Thank God for COFFEE

Like my last post said I am lagging on the “New Year”. I am more than a month behind.  I have so many projects and family things going that I feel like I’m loosing my mind… Have you ever been that way?  I always wonder who reads this and what they do.  Well, here is my list for the next week.  This does not include the daily things that we have to do.

Monday: finish a Crib bedding set for a friend of mine that is having her baby Thursday!!!  Go to Hobby Lobby to get a few things, Lessons for Declan and feed sis every three or so hours.  Tuesday: Cub Scouts with Hunter, Declan Lessons, Feed sis, Bedding day for laundry, and Kitchen cabinet day.  Wednesday: MOPS!!!! Declan Lessons, Feed sis, Kitchen floor and bathroom day. Get a few small sewing projects done.  Thursday: “off” day, no lessons, feed sis, normal cleaning and normal stuff.  Friday: Gym Day!! Feed sis, Declan lessons, park day, Pizza day and Stay up late day. My normal day is getting up, feeding sis, workout (30 Day Shred) get Hunter up for school, feed the boys, get Hunter to school, get Lessons ready and started for Declan, start the load of laundry, unload the dishes, wipe down all counters and sinks, pick up what needs picking up, figure out supper, nap, lunch and then Hunter Homework.  Not in that order but that is the most of it …that is my normal everyday stuff.

Looking at all that I now understand why I “lost” two months!! Wow… us SAHM’s do a lot.  That is our job, that is how our families survive.  Well, Sis is calling I will finish this later

It’s really 2015 already…

Well, I have been under a rock or something the past three…YES 3 months.

I am behind on a lot of things that I normally do… not cleaning my house or taking care of the now 3 kiddo’s.  Wait that is where the time has gone.  Mid November I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!  Finally a girl!!! Very busy and excited.  I have been making freezer meals and on a mission to lose all the baby weight by the 9 month mark.  I haven’t really made a dent, yet.  Now that I realize where I’m at I can get moving.  I am getting some things loaded and will have a few posts that I’m getting ready and trying to get pictures to upload on the laptop.

For now, I am sorting out the magazines.  I love them.  I have a two year back log of them. They are going in the bin!!! I am also on a mission to unclutter and let go of the old.  I am not where near the hoarder that you see on TV.  I do have 50 magazines that I’m getting rid of and I have a two drawer filing cabinet full of junk papers…I feel bad when I see it and don’t really, okay EVER look at them. So why did I keep them?  I don’t know.  So I have a new challenge for myself.  If I don’t use it I’m letting it go.  This does not include family items that are true keep sakes.  I will let you know how this goes…

Parties, Pinewood Derby, AND Mary Kay

First and for most I hope everyone is doing great today! 

Now on to business…I have been and IBC (Independent Beauty Consultant) for Mary Kay for a little bit now, I wish I would have researched the company and it’s policies before getting tied into this!!  Www.pinktruth.com will tell you ALL you need to know.  I am going to send all my product back and be done with this over saturated company.  I am not saying by any means that you can’t make money with Mary Kay.  I am saying that it is not for me.  I have a family that actually requires my time, who’s doesn’t?, and I am not about to spend upwards of $3600 on a “starter” inventory.  I also don’t like having to recruit multiple people that make those same amount of orders to make money.  That is how you “make money” in Mary Kay.  You recruit other women or men and bug them to make $225 or more monthly orders.  They also tell you when you sign up that there are no requirements to stay active and get the 50% discount.  YES THERE ARE!!!!  You HAVE to stay active, $225 or more order every 3 months, NOT 90 days, 3 months!  So if you order March 25th, you will HAVE to make another $225 or more order by May 31st, if you can.  Now when you place an order that late you will only have until July 31st to place yet another $225 order.  See where I’m going with this?  Also, say during that time frame you place multiple orders and they add up to $225 or more, THEY DON’T COUNT!!!!!  The order HAS TO BE a single $225 or more.  Also, you will hear the same line (lie) every time you talk to a “higher up” all the stories are the same… with some variation.  I was poor and now I’m rich all because of Mary Kay.  They will also tell you they got a line of credit to start their business with Mary Kay.  They will push you to do the same.  NOPE!!!  The point of doing this is to get out of debt, not add to it!!  And what do you do if you can’t “get rid of” your inventory? Ohh, you add to it every order that you are required to make. 

Now, I am at the point of sending all my unused product back and am happy to lose the money I am loosing due to finally being free of Mary Kay.  Now I am loosing 10% of my cost price and I am loosing all my shipping costs, but I am just happy to be getting something back.  Okay, enough on Mary Kay.

 

Pinewood DERBY!!! My son is really excited about this, it’s his first year.  He has painted and put together his own car! Pictures and more on this will be ready tomorrow… if we don’t get rained out!

 

I have also had about three parties in the last month!! Jamberry, 31 Bags, and my personal favorite All’asta!  I will post links to the pages of my consultants and friends so you can see what each thing is. 

