2009 September — We are THAT Family

WFMW-How to Pick & Preserve Pumpkins

7:00 am Bykristen

I dare you to say that three times fast.

Fall has blown in and left a trail of colorful leaves and bulging pumpkins to share. This, without a doubt, is my favorite time of the year.

The pumpkin and I go way back. I’m usually the first on my street to garnish my front porch with bright orange in September.

My kids and hubby love to carve pumpkins the week of Halloween, but I like keep a few out through Thanksgiving. I’ve learned it’s nearly impossible without some careful pumpkin picking.

How to Pick a Pumpkin that will last:

Choose a pumpkin free of blemishes, nicks or discolored marks, mold or mildew.
Make sure it has a stem attached. If the stem is brittle or breaks with a tug, this pumpkin won’t last long.
Pick a pumpkin that feels firm to the touch. Don’t choose pumpkins with soft spots.
If it’s available, buy your pumpkins right off the vine! It’s a really fun family outing an if you buy them in October, these pumpkins will last throughout November.

How to Preserve Your Carved Pumpkin:

Before you carve, soak the pumpkin in water with a little bleach added in. (This will kill any mold or rot. Make sure you dry it thoroughly).
Spray your pumpkin with a clear coat of gloss shellac. This not only makes it shiny, it seals the pumpkin and it lasts longer (tip from my real life friend, Karen).
Once you create your masterpiece, rub vegetable oil or petroleum jelly over the entire area, especially the cut part.

And this is just a bonus tip: paint on your pumpkins-words, names, patterns, etc!

That works for me!

NEXT WEEK, Don’t forget our THEMED Edition of WFMW: Share your best cleaning tip (any area of your life-car, home, purse, etc.) If you’ve already shared a great tip, link up an old post. If you don’t have a cleaning tip, you can still link up a tip. There will be a great giveaway for linkers!

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!

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I’m On the Edge {Giveaway}

7:00 am Bykristen

*UPDATED* Congratulations to Mandigirl!! You won!

We’re Moms.

We’re Proudly Imperfect.

And We’re All in This Together.

How can you go wrong with a motto like that?

The other day I dashed out the door as soon as my hubby walked in. We high-fived as I said, “Dinner is in the oven, I’ll be back in 30 minutes. Keep everyone alive.” I left on the premise of filling a prescription. And that was the truth, it needed to be filled.

But to be honest, I needed the 30 minutes to wander up and down the aisles of Walgreens and hope the pharmacy wasn’t caught up.

I found my happy place reading greeting cards.

I know. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.

But, seriously, I’ve always loved cards. I usually just read the funny ones. But I bought FIVE cards to send to some special gals in my life.

I discovered Hallmark’s new line, The Edge of Motherhood.

One word for y’all: Hilarious.

Make that two: Hilarious & True.

An example:

Or two:

And so when I got an email from a Hallmark person about this line of cards, I knew I had to share. Because some days, we’re all on the edge.

Leave a comment telling which card made you laugh and win a HUGE package of cards ($60 value)!

This giveaway closes on Thursday.

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The Name of the Game

7:00 am Bykristen

You may have gathered we’ve been down on our pet luck lately.

(A few months ago, one of our kitty’s disappeared and never found her way back home. And then our bunny rabbit was killed by a wild animal and in softening the blow to our kids, we somehow semi-promised them a horse).

And then my hubby didn’t get a promotion to a more rural area that would have led to a potential horse purchase.

You could say there’s been some animal-related guilt in our grown-up world.

So.

I might have mentioned getting a dog to the family the other day.

Because I like to mix up the crazy.

I figured it would take months to find a dog with these specifications: smallish, good with kids, shed-free, Terrier (because according to my Twitter friends, they are swell), not a puppy, but not too old either, female, house-broken, crate-trained, spayed and preferably, free.

I’m not picky, just specific.

My daughter has been Googling with my supervision “cheep dogs that don’t bite kids” all weekend.

And guess what her prayer request was in Sunday School?

Yep.

It looks like God is on the Throne. And He is speedy-fast.

Because The Almighty not only provided everything on our list, he provided it TWICE.

