express emotion. For guys, they need physical intimacy. We each have something we need and something we can give.

2) Satan is awesome at lieing to people and making them believe that sex outside of marriage [whether it's pre-marital or an affair] is more satisfying or exciting than marital sex. Any sex outside of marriage is a sham and one cannot fathom the incredible sex you can have unless it is married sex with a partner whom you love dearly.

3) People don't put their marriages above other things in life [children, work, yourself, etc.]. If you lay aside your own desires and put your spouse first, you can see amazing things happen!!! One of those amazing things is a desire for one another in this most special way, and/or a desire to make this a priority even if you don't feel like it.

The truth is, you can be married for 5, 10 or 50 years and have incredible sex and passion. I have heard of people in their 70's having better sex than in their 40's! One thing that I think is amazing is that if each marriage partner is doing their part as a spouse as a whole [meaning in daily life putting the other person first], and incredible love affair takes place! From that love sprouts wonderful intimacy.

Stephen and I have talked about this a lot over the last 2 years or so and it really amazes us the power of oneness God has instilled in marriages if we can just set aside time and actually reflect on the beauty of the gift of oneness. NO ONE can satisfy you like your spouse, bottom line!!! That is the way God made it. It's unfortunate that some people actually experience knowing that the hard way [through adultery or pre-marital sex], but time and time again people have testified to that truth. Oh yes, Satan may lie to you for a time and make you think you are satisfied with sin, but once sin is revealed, it is seen for how vile and nasty [and unappealing] it is. In many instances the person thinks, "How in the world was I able to do that, that is so gross!" How awesome is it that you can learn, grow and thrive with one partner, in this God-given area of sex and be completely vulnerable, satisfied and having no shame? Spending a lifetime with one person and knowing everything that makes them excited is so beautiful. You will know your spouse like no one else EVER can [again, this is a blessing God has bestowed on marriage] and some things take a while to figure out which is also fun. How cool is that?

One quote I just love and is very true: "Satan does everything to get you into bed before you are married and out of bed once you are married." He's no dummy. He knows sex outside of marriage destroys the mind and body as the Bible tells us [yes, people have convinced themselves it doesn't]. He also knows that in a large sense [aside from Jesus Christ], sex is the glue that holds marriage together. If you take the glue away, what keeps it bound together? Not keeping that glue is like playing with fire.

The second lie concerning affairs:
An affair is a matter of the heart. Whether someone is a sex addict, someone loses a relationship with the Lord or someone has an affair due to a "hole" in their heart, the spouse of the adulterer should never be blamed. Now granted, it takes two to make a marriage work and sometimes each person is not doing their part, which can create an environment where an affair is more likely to happen, but the spouse should not be blamed because their is ALWAYS a choice of not sinning.

Hollywood and the media have this habit of portraying extremes and making those extremes the norms. A man doesn't have to be a sex addict to have an affair. A wife doesn't have to be a witch for her husband to stray. There are many unfortunate reasons why affairs happen, but I am so saddened by the victim looking like the bad guy. Sometimes I find people who are actually rooting for the affair to happen because of the way the wife [or sometimes husband] is portrayed in movies. What's ironic is that the vast consequences of adultery are never seen on TV or movies. The gallons of tears cried by the betrayed aren't seen. The truth that no one can truly compare to the spouse is not seen. The truth that reconciliation can happen and a beautiful marriage and love story can unfold, due to God's gift of forgiveness and healing is not told. Why? Isn't that sad? That should make our hearts ache.

As I have written before, there are ALWAYS way more consequences to an affair than might be imagined. This is a time when you can say always or never. A marriage can be not thriving, yet the couple still be intimate, sleeping in the same bed and living a life like a normal married couple. Yet the media likes you to think it's not like that. They want to portray the affair as a justified one: the husband is sleeping on the couch every night, the couple is distant, unloving and close to divorce. Yes, affairs do come out of situations like this, but many come out of the other as well. It saddens me that movies are made to glorify affairs and make them seem right, just, and lovely when the Bible says the contrary; and the contrary in the real world is realized through the many consequences and broken hearts.

