That's right. This week we have two Books of the Week. I've been doing a LOT of reading lately and have found a lot of books to adore. And since I couldn't come up with anything I don't love this week, I thought I'd share two books! If there's a parenting book out there, I've probably read it. I've read books on getting kids to sleep. I've read books on getting kids to eat healthy foods. And I've read book after book after book on disciplining children. It's not that my kids are totally out of control - in general they're really very sweet. But we had a whole bunch of kids really close together and sometimes discipline just gets lost in trying to keep our sanity. So I'm always looking for a quicker, easier solution. Parenting With Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay isn't necessarily faster and easier, but it is gentler. Kids need to know how much Mommy and Daddy love them. And when we're yelling at them or punishing them (sometimes simply our of our own exhaustion and frustration), it's hard for them to understand our love. This book teaches us how to use natural consequences and empathy to allow our kids to develop their own natural discipline and responsibility. I won't lie - it's a hard concept to 'get.' I'm going to have to read the book through a couple more times and really work on digesting the ideas before my kids will see much of a change. And some of the ideas seem better suited to the 5+ age group (mine are all under 4). But this book gives me hope. Maybe there's a way to teach my kids to make good decisions and let them know how much we love them. I'll keep you posted on our progress (or lack thereof) as I get more familiar with this concept. In the meantime, though I do recommend checking this book out. It is far and above the most gentle and most logical of all the parenting books I've read, and it even offers examples and solutions for lots of common parenting problems. They even have a facebook page for answering questions and giving updates. Have you tried out the Love and Logic method? How did it work out for you? Have you found another method that worked better? Have you read and of the other
I've been doing lots of crafts with the kids lately to pass the time and keep them from getting cabin fever. Since I'm not terribly creative on my own, I've been relying heavily on the craft books we've found at the library. Many of the books feature products that are either expensive in terms of materials, or much much too complicated for my toddler and preschooler. I just discovered, however, Christmas Decorations Kids Can Make but Kathy Ross. Not only are all of these projects super simple and inexpensive to make (most use items regularly found in your home), but the end results are adorable! I bookmarked just about every single page! I am so looking forward to making these crafts with my kids to use around the house and to give away as gifts. I know they're going to have a blast and won't get frustrated by complicated instructions. And I love that I won't go broke on craft supplies.
I have finally added a sponsor slot to my blog! I'm very excited because I know so many great blogs and shops that I would LOVE to share with all my readers. And I finally learned how to make buttons. To kick off my new section (see below right) I'm giving away 6 sponsorship slots for the month of October. If you would like to advertise your blog or shop on our site, shoot me an email on my contact form and we'll get you set up! First come first served, so sign up now!
When I was in high school, a friend of mine confessed that she shaved with a man's razor. I remember thinking it was a little weird, wondering how it was really different from the little pink Bic's I was using. I had lots of little band-aids for all the nicks I got, and my shave only lasted 24 hours max, but I thought that was normal.
Then I joined Vocalpoints and they sent me a free Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor. I was out of my little pink Bics so I gave it a try (nope, didn't pass it on to hubby). I am hooked! I'll confess, I haven't tried all those fancy lady shavers out there - but I don't really want to. This thing works like a dream. Each cartridge has 4 sharp blades in it and an aloe strip that doesn't crumble even after repeated uses. I have never had a closer, smoother, longer lasting shave in my life. Not only does my shave now last almost 2 days, but I haven't cut myself once with this razor. And the blades last almost 3 times as long as my little pink lady razors (a good thing, since the razor itself runs about $9 and the refills are $15 for a 4-pack).
Yes, it's a little pricey, but in my opinion, as someone who hates to shave, this razor is totally worth it! And I like that with the refill packs I'm throwing out less plastic and less packaging. I may never return to my cheap little razors again! I highly recommend the ProGlide, but I'm also curious - are there any girly razors that you just love? What's so great about them and how much do they cost? Let us know!
Every now and then, we like to treat our kids with a special 'junk food' meal. However, we also like to make those meals as healthy as possible. Since our kids are finally starting to appreciate chicken nuggets, we made this healthier homemade version for their dinner. It was a huge hit! Even better if served with homemade sweet potato fries.