They are called 3 year old Miniature Schnauzer sisters. The sweet family looking for a home for them is facing some hard times and they just wanted to find a nice home.

We fit that description 2/3 of the time.

They are getting up to speed on some vet stuff tomorrow (courtesy of this family) and we’ll pick them up on Tuesday.

My daughter composed this comprehensive list of potential dog names in preparation of God’s answer:

My personal favorites are Key Lime Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Kit Kat, Skittles and Whip Cream (but that may be just because I’m hungry). Her personal favorite girl name was Claude.

But since they aren’t puppies, we decided it wouldn’t be right to change their names: Dusty and Sasha.

However, because Sasha is nicknamed “Cha Cha” it only seemed appropriate to give Dusty a nickname.

I thought is would be cute to come up with a rhyming name for Dusty since I think of my dirty house when I say her name. (Because it’s really all about inflection on a dog’s name, anyway.)

We racked our brains over dinner. There just aren’t that many names that rhyme with Dusty.

But my kids really liked one: ”Lusty”

So, we decided Dusty wasn’t so bad after all.

Since “Cha Cha” is also a great dance, we thought it would be fun to nickname Dusty “The Pachanga,” but the kids liked “Disco.”

I hope these dogs are ready for The Crazy.

Because that’s the name of the game.

Around here.

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And this is where you tell me YOUR pet’s name and how you came up with it!

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THAT Family Tree Society-Issue 55

12:00 am Bykristen

Picture of the Week:

The Week in Review: I’m not naming names, but a *certain two year old* colored herself pretty with a pink marker. At least she matches. (Oh, and I was interviewed over here this week).

Introduction into The Society: Help me welcome, Blooming Buds !
1. Tell us a little about your blog (name/reason why you blog):

I started my blog as a journal for my girls (as I print it every year) and to keep family and friends up to date. It was first called Life with my Flowers because our last name means Flowers in another language. At the moment I realized we were THAT family, I changed the name to Blooming Buds, as I’m trying to grow my flowers healthier and ER-free.

2. How long have you blogging?

Since November of 2007. I love blogging so much, that I even make blogs for others a part of my graphic design business.

3. How would you define THAT family?

THAT family is the family that hears from people: “When would God let you breathe for a bit??”…. OR… “those are the kind of things that only happens to your family”…. Or…”you always have something going on”… Or when you are telling a story, please will answer: “That is not true.. That didn’t happen to you”… OR.. “You should write a book about your life.. For real”…

4. When did you discover you were a part of THAT family?

One day, I realized my family is just not another family out there.. We are THAT family that people talks about while having lunch and at the park!!!!We are THAT family that is greeted when we get to the ER, because not only we go too much, but because we always go in bulk (all 5 of us.. as we have nobody to look up for the non-sick child)… My kids has pee on me on public places.. I have been THAT mom running in the mall trying to find something cheap for her daughter to wear because she pee on her clothes (and for some reason the extra outfit got wet or who knows what else, THAT mom that have gotten to the car to realize one of her kids dropped a shoe who knows where, my oldest daughter cracked her head open at a birthday party while wearing a white dress, my youngest has had blood coming out of somewhere from her face 4 times in the last 2 months (one of those bleeding, ending in 6 stitches), our camera has been mugged 2 times in the last 6 months (an extra time I was mugged, but there was no camera to be mugged)… My oldest daughter has been THAT child in school since she first started attending.. First she was THAT child biting everybody else, and then she was THAT child throwing tantrums and disturbing the class…Of course, I cant forget to mention that we are THAT family who was driving one day, and a mister was trying to sell us a dog.. We were not into that, and at some point the guy got tired of asking and dissapeared leaving us with the dog INSIDE the car… 10 months later, the dog is still part of our family… Something like that only happens to THAT family…. I honestly could go ON and ON and ON….

5. Where can we find your blog?

My family blog is at www.3bloomingbuds.com. The name of my blog is Blooming Buds, but I had to settle on the number 3 (the number of my kids) for the title because the bloomingbuds.com domain costs over 4G.. Yes, it cant be that easy for THAT family to have the domain we want, right? I LOVE LOVE comments and new readers.. So, stop by and I promise to stop by yours and comment all over!