My heart goes out to people who are so far from the Lord that they've had an affair [whether they are Christian's who have backslidden or they aren't saved] and furthermore my heart goes out to the betrayed. There is no pain like the pain of betrayal. Yet we have a Lord and Savior who can restore and heal. That is the hope we have and we will always have hope if we have Jesus. I have heard of divorced couples who have remarried and have stayed married!

Here are some questions that might be helpful for a married person. These are things I have to ask myself as well. Are you proud of the type of spouse you are? Are you laying aside your rights and putting your spouse first? Are you making time for one another? Are you having enough intimacy...physically and emotionally? Do you treat your spouse like a child? Do you treat them like you did when you were dating or have YOU changed in the way you treat them [for a minute nevermind how they treat you]?

Marriage is hard work. Stephen and I have worked darn hard at our marriage. Sometime it feels like we have cried blood it's been so hard and there have been some deep valleys for us. But oh my gosh, how we are so thankful we have had support from family and friends when need be and have had a deep faith in the Lord that He is a God for us and our marriage...always. We are so thankful we haven't take the road of divorce, even when the world would have encouraged us to do so, because we have also experienced passion, deep oneness and overflowing love by getting through the hard times together. I wish our world would encourage one another through the hard times, instead of giving excuses why it's okay to bail or stay the victim. I wish the media would tell the whole truth and not just portions that will get the most reads. I wish we would be encouraged as married couples to have more sex, stay less busy and remember that we chose our spouse, so let's try our hardest at one of the biggest commitments we've made!

If you think about it, it boils down to this: if every single person on this earth would give up selfishness, we wouldn't see affairs, murder, divorce or anything else that selfishness produces. What an interesting thought.

All About Perspective

2010-04-06T18:53:00.005-05:00

Today marks the two year "anniversary" of the start of major trials in my life. I won't go into details, but thankfully what Satan intended for harm, the Lord has used to grow, beautify and leave me in aw at His grace, blessing and goodness. At times I am still stunned at what I have walked through, but even more so amazed at what the Lord has created in me, my spouse, my marriage and my life. It saddens me that people think God is incapable of changing lives, and moreover turning trials into joy.

I turned 34 a few weeks ago. So far, even with the trials of years past, I have enjoyed each age I have entered; that is until this one! It seemed the day I turned 34 my body decided it would start to rapidly go downhill. I have had trouble breathing since our anniversary, which is the day before my birthday. My asthma has really been bothering me for almost a month now and I have sadly had just a few days of normal breathing. I have seen 4 doctors, taken tests, had bloodwork drawn, upped medication, added medication....all to no avail. It's been hard to live a "normal" life in some capacities and I am finding myself taking advantage of my few good hours each day to take care of things.

The doctors don't know why this is happening, but yesterday my doctor put me on a total of 4 medications for about a month, hoping this is allergy related even though I have not had symptoms like this before. Granted in my lifetime I have made many ER visits, been in ICU to the point of thinking I was going to die, all due to allergy induced asthma....but NOTHING like this. The meds that normally knock out asthma troubles so far have not worked.

As Madeline was crying today and I was struggling to care for her due to my symptoms, I was reminded that God will not give me more than I can handle. Granted, that is not a verse/promise in the Bible, but I do believe He knows what I can handle, because He loves me and cares for me. So I have to have faith that I am in His hands. The song "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord" has also crept into my mind time and time again. The Lord is really refining me and I believe He is wanting to cultivate a positive and thankful attitude in me through this most recent trial. Normally I would be very sad and perhaps even angry at God for the constant testing I seem to be going through. However something in me is changing and striving to give Him praise in the midst of this difficult breathing trial. This doesn't mean I don't get discouraged or wish I didn't have the problems, but what it does mean is that I am not becoming bitter towards Him.

