2009 July — We are THAT Family

DIYP-Game Table

7:00 am Bykristen

Look what I found at a garage sale:

for one dollar!

The checkered game table had some pathetic feet though.

I can relate.

My hubby popped them off easily. While we were trying to decide what to do with my newest find, I remembered a little ottoman I had in storage.

I removed the pleather cover and decided it would be perfect as a game table in it’s next life.

With a couple of screws, my hubby attached the game top to the top of the ottoman.

We picked up some wooden circles at a local craft store for a couple of dollars. My daughter painted them black and red.

Guess who has been having non-stop checker tournaments?

(My hubby has destroyed all our checker-winning hopes. He’s brutal).

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The Best Pie in the World

12:35 pm Bykristen

I should know.

I happen to be an authority on why I can’t lose 5 pounds.

So there’s that.

I actually Googled ‘best pie in the world recipe’ because I wanted to take my sister’s family (including my new niece from Ethiopia) something special.

I’m not above earning affection thru food.

Here’s the recipe, copied directly from here:

The Best Pie in the World:

(also known as Toasted Coconut and Pecan Caramel Pie)

Of course, I didn’t bake mine exactly like the recipe because I couldn’t find my 1/4 measuring cup and had to estimate on the butter and guess on the coconut amount. You could say there was some serious ‘eyeballing’ going on.

Oh. And I doubled the nuts.

I like to live on the wild side.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

2 (9 inch) pie shells, baked
1/4 cup butter
1 (8 ounce) package flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium skillet, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. Add coconut and pecans. Toss well, and saute until coconut is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add condensed milk and mix until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread 1/4 of cream cheese mixture into each pastry shell. Sprinkle 1/4 of coconut mixture over each pie. Drizzle 1/2 of caramel topping over each coconut layer. Follow with remaining cream cheese mixture, then remaining coconut mixture.
Pies may be served chilled or frozen.
Anything with that much caramel on the inside is a gift from God. Amen.

Y’all. I cannot tell a lie. It is good.

That’s why I made two.

For more great pies, visit Tidy Mom’s Pie Party!

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I Know How You Feel

7:00 am Bykristen

I said no.

And I watched her storm up the stairs and heard the slamming door.

Sigh.

Some days, nine is hard.

Some days, thirty-six is hard.

My daughter and I were both frustrated. With each other. With ourselves.

Before bed, she slipped a note, half scrawled in cursive, half in print, under my door.

Half a little girl. Half a preteen.

“Dear Mom, I’m sorry I said ugly things. Every time I do that it’s because I get mad really easily and get all steamed up and angry and say stuff I don’t mean to say. I don’t know why I get worked up like that, but I’ll try harder. Every time I get worked up like that, please remind me to try harder to not say ugly things. Please pray for me and forgive me. Also I want to stop getting worked up like that, but it’s hard for me not to. I don’t know why I do it. But I need your help not to get mad or worked up. I love you and I know you love me.”

I read her letter a dozen times. It reminded me so much of another letter.

A familiar one about a raging inner battle to control a quick temper, a bad mood, an imperfection, a battle against me.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. When I want to do good, evil is right there with me….Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7

I hugged my girl tight and told her she wasn’t alone.

“I know just how you feel.”

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WFMW: Helpful Tips for Shopping Online

7:00 am Bykristen

I love to shop.

I won’t lie. I like to search for bargains, score deep-discounted items and taunt my savvy victories in the face of those who paid full price.

And you thought I was nice.

Heh.

But sometimes, I need a specific item or getting out to shop with three kids isn’t convenient. (Okay, it’s never convenient. But sometimes the Target end cap entices me and I must heed the call).

I’m getting ready for back to school and I’ve purchased my kid’s backpacks, lunch boxes, school supplies and a few new outfits all online, and all at a discount.

[And I'm trying really hard not to do a victory dance right now].