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You Have Arrived

2:00 pm Bykristen

Well. My hubby got his birthday wish earlier this week: a Global Positioning Satellite.

I think most people call it a GPS. But we aren’t most people.

I like the way global positioning satellite just rolls off the tongue. Don’t you?

My hubby hooked it up and we took a family drive to the mall. Of course, he put in the mall’s address, so the woman in the box could tell him where to go. Because clearly, he doesn’t get enough of my bossiness.

I’ll tell you one thing: that lady has an attitude and apparently an outdated map.

She led us straight to a large body of water.

I gloated.

And then I offered to the family: “I think we should name her.”

We ran down a list of every conceivable name and narrowed it down to two:

Lucy.

I suggested Delilah.

What else can you name a sultry-voiced woman who led my man astray?

Delilah led us back home and confidently stated, “You have arrived.”

You bet we have.

Y’all have a happy weekend. We have big plans for our positioning satellite (i.e. WalMart)!

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DIYP-Make a Fall Sign

7:00 am Bykristen

My sweet real life friend of MayDay! MayDay! is super crafty.

Every time I visit her gorgeous home, I’m inspired.

She made a cute Fall sign and I knew it must be shared!

It’s very easy and inexpensive.

Supplies:

$2 unfinished wooden plaque from WalMart

Black and white craft paint

Printer

Ribbon

First, I painted the wood black.

Then, I printed a large “W” (for my last name) and a picture of a crow (I Googled “crow clipart”)

I cut the inside of the letter and the crow, so that the white paper became a stencil:

I placed the ‘stencil’ on top of the black plaque and painted the inside of the crow white. I used a sponge brush:

I did the same thing with the “W”:

I stapled some leftover orange gingham ribbon to the back and hung it:

Love it!

Check out Kimba’s for more DIY projects!

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The Bitter & The Sweet

7:00 am Bykristen

To taste bitter is distressing to the mind. It is peculiarly acidic and distasteful to the tongue.

To taste sweet is pleasing to the mind and feelings. It is delightful to the tongue.

Bitter and sweet are antonyms. Opposites.

Unless they meld together to form the bittersweet.

Bittersweet is pleasure alloyed with pain.

Bittersweet is my today.

We are NOT moving.

I am tasting the sweetness of staying near my dear family and loving friends for awhile longer, the sweetness of sameness and stability. The endearing sweet taste of comfort.

I am tasting the bitterness of an adventure I won’t take, the excitement of something new and different that I won’t experience, the bitter taste that comes with watching the man I stood by taste disappointment.

But that is life, isn’t it? Days of pleasure peppered with pain. Days of pain dotted with moments of pleasure.

And I embrace both.

Because I believe God orders my steps. The baby ones that move me small paces and the giant leaps that take my breath away.

The steps that are both bitter and sweet.

*bitter, sweet as defined by the Dictionary

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WFMW:Sock It to Me

7:00 am Bykristen

I’ve been fighting the lost sock war most of my adult life.

It’s been ugly. The casualties have been many.

Over a year ago, I discovered a helpful tip right here on Works For Me Wednesday from the greatest tip- giver, Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. She wrote a beautiful post about her sock battles. I may have even cried.

She slew the mighty foe by storing all her socks downstairs in a drawer. I’ve tweaked the tip to work for me and find it to be the most helpful organizational tip in my house! I have labeled baskets (with my kid’s names) in my laundry room and the socks go straight from the dryer to the appropriate basket (see picture below):

And, brace yourself, I don’t even match the pairs.

(Of course, when I need to stop complaining in the house, I send my complainers to the sock basket [insert wicked laugh here]).

This has been so helpful in trying to leave the house quickly and amazingly, we don’t lose socks any longer.

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Alrighty, enough about me.

Except that I wanted to mention my sweet friend Amber of The Run a Muck (also known as the beautiful mother behind the Mother Letter Project) has a lovely WFMW idea to step away from the web world and plan a sister party with real life friends. I need to do this more! You can read more here and see how you can participate (there are fun prizes too)!

a Sister Party

What works for you?

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!

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Paperspring {Giveaway}

7:00 am Bykristen

*Updated with Winner* Congrats to Beachluvngal! You won! Everyone else, remember, if you enter this code, WATHATF15 you’ll receive a 15% discount on your total order and free shipping!