I do have so very much to be thankful for. I have a spectacular husband, an alive, vibrant, passionate and healthy marriage that has been growing so much, esp over the last couple of years and I have a beautiful miracle daughter whose smile melts my heart. I also have family and friends that care for me deeply. Yes, life would be better if I could breath and maintain a sense of normality, but this is what I have been given today so I can't help but remind myself that "life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."

You Can Do This with That?

2010-03-07T08:24:00.003-06:00

The other day a friend and I were talking about recycling and just how many things can be recycled [not just obvious things that the city collects]. We are both concerned with the waste in America and moreover the vast amount of landfill space that is used by our waste.

I have been doing research on how landfills work. My whole life I have had a deep passion for taking care of God's creation. However, for some time now I have been convicted about being wasteful, living more simplistically and continuing my efforts in recycling. What I found was pretty eye opening. I had no idea that pretty much nothing biodegrades in landfills. Even if something you purchase says biodegradable, [such as "biodegradable" diapers or another product that "biodegrades"]...it really doesn't biodegrade in a landfill because 1) landfills are compacted very tight and 2) no oxygen gets into the landfill, therefore nothing CAN biodegrade. It's quite interesting. Of course there is more science to creating a landfill than I ever imagined..but that's the gist of it.

My friend and I were talking about how many things can be recycled, but that people just throw away because they are seen as a lost cause. For instance, she mentioned that old sweaters can be unravled and the yarn used to make something new. Old t-shirts and clothing can be made into other things like stuffed animals, purses, bags, etc. For some reason the I had never thought about the yarn thing. Look out thrift stores!

So I am on a new adventure. I am going to try to re-use things I had never thought of before, in different ways. I have already thought of borrowing toys [which I am currently doing] instead of buying new. That's one idea. My friend is going to attempt to teach me how to sew, and I am going to try to buy Maddie used toys [or encourage family members to do so for her since we really don't buy much anyways] to really expand the life of older toys since she doesn't have to have something new. Now of course this doesn't mean we won't ever buy new or have new things...it just means I have now been enlightened and am looking forward to this new adventure!

Afterglow

2010-02-27T19:27:00.004-06:00

If you know me or have read any of my posts, you know I love organics and natural things. Years ago a friend and I started looking into organic makeups,because after doing research we found that regular makeups have ingredients in them that either no one really knows the effects of, could be potentially harmful, and/or they have an estrogenic effect.

Shortly after starting the search, I found a wonderful company that has a great organic makeup product line. It happens to be mineral makeup and I absolutely love it! It may appear to be pricey, however remember that 1) it's organic 2) it lasts quite a while and 3) it's comparable in price to other mineral makeups that AREN'T organic.

Here's the website for Afterglow Cosmetics:
www.afterglowcosmetics.com

YES!!!

2010-02-10T13:56:00.001-06:00

I weighed myself yesterday and I lost 5 pounds since my last weigh in! So that is a total of 6 lost now. What a difference since my last post, "The Evil Scale."

One Resolution Down...

2010-02-08T12:50:00.002-06:00

As stated in a previous posted under the category Life's Lessons, titled "A Strange Sense of Freedom," one of my New Year's resolutions was to drastically diminish my time on Facebook. Done. I closed my account late last week. I cannot begin to express the freedom that has transpired from doing such a simple thing. However, it's pretty funny [or not so funny], but all last week as I was preparing to close my account on Facebook I had all sorts of new tempting friends requests, people trying to convince me how good Facebook is for communicating and so on. It was so apparent that the Enemy was trying to coerce me into staying on, because he knows if I do, the battle within will continue to emerge more intensely over time. Stephen and I "chuckled" at this craftiness, yet shook our heads at how clever Satan is. Oh well...it's done and I feel great. I am not saying I won't ever join Facebook again, I am just saying that at this point in my life, it's done more harm then good. It's time to focus on other areas and if I feel I can get back on without being so easily angered and frustrated at what I am seeing, reading or experiencing, I will!