Here are my tips:

Shop the clearance at major online stores like Target and WalMart.
Google ‘coupon codes’ for your favorite stores. I find that about 70% of the time, these codes are valid!
Use free shipping codes or search for stores that offer shipping discounts.
Make a list of what you need and stick to it.
Take advantage of sites like Shop Smart that do a lot of the hard work for you and offer a rundown of slashed prices.
Tweet about what you’re looking for! I’ve been sent coupon codes by followers and even discount codes by businesses!

Got more shopping tips? Share them, please!

Thank you for joining me for WFMW! {You can read the guidelines here.}

Have a Works-For-Me Wednesday tip you’d like to share? I’d love for you to join us! Please note that the links will close at 9 pm CST tonight, in order to keep away the spammers!

Don’t forget that NEXT WEEK, there will be a “Back to School” themed edition of WFMW! Link up your best tip concerning kids and school-homeschooling, riding the bus, getting lunches ready, etc!

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Seeing the Everyday {Giveaway}

7:00 am Bykristen

*UPDATED* Congratulations to our 3 winners: All About Nonsense, The RedHead Diaries and Ellen! Please look for an email from me! And I hope the rest of you will take advantage of this fabulous magazine and continue to capture the everyday!

Recently, I joined FaceBook and I’ve spent the last several weeks reconnecting with childhood, high school and college friends.

I’ve been reminded of two things: I’m not that great of a friend and time flies.

I cannot believe that it’s been nearly 20 years since I graduated from high school.

I cannot fathom that I’ve been married 15 of those years.

I cannot breathe when I think of time passing so quickly that one day I will blink and my children will be grown.

I cannot stop time. I cannot slow the clock. I can’t.

But I can see the everyday.

I love today’s giveaway, Seeing the Everyday Magazine.

It’s a beautiful magazine that does just that. It shares stunning stories of capturing our everyday lives. Seeing the Everyday…do you?

I’m giving away 3 subscriptions today (valued at $20 each).

Stop what you are doing. Tell me what you see today.

This giveaway will close on Thursday.

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Camping Like a Family

6:00 am Bykristen

[I ended up in Jackson, Mississippi, for the night and I have an actual boarding pass for a 7:00 AM flight home. I am more than ready to sniff my kid's necks. Thanks for your support last night. I am never flying again. Praise the Lord, Amen.]

With all my free airport time, I decided to sort my vacation pictures and relive the last week. I dreamed about this picture all night. So, there’s that.

Even though we started off our family vacation a day early in true THAT family style, it only went up from there.

Because nothing says good family fun like reconnecting with nature:

And dressing up like cowboys. It’s how the west was won.

It just does the gizzard good, ya know?

(Believe me, my innards are happy seeing my little girl on her first horse. It’s all she’s talked about!)

We ended up doing a skit for the camp talent show. It ended up with my son playing a nekid guy. Because that’s funny. (But someone forgot to tell us that the talent show involved real talent. My kids informed me afterwards they need some sort of lessons this next year. Because nekid isn’t that funny.)

I watched my older children grow up before my eyes. The freedom they felt at Family Camp empowered them and it was a treat to watch their confidence rise like the sun.

My toddler loved this:

So, did my other child.

I have never felt more reconnected and refreshed with the family God has granted me. It really got me in touch with my Oriental side.

Yes, that is my toddler using the chopstick from her hair to pick the lock of our next door neighbor’s cabin.

[Funny side note: the little outfit my two year old is wearing was mine, when I was two, so, it's pretty much an antique, which was proven when she sat down at the family-style dinner and all the buttons popped off, exposing her delicious pink skin, so, of course, she removed the top and completed the meal half-dressed, and that would have been fine, but the pants started itching, so she took those off too, which would have been okay too, except that she didn't have panties on, which didn't surprise me in the least, but shockingly, it did surprise a lot of other people.]

Yes, I realize that was one sentence. I might be losing my edge.

Because you can take our family out in nature, but you can’t take that family out of, well, that family.

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When Life Hands You Lemons, Sit Down on the Airport Floor and Cry

3:45 pm Bykristen

It turns out I’m still in Chicago.

And in a calamity of events, it doesn’t look like I’m going to get home tonight.