Homemade Chicken Nuggets
3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" cubes
1 generous cup all-purpose or rice flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups cornmeal*
2 tsp Italian seasoning
In 3 separate bowls, pour flour, eggs, and cornmeal + Italian seasoning. Coat chicken pieces in flour, dredge in egg, and roll in cornmeal. Place chicken pieces on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden. Serve with dipping sauces.
*For a crunchier nugget, you may substitute seasoned bread crumbs for the cornmeal and Italian seasoning.
Don't forget to check out our facebook page! I post there regularly with giveaways, deals, discussions questions and other fun content that doesn't make it to the blog. Also, when we reach 50 facebook fans (we're getting so close!) we'll be having a week long giveaway of our own! 5 different beautiful items for you to win. So remember to sign up and spread the word!
A few days ago I wrote about 'materialism' as Stuff I Don't Love. Well - it's still bugging me. This morning my church's Thursday Bible study had its fall kickoff. As a fun special program they put on a fashion show featuring items from local boutiques. There were adorable pieces for both mommies and kiddos - and by the end of the show I had grown very dissatisfied with my own ancient, miss-matched wardrobe. I had convinced myself that I needed to treat myself to a 'post-baby wardrobe overhaul' shopping spree for my upcoming birthday. Starting, of course, with those boutiques. Then we got to the actual Bible study part of the program - and reality kicked in. I remembered who I was, and Whose I was. It doesn't matter what I wear, it matters who I am. Who cares if most of the clothes in my closet are hand-me-downs. Who cares if I can't wear half of them because I'm still trying to lose weight. What matters is that I put my money elsewhere. That being said, I do have a shopping trip with hubby coming up so that we can each get a couple pairs of pants - but we're hitting the clearance racks (I already tried craigslist) so it shouldn't be too pricey. I even scored over 40 pieces of clothing for my daughter for $25 at a garage sale today. Some of the items were almost new - and I shouldn't have to shop for her again until she's 5! I'm all for being thrifty when I can so I can spend my precious dollars on more worthy causes.
That being said, there's just something about fall that makes me want to shop shop shop. Maybe it's all the back-to-school sales. Maybe it's the impending holidays (and LOTS of birthdays). Maybe it's those tantalizing holiday decorations that are sneaking onto store shelves earlier and earlier every year. But whatever it is, it seems like I've got to hide my wallet to keep the money from flying out of it. I feel like I'm pretty thrifty. I coupon clip. I meal plan. I make detailed lists of what gifts I need to buy for which people and try to make (or buy for dirt cheap) as many of the items as I can. I hang out on DIY blogs and websites. And I try to be charitable when I can (need an item for a charity auction? hit me up. raising funds for adoption? I'll get my wallet. desperate for a last minute sitter? can I bring my kids?) But whether or not I actually toss the extra items in my cart, just the fact that my greed gland has been going has me disturbed.
So my new goal is to work on contentment. And here are the steps I plan to take:
1) Spend more time in the Lord. If I'm satisfied in Him, the things of this world will lose their luster.
2) Make do with what I have. If I can clear out, clean up, and spruce up the space I'm in and the things I have, I won't feel quite so envious of all the things I don't have.
3) Give things away. My house is filled with junk I don't need. It's hard to notice the things I do have that I love, when I'm so distracted by the forgotten toys, the ill-fitting clothes, and all those piles we have lying around.
4) Make a list of my wants, and weigh them. Instead of buying something I want, I'm going to write it down. I'll set aside my list for a while, and revisit later. Anything I no longer feel a burning desire for, I'll cross off right away. Anything that remains will fall into one of two categories: Make it myself and Buy it for cheap. And I can take it from there.
5) Make a list of other people's needs. There are so many needs that I see every day that hang on my heart. I need to get them organized and on paper so that when I do have time, or funds, or items available I know how most efficiently to put them to use. 'Good intentions' don't mean much when I'm too disorganized to act on them.