Nutrition Action

2010-02-03T07:22:00.006-06:00

My friend Heather gave me a gift of a subscription to Nutrition Action magazine several years ago. Actually, it's called a health letter, not a magazine. If you aren't a reader by nature, it's quite doable to read this monthly publication [10 issues a year], as it's very short compared to standard magazines.

Heather and I have known each other since first grade. We have maintained our friendship even though we live thousands of miles apart. She has been an inspiration to me on many levels. One way was her determination and discipline to lose weight. Several years ago she lost 110 pounds the good 'ol fashioned way...by changing her diet and exercising. There is nothing better than having someone to look up to whose been in the same place you are in, for motivation and the reassurance that you CAN do something because you've seen it being done. Now she is an avid runner and amazes me at her "newly" found athleticism.

So back to the magazine. I highly recommend Nutrition Action. It's inexpensive for a years subscription and well worth the vast amount of knowledge obtained about foods, health concerns and how to avoid them, and what is really in the processed and fast foods people eat. It's an amazing publication. I think the more educated people become about the health risks associated with what Americans eat [processed and fast foods], the more likely we will see we are killing ourselves and our families. Hopefully this knowledge will enable us to make a more conscious effort to fuel our bodies with good rather than bad. Healthy food can be tasty and I can testify that after I eat a healthy meal I mentally feel better knowing I did the right thing.

Again, if you are looking to live a healthier lifestyle, find the truths about food labeling, what to eat and what not to eat for health benefits, I highly recommend it. At least just give it a try because after all, knowledge is power. I have enjoyed this magazine so much I have given two gift subscriptions myself!

The Evil Scale

2010-02-01T10:35:00.003-06:00

Today has been a very depressing day and it's only 10:30am. That is no way to start the day, nor the week!

I am in a Biggest Loser type competition with some friends. There are 8 of us in it altogether. The challenge is to each put in $10 and lose as much body percentage weight as possible by March 8th. Whoever does that wins the pot of money. I felt that if I invited friends to participate with me, it might give me motivation to work extra hard at losing the remaining 40 pounds I need to lose, which will allow me to reach my goal weight.

I walk about 6 miles a day. Some days I cannot do this, depending on the weather and over Christmas I was sick and unable to do it. However, I have been consistently doing the 6 for some time now. Over the last 3 weeks I have lost 2 pounds. As I courageously stepped on the scale this morning, the scale mocked me with seemingly delight since it quickly sprung to the number and quickly magnified the fact that I gained a pound. So that means all I have lost 1 pound in 3 weeks!

For weeks, due to my vigorous exercise, my joints have been aching during the day and particularly at night in bed. It has been so uncomfortable! I am eating very few desserts [I have indulged a couple of times] and I eat very healthy as well as watch my portions. What the heck? So as I sat here this morning crying, I was reminded of a contestant on The Biggest Loser, Julie, who suffered from PCOS as I do. She had SUCH a hard time losing weight each week. Her weight was far behind the other contestants many times at the weigh in. However, when she came back at the finale, she had lost so much weight it was unbelievable.

So today I will probably sit here and sulk, maybe cry some and feel sorry for myself. I have been through so much over the last couple of years and have worked my butt off to lose the 60+ I did, but I just wish I could catch a break. I try to remind myself that with PCOS the bitter truth is that I do have to work harder, it is harder to take off weight. It is what it is. Some days that ugly truth is harder to swallow than others. Ugh, the agony. I really do wish the Lord would give me some encouragement and allow me victory!

A Hippie at Heart

2010-01-25T12:44:00.007-06:00

Minus the drugs, extreme liberalism and free love, I am a hippie at heart. I love to hang my clothes on the clothesline, use cloth and earth friendly diapers, consume organics, eat whole foods, conserve/recycle and take care of the beautiful earth the Lord has entrusted us with. I suppose I can come up with many more characteristics as to why I am a natural born flower child, but I will spare any readers out there.