I really wish I’d gotten this guy’s number.

I am not a good traveler. I’m wrinkled and weary and weepy.

At this point, I’m just looking for a flight heading South. I might end up in Jackson, Mississippi or New Orleans.

Or Hawaii.

I have my laptop and plenty of time. Can y’all pipe in and tell me where you live?

And if you have sweet tea, please drink some vicariously for me.

Because every time I order it here in Chicago, I get a blank stare.

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BlogHer: A Photo Essay

6:00 am Bykristen

Hi, y’all.

I feel like I’ve been away from my mobile home (also known as my blawg) for a lunar moon since I finished up family camp and headed to Chicago for BlogHer this weekend.

First off, I just need to get this off my chest: if you’ve been sitting at home wishing you were in The Windy City, I went vicariously for you and we didn’t miss much.

Unless you like thousands of women you don’t know vying for a swag bag filled with Tide coupons and a sample of Lee Press-On Nails or you enjoy sitting on the floor in an overcrowded session on humor blogging, flinching every time a panelist says the ‘F’ word.

I flinched so much, I now have a twitch.

Okay, enough about that. Because that’s just me.

Let me give you the highlights in what I’d like to call a photo essay. I’m poetic like that:

Fit Flops. I need these cute shoes. I keep seeing them and I heard they tone your butt. I snapped this picture of a very famous blogger’s feet to show you. (Just insert your favorite blogger’s name into these feet because I have no idea who they belong to):
Chicago. Pizza. Enough said. (Except that I’m putting a lot of stock in those Fit Flops).

3. I nearly choked on my biscuit when I heard Paula Deen was going to visit the Expo Center this morning. I’ll be honest and tell you I was hoping she was serving sweet tea because I was missing the South. My pictures are incredible, so prepare yourself:

(part of Paula’s head)

(Paula’s left shoulder)

4. My real life friends (who came with me, but aren’t bloggers) showed me around the city. I couldn’t believe the fast-pace and crowds! It was like PolyAnna meets The Big City. I only feared for my life once. I tried to snap a picture of the busy intersection for posterity and a man thought I was trying to take his picture. So, I did. I took his picture because I thought it was funny. He thought it was a come on. And so he followed us. And ask me to call him. And email the picture to him.

Thank God my friends are street-smart because if I’d been alone, I would have curled up into the fetal position under a bridge.

Because that’s what scaredy-cats do.

5. Connecting with a dozen or so bloggers was a huge highlight for me and just reminded me that it’s really all about community.

The trip was fun (thanks UPrinting for being a great sponsor), but I’m excited that I’m heading home to my hubby and kids.

It turns out that my life is all the excitement I need.

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DIYP: Make a Cottage Shelf from a Shutter

12:01 am Bykristen

I’ve had this set of shutters propped up behind my closet door since last year’s garage sale season.

I finally found my inspiration!

I found these two cast iron brackets on clearance at Hobby Lobby for $3 each:

I spray painted them ivory (and a bit of my grass too):

My power-tool loving hubby removed the old hinges.

Next, we put the shelves together and connected them with the brackets:

Like so:

I thought the cottage shelf would look pretty cute over our bed:

I was right.

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BlogHer Conference 2009

12:01 am Bykristen

I will be leaving my family on the last day of Family Camp early tomorrow morning.

And thanks to UPrinting, my BlogHer Conference sponsor, I’m flying to Chicago.

I’ve never been. It’s one of my many firsts.

And I’m totally nervous.

(I’m freaked out about the enormous blogging conference and getting lost on the “L” (whatever that is. I just know my hubby told me six 6 SIX people died in Chicago yesterday, so I better be careful.))

I love the opportunities that blogging has opened up for me. Thanks UPrinting for taking a chance on me.

I feel like a grown up.

And like a wall flower at the junior high dance.

But I’m wearing these shoes.

And I have a stash of Hello Kitty band aids for the inevitable blisters.

So, seriously, how bad can it be?