Jamberry was an online party.  I didn’t have to anything but make an event on Facebook and add everyone.  I will be getting 5 pages FREE!!! Really easy!  http://www.chrissycash.jamberrynails.net/about/apply/ This will tell you everything I can’t.  They are little “stickers” you put on your nails.  They come in thousands of designs and colors!! I love them, $15-$18 a page. One page will do your nails twice and your toes once.  They last about two weeks and then you change them!!  LOVE this. 

31 Bags was here at my house last night.  I like this idea of a company, expensive for what they are.  I can go to Target and other sites/stores and get the same thing for less… BUT it will not come in the same color or be able to personalize it like I do.  https://www.mythirtyone.com/lindseyiten/ That is my consultant.  She is very nice and not pushy. 

Now for ALL’asta.  This is a fairly new company and I LOVE IT!!!!  I can’t tell you much about this because I am about to have this party.  They don’t have a personal website set up, I don’t think. But the company website is www.allastaparty.com. This is the neatest company I have ever seen.  Very nice and vintage items  most are hand made and I love the fact that they are useful! 

 

Okay, busy life right now.  Hope everyone is dong great and having fun!!  More to come…

The short and long term risks-Children drinking ALCOHOL

Exactly, is all I can say…

allaboutmanners

When it comes to the risks of children drinking alcohol, they can be both short or long-term. Knowing these risks makes it all the more important to talk to your children about alcohol before it’s too late.

Children can make more responsible decisions about drinking if they have the facts to base them on and feel confident to say “no” if they want to. While the immediate effects of alcohol on children may be no more than being sick or having a hangover, alcohol can leave children emotionally, physically and sexually vulnerable. So the most important thing is to talk to your child earlyand often about the different risks associated with drinking alcohol. 

Long-term risks

Liver damage

You might think that only lifelong alcoholics get liver disease, but regularly drinking too much can increase a young person’s chances of damaging their liver. And as there aren’t many…

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Didn’t do it…

I didn’t do it…I have been going over everything and found this on passionatehomemaking.com

I failed miserably in my mothering today. Everything from getting coats and shoes on, to going potty in underwear, to getting out of bed before the proper time. Each situation was responded to with an outburst of anger and frustration. I experience guilt on many levels in my motherhood. I feel guilty when my house isn’t clean, organized, or I don’t have the energy to design all these glorious organizing tools (thanks Pinterest!). I feel like a failure when I don’t spend enough quality time with my children or waste too much time on my phone or computer browsing this and that. I feel guilty when we don’t do family devotions as if my children’s salvation was all dependent upon me. I feel like a terrible homemaker when I don’t get anything done on my to-do list. So in response to my guilt, I get frustrated and the cycle continues. It’s a dangerous pit of self focus that destroys my joy.

The only means through which we can find deliverance out of this battlefield of guilt, condemnation, and anger is through the power of the gospel. The only lasting freedom can come through acknowledging what Christ has done on my behalf.

We have to steep ourselves in the power of the gospel. We have to soak it in.

I have to remind myself that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Yes, you and I will surely fail. But we have a glorious Savior who bore our condemnation. He bore our guilt. It was nailed to the cross. So in our failure, we can have hope. Christ Jesus has replaced our sinful record with His perfect righteous record.

As Elyse Fitzpatrick says, “When you are tempted to slide down into a miry pit of self-condemnation, you can remember Jesus’ sinless life and the perfect record that is now yours. Yes, it’s true that you sin heinously and consistently, but you have a perfect record before God, the only one who opinion really matters.”

“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (Romans 3:24)”

Colossians 1:16-17 says, “The Father…has qualified you [past tense; it’s finished] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us [past tense again; the deliverance is completed] from the domain of darkness and transferred us [past tense once more: the transferal is already concluded] to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have [present tense; this very moment we possess it] redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

My outbursts of anger were nailed to the cross before I even walked this earth. My fear of failure is a waste of my energy. He paid the greatest price for them. In order to experience true freedom from guilt, I must stop focusing on all that I need to do in order to become a better mother. I must first turn my gaze upon what He has already done for me.

The only way to become a better mom is to preach the gospel to myself every day. It’s not by behaving that makes me a better mom, it’s by believing- believing more deeply in what He has accomplished.

God doesn’t call me to be perfect. He calls me to embrace my standing before him, and to run in that freedom he has already granted to me! I am adored by Christ! I am redeemed! I am accepted!

Ultimately, when I enslave myself by guilt I am mocking what He did on the cross, I am disbelieving the grace and mercy purchased for me through his sinless life. This guilt is witness to the fact that I am depending upon my own strength. I am believing that my children will only grow, flourish, and follow Christ if I do this certain set of practices.