I came across a couple of articles that discuss what foods are not necessary to buy as organic and foods to be careful of. I wanted to share them with whoever may be interested. I am really into trying to take care of my body. This includes exercising as well as watching what I consume. I am not an extremist, however I really do want to take care of my "temple." For such a long, long time I didn't take care of myself and I cringe at what I must have done to my poor body.

I am continually amazed at the amount of preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, BPA, artificial sweeteners and other harmful things in our food supply, that the FDA claims is okay. For a long time, there has been a question looming in the back of my head as to the real safety of these products and chemicals. After all, the FDA is consistently taking things off the market AFTER they were approved. I am not saying they are wrong on everything, but I do have an eyebrow raised. With Madeline, I am planning on giving her whole foods. The plan now is to make my own baby food, and provide her with as many organics as possible. Fast food will not be an option [maybe on rare occasion], nor will many processed foods. I have always heard that a child will eat what you give them. So if you get them used to processed and sugary foods early, it is harder to get them to eat right later. Makes sense. It's really hard to do this in a world that is so fast paced, where we have either been forced into these conveniences or told that we need them. But what it is doing to our bodies? Why the high rates of infertility and disease?

Anyhow, here are the links I found interesting.

This is foods that you DON'T need to buy organic. Very helpful since organics can cost more. I know with my family, being on a limited income, we have to pick and choose:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02984/12-Foods-You-Dont-Have-to-Buy-Organic.html

7 foods to be careful of:
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/the-7-foods-experts-wont-eat-547963/

A Strange Sense of Freedom

2010-01-11T08:22:00.006-06:00

I made many goals for the 2010 year. Too many to list, however one of my main goals was to drastically reduce my time on Facebook. I have slowly been inching towards this goal over the last month or so, but I needed to take more drastic measures and actually write this down as a goal, rather than to just tell myself I will do it. For some reason, having it in writing makes me take it more seriously.

For me, Facebook has been bittersweet. It's sweet because of the old connections that have been made and receiving updates and pictures of friends near and far. Lately though, it's become all too bitter. I have found that I have started to compare myself to others in many, many ways which has done a lot of damage to my heart and soul. Moreover, I am frustrated and saddened by the continual cussing, crude jokes and immodest pictures.

The fact is, joking about someone catching their spouse in bed with someone else, isn't funny. Joking about sleeping around, someones race or physical features isn't funny. People are really hurt by these things! Most of us have no idea if the person sitting next to us has faced adultery and the pain it's caused, faced racism, gotten a disease from sleeping around or has a physical feature they are very self conscious about. Would our Lord get a good laugh from joking about sin or poking fun at a physical feature or skin color of which no one has control over?

My heart has become so saddened because alot of this has come from people who call themselves believers in Christ, and would even go as far as to say they are strong believers. There have been times my heart has just sunk at what I am observing. Not that I am perfect mind you, I am far from it and boy am I aware of it. However, I just don't think people realize that they have placed themselves before hundreds of people and that they ARE being watched. Moreover, when joking about certain things, it seems there is no connection that it may offend someone or hurt someone deeply.

To the believer: the Bible gives us many warnings about coarse joking, being conformed to this world, being aware of what causes others to stumble [I am using that in reference to dressing immodestly] and not having even a hint of sexual immorality or the appearance of evil. It saddens me to the core that these verses seem to mean little to many people who call themselves believers. So it is with sadness, yet ironically much freedom as well, that my time has to be limited, due to the inner strife it is causing me. So for now, as long as I stay on FB, I might share some pictures of our Maddie and maybe share a status update here and there, but my goal for 2010 is to limit my time on "potential" stumbling blocks for me. I'll just have to go back to how we communicated in the good 'ol days....phone and email! Strange how 11 days into the new year I have been happier not being on Facebook than I was when I was checking it more regularly!