Okay, for this introvert, it can be bad! And that’s why I’m stashing my two dear friends in my hotel room with me. (Thanks girls, for going with me!!)

You can follow my anxious Tweets here.

(This is the gathering of thousands of bloggers…do you have a favorite? Let me know in the comments and I’ll try to get a twitpic of the back of their head! Because wallflowers don’t ask for photographs!)

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WFMW-Travel Tips

10:00 pm Bykristen

Since I’m traveling this week (to Family Camp and then on to BlogHer), I thought I’d share some of my best travel tips.

Because I’m a giver.

Here are a few of my packing tips (and I think I’ll keep this little post a secret from my hubby! He would laugh if he knew I was giving packing tips. I think he has Master Packer on his resume).

Zip Lock bags- I love those things. I use them for everything!

If I have something that wrinkles easily, I wrap it in the plastic from the cleaners. It protects dry clean clothing from wrinkling in the suitcase.

I tend to return home with more than will fit into my suitcase. I have no idea how this happens. It’s like things reproduce. I think rolling the clothes instead of laying them flat takes up less room.

If you can actually keep houseplants alive (and want them to stay that way while you travel), place a brick in the bathtub, wet it and put the plant on top of it for self-watering. It works!

Thank you for joining me for WFMW! {You can read the guidelines here.}

Have a Works-For-Me Wednesday tip you’d like to share? I’d love for you to join us! Please note that the links will close at 9 pm CST tonight, in order to keep away the spammers!

Don’t forget that in TWO WEEKS, there will be a “Back to School” themed edition of WFMW! Link up your best tip concerning kids and school-homeschooling, riding the bus, getting lunches ready, etc!

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How Would You Like to Win a YEAR of FREE Ice Cream??

10:25 pm Bykristen

*UPDATED WITH WINNER!!* Congrats to random winner (from random.org) Kristin of The Days of My Life. You’re the lucky winner!!

Yes. You read that right.

It’s summer.

It’s hot outside.

It’s time for ice cream. ALL YEAR LONG.

I’m on vacation this week…but I shouldn’t have all the fun! And that’s why I’m giving away, with the help of Breyer’s, a year supply of Smooth & Dreamy All Natural Light Ice Cream!

One reader will win 12 months of coupons redeemable everywhere.

It’s just doesn’t get much better than this!

Oh, and they were kind enough to send me a sample. It’s delicious and light. It’s a shame I have to share.

Tell me your favorite flavor of ice cream to be entered.

If you want to earn an extra entry or three, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter coming out on August 1st (let me know if you already have!) If you tweet about it, blog about the newsletter or put it on FaceBook, those are extra entries too, just leave a comment for each thing. (No more than 5 comments per person, please).

This giveaway will end on Monday, July 27th!

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I’m Sorry, Mom

12:01 am Bykristen

We are living it up at Family Camp.

While you’re reading this post, I’m probably dressed in some ridiculous costume, hanging from a zip-line, and eating a s’mores. Simultaneously.

But please, save your pity for my Mother.

She’s ‘rabbit sitting’ for us. And obviously it’s because she has no idea that this is how you get Marshmallow back in his/her cage. (We should have named it Pat since we can’t tell a boy rabbit from a girl rabbit).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EXHws2SZCU]

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Why Am I Surprised?

9:37 pm Bykristen

What do you call eager people (who cannot read a calendar) when they arrive ONE DAY TOO EARLY for family camp?

THAT family, of course.

(I cannot even make this stuff up, y’all. Because if I could, my version would not include us spending unplanned money on a hotel room near the campgrounds).

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HONK! If You See Us!

12:00 pm Bykristen

We’re on our way to a fabulous week at Pine Cove Family Camp in Hot, Texas!

I’ve got some fun things planned this week, so I’ll see you right here and tell you all about our trip next week!

Have a happy weekend.

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Skinny Dipping

12:00 pm Bykristen

If I did it, it would be called Chunky Dunking.

And it would be gross.

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DIYP- Magnetic Refrigerator Memo Board

7:00 am Bykristen

I like practical DIY projects that I can use on a regular basis.