So when you are tempted to put another brick of guilt on yourself, may I encourage you to stop, and declare with me:

“Because Jesus was strong for me, I am free to be weak;
because Jesus won for me, I am free to lose;
because Jesus was someone, I am free to be no one;
because Jesus was extraordinary, I am free to be ordinary;
because Jesus succeeded for me, I am free to fail.” -Tullian Tchividjian

Praise God for the full and abundant life I have in Christ! Jesus loves me just as much today as He did yesterday!

Many of these insights have been gleaned through Tullian’s powerful book, Jesus + Nothing = Everything.

We are starting our Elf on the Shelf tradition this year!!!

Not sure what to do with him yet. We took him from the package and placed him on the shelf, he doesn’t have a name yet BUT as soon as he does he will start his adventures in our home.  I will take picture of his random acts and most will be kind things done around the house…I have two boys that are ALL boy

Daily cleaning for moms

I have found an exuberant amount of cleaning schedules online and most are posted by busy moms, or so they say. I don’t understand how you can clean all day, cook fantastic meals three times a day and still have fun with your kids.
I have made this very simple cleaning schedule and have found that I can get it all done and cook/slow cooker meals and have fun with my babies.

I keep this posted on my refidgorator. We all have those days of not wanting to or not remembering and this really helps. I have found if I do these things as listed I can get it all done during nap time.

Cleaning out the Keurig

So today I was looking at Pinterest and spotted a pin about cleaning your Keurig.  I am not happy about this, I have had mine for about a year and have not ever cleaned it out.  Yes, I have put the water chamber and cup tray in the dishwasher but beyond that nothing.  So, I did what the blog said to do and had a complete mess on my hands.  I have revised the blog post I saw and am posting it on here for all of us “non cleaner” people.  (by “non cleaner” I mean the ones of us that clean to clean, not clean to make yet another mess we have to clean)

 

Step 1: Make a cup of coffee…LOL

Step 2: Take the water tank off and empty it, then fill it half way or 2/3 of the way up with white vinegar. This will cut down on the calcium build up inside the tank that you can not see to clean.  With the vinegar in the tank run the smallest cup size till the vinegar is gone.   What to do with the used vinegar, you may ask…block your sink drain and poor it in the sink.  I will come back to this in a bit. Keep some water in the tank.

Step 3: Once all your vinegar is used, discard the rest in the sink and fill your water tank up to the top with fresh water.  You may have to do this step twice.  Run the fresh water on the largest cup until you no longer smell the vinegar. Proceed to dump this water in the sink along with the vinegar.

Step 4: (pictures to fallow) take an old tooth brush and gently brush all of the areas you can see on the Keurig.  I have pictures at the bottom to show you what I am talking about.  In doing this you will want to take the K-cup “holder” out; put it in the sink with the vinegar and water mix, and brush the inside of the area really well, there will be coffee grinds in places that you never thought of.  Put your water tank back on, have a towel on hand, with the K-cup holder out place a towel around your cup you are using for catching the water and run it about 4 times.  You will want to step back, but believe me it is well worth this little mess.  

Step 5: Put all the pieces of your Keurig, that come off naturally, in the sink of vinegar/water, let them soak while you wipe down with a cloth and some all purpose cleaner.  Make sure to unplug your Keurig when not using the water tank for cleaning out pipes.  Don’t want to be electrocuted.  Not that it has happened but let’s all be on the safe side.

Step 6: The water tank, the thing your cup sits on and K-cup holder are dishwasher safe.  After they have soaked in the sink toss all remaining parts that are dishwasher safe in the dishwasher and you are done.  The lid to the water tank IS NOT dishwasher safe, you will have to wash this by hand. The vinegar has done that for you while it soaked.  So now rinse really well and dry with a cloth.  

 

Easiest way to clean your Keurig.  You will be very happy when you make your next cup of coffee…

It’s been a while

I have been really busy this summer and am getting ready for school to start. I am going to be adding alot of things to this blog in the coming months so please be patient. I am going to start doing some video blogs and some really need crafts that anyone can do on a true budget. Not a large one but a normal budget that normal southern families are on. Good will be involved also!!!! So have fun with out me for two more weeks and I will see you soon…

Banana Boat Summer Color self tanning…REVIEW

tanner bottle

I have sprayed my whole body and did a test spot earlier…I’m ready to be tan.
I did not turn orange nor do I see streaking yet, I will post photos when I’m dried and ready…

Before

I don’t want to go Jersey Shore tan, but a little color would be nice.

here are some tips to MAKE SURE you fallow them…
1. Exfoliate, exfoliate and exfoliate…Shave first also.
2. NO lotion AT ALL, your skin has to be dry and clean. Most people put on lotion first and that does not allow the tanning spray to penetrate your skin…

Half way there (test spot)

A little different, maybe not as dark as I want yet, might not get there this go round…I was very, very white

I can tell a major difference I give this product **** my skin did dry out a little and I gabber used that many spray tan products.

Good luck in your quest to become tan…