The Art of a Thank You

2009-10-29T15:11:00.002-05:00

I don't know what's up with my generation, but it really saddens me that thank you notes almost cease to exist. I was brought up that when someone did something for me, I was to show my appreciation by writing a note. I would not have been allowed to get away with not writing one [even if I said thank you verbally]. I am so thankful my mom made me do this, because I know what it's like to receive them and it always warms my heart that someone took time to say thanks to me. I so hope that doesn't come off sounding proud, because that is soooo not my intention.

When someone does something for you, please remember they were not obligated too. People don't have to give you birthday, shower, wedding or "just because" gifts. If they do, try to remember you have no idea the sacrifice or time it took to make that gift happen. Even if you think they have all of the time or money in the world, they still didn't have to do it for YOU. A little thank you note can go a long way. On the flip side, if you are the one giving the gift, don't do it with the thought that you will be thanked or should be thanked, which is sometimes hard to do; this is a wrong motive. There is a lesson to be learned by both sides it seems. Let's not lose the art of manners that our parents were taught and should be passed down to future generations!

Helpful Tip #5: Gift Bags

2009-06-21T08:38:00.004-05:00

It's absolutely insane what a gift bag costs...even at stores like Wal-Mart and Target. If you go to Hallmark, forget it! You can easily add $3 plus dollars to the purchase of your gift, usually more; all for the sake of someone getting to see it for merely minutes, open it, and then forget about it. I am a big believer in re-using resources when possible, so I try to re-use gift bags I've been given, if they are in good condition. This way, not only do I get to enjoy the aesthetics of the bag for a short time, but hopefully someone else will as well.

My tip for gift bags: King Dollar. If you have one of these blessed little stores near you, I highly suggest you scope out their gift bag section. I have found that they, by far, surpass the gift bags at any other place I have shopped [at least the King Dollar where I live]. They have a great selection of sizes, bags for various occasions and looks, all for $1 a bag. I have found the absolute cutest bags there and am so happy to have stumbled on this little treasure.

Helpful Tip #3: Lamps

2009-06-19T12:11:00.003-05:00

I am now convinced that one of the best home products available is the touch lamp. I never would have thought that such a simple product would be so useful and loved. I bought touch lamps for each nightstand in our master bedroom and my husband has been in love with them ever since, as have I. A year later he still tells me what a good idea it was to get them and how glad he is that I purchased them for our bedsides.

So if you need a useful item that isn't a typical gadget that will only waste space, we both highly recommend touch lamps. There is nothing like laying in bed, not having to strain to reach over and turn off the bedside light. Okay, call us a little lazy; however, it helps not to move around too much if you are dozing off and need to turn off the light! Just tap anywhere on the lamp and it's off! We purchased lamps that are entirely made of metal, so you can touch the shade or base and it turns on and off. In addition it has 3 various light settings, which is an added bonus.

That's my tip for today!

Helpful Tips #2: Bathroom and Kitchen

2009-04-10T17:49:00.012-05:00

This post is for my friend Roxanne, because she said she wanted more helpful tips. :o) Hope it suffices. I have found over the years that bathrooms can be really hard to organize! There is all of this small stuff [fingernail clippers, makeup, toothbrushes, etc.] that needs a home. However finding just the right place, with ease of accessibility can be difficult to figure out. So here is what I have done:

1) We have 3 drawers in our bathroom. In each drawer I placed those inexpensive, square and rectangular, plastic holders that come in a 3 or 4 pack at Wal-Mart [they look like the individual silverware holders]. What helps me is to keep like items in the same drawer. For now, I have them divided as such:

DRAWER 1:
-Lipsticks/liners
-Makeup brushes
-Grooming scissors
-Nail accessories and anything sharp
-Q-tips
*I used to have some containers for makeup items as well and divided that among eyeshadows, blushes, etc.

DRAWER 2:
-Dentil utensils
-My toothbrush/paste
-Stephen's toothbrush/paste [we use different kinds of toothpaste]
-Flosses
*I don't personally like having toothbrushes out on the counter. I used to do it and then realized how many germs they must pick up. Nasty!