This project was easy to make, affordable and it’s really cute, if I do say so myself.

And I completely trust me.

I made it on a girl’s weekend awhile ago with some of my favorite people. (Yes, we sat around and did crafts!)

You’ll need:

A frame (I chose a square frame, but any shape will do. But choose a good sized one. My frugal frame hint? If you don’t like the color of a thrift store frame or the $3 Wal Mart frames, spray paint them. Just remove the backing and glass. I buy as many .50 cents garage sale frames as I can find!)

A swatch of fabric that is a little bigger than the frame (upholstery or thick material works best)

Glue gun (a.k.a. my best friend)

Magnets (the round ones that are strong)

Step 1:

Remove the glass and frame backing.

Step 2:

Cut fabric to fit just a little bigger than the frame hole.

Step 3:

Stretch fabric and hot glue the material to the back of the frame:

this is the back of the frame

make sure you stretch the fabric taunt

Step 4:

Attach magnets to the back of the edges of the frame. I used an entire package because my frame is a little heavy.

Papers and pictures adhere easily thru the fabric to the fridge with small bubble magnets.

Project #2

I use my memo board to hold a picture of our Compassion child, a picture of a Russian family who needs our prayers and recently, I added a photo of my new niece who is coming home from Ethiopia. My sister and her hubby leave today, so please pray for them! (You can follow their journey here).

I found these great paper weights at the Dollar Store. You can slip a picture under the glass. I decided to make mine into personalized magnets!

I just cut out a circle the size of the paperweight and used some stickers I had:

I attached magnets to the back:

Mine say: Pray for The Persecuted Church, Pray for Russia, Pray for Ethiopia!

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When I Fail

7:00 am Bykristen

Last week was bad.

Not the kind of bad you can blame on a broken dishwasher or a stubbed toe or someone else.

It was a week filled with me, failing.

I wasn’t a great Mom or a good wife. I yelled too much and didn’t listen enough. I was short-tempered and impatient and just generally unhappy.

Sure, I can come up with excuses that might justify some of my behavior. But I had a choice how to handle my frustrating week.

And I failed.

It hurts to admit it.

We live in a world that doesn’t like failure. It’s ugly and messy. Our world wants perfection: Perfectly manicured people who never mess up.

And when you do fail, there are always a handful of people to point it out, especially in the church. Just think about the pastors and TV evangelists who’ve suffered a public fall. It makes us uncomfortable.

Failure makes us want to cover it up, to excuse it. Failure makes us want to run away.

But we were created to fail.

Through failure, I am drawn to the One who runs to me. He does not turn away from my shortcomings. He is not afraid of my humanity.

When I cut my hand chopping veggies in the kitchen, the blood in my body rushes to the wound. That’s what it was created to do. Our blood was designed to wash out the impurities and clot to protect us.

And when I fail as a parent or a wife or a person, His Blood goes to my injured heart. It rushes to the place I hurt. Because that’s what it was created to do.

He is there to wash away my regret and my sin.

When I fail.

Food for the Soul:

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

(thanks to my Pastor who inspired this post from his sermon)

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WFMW-This Tip Might Just Change Your Life

7:00 am Bykristen

It’s summer.

The hot dog consumption in my house is high.

I think this tip has changed my laundry life. It’s certainly reduced my stain-induced stress.

When serving your child their favorite meal (a.k.a hotdogs and ketchup), put the ketchup UNDER the hotdog.

So, to clarify:

Step one: Apply ketchup to bun.
Step two: Place hotdog ON TOP OF ketchup.
Step three: When child drops their entire plate on the ground, their white shirt will stay clean.
Step four: If this is your third child, blow dirt off said hotdog and enjoy.

Note to self: Why is my child wearing white?

Thank you for joining me for WFMW! {You can read the guidelines here.}

Have a Works-For-Me Wednesday tip you’d like to share? I’d love for you to join us! Please note that the links will close at 8 pm CST tonight, in order to keep away the spammers!