So that's my plan for avoiding the Gimmes this year. Who's with me? Anyone else going through this struggle? What's your plan of action? I'd love to hear from you!
We've got a fresh batch of library books this week and our current favorites are the Fancy Nancy books by Jane O'Connor. Our pick for number one is Fancy Nancy Spectacular Spectacles. Not only does this book teach kids 'fancy' words - like spectacular - but it also makes wearing glasses seem like a privilege, not a chore. As someone who hated wearing glasses for most of her life, I certainly appreciated this fresh take on glasses as fashion accessories. It's likely that our preschooler will need glasses before long, so he definitely empathized with the characters in this book. And to top it all off, the pictures are bright and entertaining, which was engaging to my younger children as well. So get a little fancy and add Nancy to your reading list this week!
I used to think I was an organized person. Before kids, I generally had it all together. I have a HUGE mom calendar on which I write every appointment for every member of my family. In theory, I know what I'm supposed to do to keep a tidy, well run home. In theory, I know what I need to do to make our crazy back-to-school mornings run smoothly. Theory is one thing - practice is another. I'm absolutely terrible at enforcing routines. I'm always getting off schedule and having to rush out the door. On my son's second day of preschool I totally forgot to bring his school bag and had to scrape together a change of clothes from things I found in the trunk (I'm so glad he wasn't wearing his swimsuit when I picked him up). I make to-do lists, then lose them. I have SO many things swimming around in my head all at once that I'm surprised I remember to wear shoes every day (yes - I have been known to get in the car and then realize I'm unshod).
Here is what my morning should look like:
6:00 - wake up, bible study
6:15 - work out
6:45 - shower
7:00 - email and computer 'stuff'
7:30 - kids up and dressed
7:45 - breakfast
8:00 - dishes and play
8:30 - out the door to preschool
Here is what my mornings actually look like:
6:00 - hit snooze
6:15 - hit snooze
6:30 - hit snooze
6:45 - scramble out of bed and toss on clothes
7:00 - email, computer stuff, make to-do lists, find to-do lists, more email, more computer stuff
7:45 - kids up, breakfast on table, beg kids to get dressed
8:25 - beg kids to find shoes, put shoes on, get out door
8:40 - on the road, realize I've left lunch/school bags/my phone/my shoes in the house
9:00 - drop oldest son at school, try to remember what I was supposed to be doing while I was out
So - what are your best tips for making all those 'good ideas' reality. How do you keep your family organized and on time? What are your tricks for remembering, well, anything. What's your best 'supermom' advice? Or, do you have a similar story of 'I can't believe I left the house without....'? Please feel free to share! In the meantime, I'm busy redoing my filing system, utilizing my whiteboards, and crossing things off my jam-packed calendar. Whew. Surely I'll get it together soon, right? Maybe by the end of the school year routines will be on my Stuff I Love list. I can dream, eh?
We have a crawler in our house. She desperately wants to walk, but she's just not there yet. However, she crawls like the wind and rarely stops to sit. At home, on the carpet, it's not a big deal. But as much as baby loves to crawl, she loves to be outside. And grass and concrete can do evil things to sweet, soft baby knees. Therefore, I am addicted to babylegs. In the summer, my kids live in onesies. They're easy to wash, easy to put on, and nice and cool (it gets hot hot hot here). So I keep a pair (or two) of babylegs in my purse and I'm ready for an impromptu trip to the park or a playdate at an uncarpeted home. I've even lent my babylegs to other babies so they didn't have to miss out on the fun. They also come in handy at stores and restaurants that are unexpectedly cold. Or as an extra layer under pants and dresses when the weather turns chilly. And the best part is - you don't have to remove them for diaper changes! I've even been known to slip a pair on my own arms when I'm chilly and without a jacket. There are so many uses for babylegs that I definitely stock up any time there's a sale. There are several different manufacturers of baby legwarmers - even tutorials online of how to make your own! I don't spend a lot on baby accessories, but these are one item I am more than willing to shell out a little money for. My baby's sweet knees are scratch-free, and they look super stylish, too!
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