DRAWER 3:
-Elastic hair bands [I try to have them divided by small and large]
-Bobby pins

This has really helped the aesthetic look of our drawers as well as keeping things easily accessible while keeping the appropriate items in the same area. I have used the same organization technique in the kitchen with my small kitchen gadgets. I keep all of my openers in one plastic container [bottle, wine, can openers], thermometers in another, types of peelers in one, vegetable brushes in another and so forth. These little inexpensive devices have been a wonderful way to keep my items organized as well as keeping me sane!

Helpful Tip #1: Laundry and Organization

2009-04-04T14:50:00.003-05:00

I decided it might be nice to share some tips that have been helpful in making my every day life a little easier [whatever that means]. Hopefully if you try them they'll work for you as they have for me. As I think of or come across things that help me I will post them under "Helpful Tips." Here are the first two things I have done that have really made a difference around the house:

1) We live in a tiny place and don't have much room to fold laundry. Either my coffee table is too full or what have you. I often don't have a place to fold laundry, other than my lap and that isn't a hard enough surface obviously, to get things folded as nicely as I'd like. I started using my Lap Desk to fold laundry and it's the perfect solution! Portable, the right size and isn't ever dirty [or if it is it's easy to clean!].

2) I am an organizer by nature. Several years ago I started using Lazy Susan's inside my cabinets. In the kitchen I use them under my sink for household cleaners, etc. In the bathroom I use them for perfumes, colognes and anything small that I need to find quick but is hard to find a space for.

The Before and [Almost] After

2009-01-10T10:20:00.013-06:00

Over the coarse of the last 9 months I have been eating better, watching my portions, cutting out desserts for the most part and exercising regularly [right now I am doing on average 6.6 miles of walking per day]. This has been an exciting journey for me, watching my body change, as well as a hard one at certain times: learning the "art" of self-control and continued discipline.

I had never struggled with my weight until the age of 22. Walking the streets as an obese person is not fun. It's damaging to one's self-image, performance, health, relationships and affects other areas of life. The next time you see an obese person I ask that you not judge them, because you may never know the pain, health issues or hormonal problems they may suffer from or how they got there. I have a particular medical condition which makes it easy to gain and harder to lose. I finally decided to leave my pitty party and had to face the fact that living with this condition just means I have to work harder than the average person to lose and keep weight off. Just remember...we all have our struggles. If you are fortunate to not struggle with weight issues, that doesn't make you a better person than one who does. It's just a different challenge.

Even though I have about 25-30 more pounds to lose before I hit my goal weight, I decided to go ahead and post my before and [almost] after pictures before the baby starts to add some poundage [although I am hoping that God will enable me to have a healthy and fit pregnancy].

It's a Slow Fade

2009-01-08T12:41:00.005-06:00

This is a beautifully worded song I heard on a radio station recently, by CASTING CROWNS. It was apparently in the movie FIREPROOF. It reminded me we need not ever be too comfortable in life, or too proud to think we are above a certain sin. It's also a reminder that WE ALL need to be cautious and aware of what we allow in our lives and how our choices not only affect us, but others as well. Even if we somehow convince ourselves that consequences will be minor, non-existent, we'll still turn out okay, or that we won't be found out...be cautioned, we are warned that " be sure your sins will find you out." Moreover, there are usually way more consequences than might ever be imagined. There are countless stories from people all over the world that are living proof how sin was uninentionally brought to light and the heart-wrenching, unimaginable consequences they and others experienced because of it [afterall, how many times have you and I thought to ourselves or heard someone say "IF ONLY I could go back and erase that. IF ONLY I hadn't made that choice."]. May we all learn from these wonderfully expressed lyrics:

It’s a Slow Fade

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Sensual Sin

2008-11-13T04:27:00.009-06:00

It's 4:30am and I can't sleep. Oh how I hate these wrestless [yet thankfully infrequent] nights. Nevermind that today is one of the busiest days I have all week! Who really needs sleep to properly mentally function?