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Why I Love Twitter

1:00 pm Bykristen

After yesterday’s post about my 2 year old and her developmental phase, I couldn’t believe how many people commented on how challenging they find their 3 and even 4 year olds.

Y’all just about sent me on a chocolate raid.

I popped over to Twitter and asked: “What age is harder, 2 or 3?”

And these were just some of the answers: (click to enlarge)

Here’s what I surmised:

Every age has it’s challenges
I need to pray for wisdom
I need a bigger chocolate stash
I am not alone

And it’s that last one that makes me thank God for all of you.

I’m linking this post to Garibay Soups Inspirational blog carnival!

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JanMary Designs {Giveaway}

7:00 am Bykristen

*UPDATE* Congratulations to our 2 winners: reader (no blog, but we’ve talked on email) Donna and Dorci.

I’m happy to introduce you to someone I met right here in my comment section. She’s got a fabulous blog (JanMary) and lives in Ireland.

She spends her summer months in her cottage.

Doesn’t that sentence just send pangs of jealously down your spine?

No? Oh, me either.

JanMary is celebrating the birth of her new Etsy store: JanMary Designs.

She’s giving away 2 $25 gift certificates today!

Her handmade jewelry is lovely:

Pacific Blues Elasticated Bungee Charm Bracelet ---FREE SHIPPING IN JULY---

Take a peak and let me know what you like best or what colors you’d like to see, so I can enter you for this fun contest!

This giveaway will end on Thursday.

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I Hope This is Developmental

8:30 am Bykristen

When my hubby called to ask how my day was going, I responded, “The two-and-a-half year old is in rare form.”

“That’s the third time you’ve said that this week,” he responded.

I think rare form may be the new normal.

And I am scared.

My son said the other day, “Mom, you’ve had two 2 year olds before, you know what to do. Right?”

Good question.

But my 7 and 9 year old traveled thru the 2′s unscathed. They were typical, but they didn’t get into things like their little sister.

And by things I mean, just last week, I’ve caught her painting her own toes, busting an ink pen in her mouth, stuffing gobs of toilet paper down the potty, spreading sunscreen on the floor and playing in paint.

Believe it or not, I do watch her. But the girl is quick and quiet, which turns out to be a messy combination.

She’s also chosen “NOOO!! My do it!” screamed at the top of her lungs, as her new favorite phrase.

That wouldn’t be my first choice.

There also might be some hitting and kicking going on.

So. basically, what I’m trying to tell you is the 2′s are kicking my butt.

I’m doing my best teaching her character, trying to be consistent with discipline and showing her who’s the boss.

But, honestly, I hope this is developmental.

(Any advice would be appreciated!)

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Slim Pickins

9:25 pm Bykristen

You can pick your nose.

You can pick your friends.

But you can’t pick what your grandparents bring you home from their vacation.

My parents thought this was the best gift you could give a 7 year old boy (me too!)

But my son thought there must have been slim pickins at the souvenir shop.

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THAT Family Tree Society-Issue 48

12:01 am Bykristen

Photo of the Week:

The Week in Review: We went to the pool nearly every day this past week. It’s so hot here in Texas. Let’s just say all that chlorine and sun don’t exactly enhance my hair. I lost a small bet with my son and he got to fix my hair and I had to put it on my blog. That will teach me not to gamble.

Introduction into The Society: Let’s give Scenic Route to Joy a big welcome today!

1) Tell us a little about your blog (name/reason why you blog)?

My blog is called Taking the Scenic Route to Joy. I started it when my now ex-husband and I were going through the process of separation and divorce, and it seemed like joy or anything remotely resembling it was a long, hard way away. I started blogging then mostly to have a place to vent my fears and frustrations (and it felt like everything in my life was frustrating most days), and to corral my random thoughts.

2) How long have you been blogging?

This blog starts in November 2004. I had one before this one, but it got eaten due to server issues, and I can’t even remember what I called it or when exactly I started it.

3) How would you define THAT family?