I have been thinking about sin alot lately. Yes, my first two posts probably seem dismal, but this is what I have on my mind and fortunately for you, if you are reading this, you get to read firsthand, the affects of the nocturnal hamster on it's annoying, squeaky wheel.

I don't think people really understand how vile sin is; or we wouldn't do it. Sin is a lier, a deceiver, a master and a thief. It can take everything we have from us in an instant, if we fall prey to it. If we all knew the full consequences of sin before succumbing to its temptation, would we commit the act? Probably not. We have ABSOLUTELY no idea the ripple effect sin has. It doesn't just affect one person, even if that seems like the case. I have seen all too often sins committed "in secret" that eventually have an unimaginable snowball effect.

Satan has just the right way to talk to us, convince us, to whisper these sweet, little nothings [lies] in our ears, to get us to sin. Afterall, if he came up to us in the typical thought of way; the red cape, horns and pitchfork...we'd run! He has to be much clever than that. So he will come up with the most enticing, creative ways of presenting a lie to us [disguised as truth], to get us to fall. If he can get us to sin, that gets us that much farther from God. If we are far from God, then we can't have a positive effect in people's lives and in this world. And then Christians suffer the great label of hipocracy. Naturally non-believers are hypocrits too, but as followers of Christ we are called to a higher standard; not perfection mind you. That is unatainable while we live in this imperfect world. But with Christ we have hope that we don't HAVE to constantly succumb to temptation. The fact is, we are all human and therefore we all make mistakes. But we should be learning from those mistakes and try not to repeat them.

There are two ingredients to sin, that can be a deadly combination: 1) falling away from God and 2) not fully confessing sin. If we don't have a close relationship with the Lord we are more likely to fall victim to sin, because we don't readily recognize "the lie." Once we fall, sin begins to infest us and enslave us...until we run from it and vomit out the truth...the whole truth. Partial truth will only keep us enslaved. The more we partake in sin, the easier it becomes to continue it and eventually getting to the point where we don't hear our conscience.

However, I want to leave on a good note. The good news is: there is nothing more freeing than confession. Once we confess in full, get as far away from our sin as we can, we can be restored! We can have victory in not succumbing to temptation and we have the opportunity to renew a relationship with God. What hope we have!!!

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For-give-ness | choosing not to punish someone for a wrong committed against you

2008-11-12T11:12:00.007-06:00

This has been my lesson for 2008: forgiveness. I have have had someone grossly offend me and it has been heartwrenching for me. One thing I have learned this year, since this offense, is that forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling. That is really hard to comprehend and even accept. Why? Because we live in a culture that is obsessed with feelings. Our society tells us to act on how we feel. But truthfully, feelings and emotions are so unreliable. Hormones, environmental factors, foods, spiritual influences, wrong thinking, and various other factors all have an effect on our emotions. So they can't be relied on.

I have learned that it is very true: forgiveness is a choice, and it's hard. After all, the real meaning of forgiveness is: choosing not to punish someone for a wrong committed against you. Wow. That is powerful. Just reflect on the portion "choosing not to punish." That is a hard choice to make isn't it? We all want to see people suffer for hurting us, don't we? We have all had people offend us, betray us, treat us with disrespect and sometimes do horrible, horrible things to us. But... are we ever without fault? How many times have we done something repulsive and offensive? Yes, sometimes we don't commit acts that are as hideous as what others commit, but the reality is, is that we ourselves are forgiven, if we seek it...from God. He paid the ultimate price so that our nastiness could be forgiven. He is willing to forgive ANYTHING!

As times goes on I consciously have to tell myself "I forgive 'that person'." I have realized that the more I do this, the more I FEEL like I have forgiven. So the feeling will come, it just takes time. Depending on the offense, it may take more time than others. My point is, forgiveness starts as a choice and a heart issue-then the feeling will follow if we CHOOSE to walk in forgiveness. It's not easy, that is for sure. But God will walk along side us, hand in hand, enabling us to do just that. Because what he commands [forgiveness] is not impossible or He wouldn't have told us to forgive 70 x's 7.

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