THAT family is the one who can tell you things their kids have said or done that they couldn’t possibly make up. THAT family is the one that finds itself saying often, “But it seemed like a good idea at the time!” when yet another scheme has failed to work out quite as expected/planned. (By the way, I expect that “But it seemed like a good idea at the time” will be engraved on my tombstone after I die. Story of my life.) THAT family is the one that, no matter how crazy things get, still manages to pull together and laugh and remember that they can get through anything together.

4) When did you discover you were part of THAT family?

I was a bit of an oddball in my family growing up, but I didn’t really feel like part of THAT family until my firstborn son got old enough to talk and really express himself, when he was about three years old. He can come out with things that would have made my mother’s hair curl and fall right off her head, and when it was just the two of us after my ex and I divorced, we became THAT family. Good thing I was pretty much immune to worrying about what other people thought of how he acted or what he said, or I’d have spent a lot of time being really embarrassed! I’m now remarried to a man who’s really a boy in a man’s body, and we’ve added another son to the family. I feel the insanity level going right off the charts.

5) Where can we find your blog?

http://scenicroutetojoy.blogspot.com - stop by and say hi!

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I forgot to mention that Sasha Sews (my giveaway from last week) is offering FREE SHIPPING to my readers for any order this next week. Please use the code WATF 1 and your shipping will be refunded thru Paypal.

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THAT Family Tree Society will be on a short hiatus for the next couple of weeks. If you haven’t been featured yet, would you please email me your requests again while I try to get organized? Thanks!

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If I Keep Eating, I Won’t Even Need a Costume

1:00 pm Bykristen

Today, if you dress like a cow, you get free chicken at Chick Fil A!

Did you really think I would pass up the chance for free chicken?

Not to mention the chance for sweet tea.

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DIYP: Decorating on a Dime (or two)

7:00 am Bykristen

My garage sale love runneth deep. I love the unknown…the next treasure around the corner.

I love what a $5 bill can buy!

Here are a few of my favorite finds so far this summer:

1. A unique $5 wicker drawer unit:

2. A $5 white cabinet for my laundry room (they were asking $8):

I added a little black paint and a red knob:

3. A unique, large $5 bird house made from scrap wood:

It makes the perfect over the toilet cabinet in my powder bathroom:

(this room is so tiny, I had to hold my camera above my head to show it off. I’ve got serious skills, y’all).

4. A lovely $5 glass house:

(What do you think I should put in it?)

And this next item actually cost me two $5 dollar bills, but who’s counting?

It’s my favorite piece. Don’t you think it has a lot of character?

It’s an antique printer tray turned table. It even came with the glass on top.

What do you think I should put in all those tiny display spaces?

I’m playing along with The Nester’s Price My Space. Check out her blog for more!

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The Family Room {Newsletter}

7:00 am Bykristen

I want to raise smart kids, children who have a great love of reading and an adventurous spirit. I want them to love life and become successful adults.

But even more, I want them to develop deep character rooted in Biblical foundations. I want them to feel compassion for the needy. I long for them to find an abiding joy in tough circumstances and patience in life’s uncertain trials.

These traits aren’t inherent. Self-control is taught through practice and discipline. Peace is learned through quieting our hectic lives and being still.

The strong influence of media rules the modern home and parents find themselves parenting on accident. I have been an accidental parent, but I long to teach my kids on purpose!

I am not an expert and much of what you read is part of our own home experiment for character building, but I have created a new monthly newsletter, called The Family Room.

Each month will focus on a character trait. There will be a variety of hands-on, family-friendly activities, crafts and service projects to help teach godly character to your kids, ranging from toddlers to teens. My desire is to build a strong family. If that’s your desire too, then I hope you’ll join me in The Family Room.

The newsletter is free and will be delivered to your email inbox monthly, beginning in August. All you have to do is enter your email address below. (Please note that I will not sell/give away your email).

I am offering limited ad space with a link to your blog/business to cover the cost of the newsletter service. Please email me if you’re interested in sponsoring this new endeavor. Ad rates are $20 per newsletter for a 125×125 ad space.

What do you think? Is this something you’re interested in reading?