There are 5,000 images on my computer alone. 4,872 of them are of my kiddos. I think the rest are do-it-yourself projects I haven’t finished!

I love taking pictures. I love seeing the results.

And I’m ashamed to admit that very few of those photos are actually on real paper you can touch.

There’s a breakdown between seeing them on the screen and actually ordering them, framing, sending to grandparents (sorry, Nanny!), etc.

Y’all know those fancy pictures we had taken?

I really want to surprise my hubby at Christmas with a gorgeous canvas family picture. You can’t fault my intentions, huh?

But that doesn’t get Grandma pictures.

Well, within a week of receiving the disk from the photographer, will you just look at my fridge?

Paperspring, a fantastic company that puts fresh ideas on paper with holiday cards, invitations and announcements, allows you to upload your pictures and they turn them into Sticky Stock. These are actually like thin vinyl clings on my refrigerator. I was shocked with the quality!!

They were so kind to send me a huge assortment of our family pictures and now both grandma’s have good -looking fridge doors too!

Seriously, love these!

They also let me pick out some holiday cards. I decided to go with a vague ‘holiday season’ greeting, since last year’s cards from WalMart weren’t picked up until after the holidays!

(I took a picture of my pretty stack of cards!)

Oh, and they design these cool cards with your name or company name. Here’s a sample Christmas card they sent me:

Go shop around Paperspring and tell me what you like! I have been really impressed with their customer service, quick shipping and fabulous prices.

Your comment is your entry for a $60 gift certificate.

This giveaway closes on Thursday.

Plus, if you enter this code, WATHATF15 you’ll receive a 15% discount on your total order and free shipping! It doesn’t get much better than that!

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The Spring

12:01 am Bykristen

She leaned over the edge and peered into the deep, blue water. I could read the uncertainty and anxiety on her pudgy face.

She looked back at me for reassurance and I pointed to the fountain on the shallow shelf of the pool.

My two year old smiled. And she stepped into the water……

We were at my parent’s pool just a few miles from home. My toddler’s fear of the deep water kept her close to my side, but she loved the sparkling fountain on the pool’s ledge.

I smiled as I watched her try to stop the water shooting from the spring.

She used her bright green bucket to catch the forceful flow. She giggled and clapped.

The fountain was safe.

I laughed at the look on her face when she sat upon the rush of water.

She asked to go potty.

I pointed to the grass. (Oh, like you wouldn’t do the same)…….

to continue reading, please visit (in)courage!

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The Blood of a Warrior

7:00 am Bykristen

I like being on this side of an inside joke.

Our family has one. It’s hard to explain, you sorta ‘have to be there’ or here. Whatever.

But one line sends our family into fits of laughter. And you can’t just say it because that’s not funny. You have to scrunch up your face and say it in a barbaric voice.

The blood of a warrior.

Do you know where we heard that line?

An obnoxious re-run of Disney’s Hannah Montana two years ago, before we banned the show from our home. Ironic, huh?

That one line is the best thing that ever came from that show. You can quote me on that.

All that to say, we spent a good part of a day last week, hunting down the warrior who left a large trail of blood on our kitchen floor.

My daughter informed us in a worried voice, “Someone in this house is bleeding!”

And no one acted surprised (note blog title. ahem).

I checked toes and fingers, feet and hands, even paws. (I’m pretty sure if my cat wasn’t already scarred for life, he is now. The search insulted him). I followed the trail of blood through the kitchen and into the living room.

It led to my hubby.

I held out my hand and he produced a foot. Sure enough, it was him.

Me: “How can you have glass in your foot and an open wound and leave a trail of blood and not even know it?” (And it’s not the first time I’ve asked that question).

Him: And I quote, “Shoulder Shrug.”

I cannot tell you how many times this man has dripped blood and not known. I, on the other hand, need a sling for a paper cut.

Most of his injuries are acquired while he works on the car, repairs a broken appliance or digs a lost toy from behind a dresser. He nicks a knuckle helping me with a DIY project, scrapes arms climbing trees with a daughter, gashes a leg teaching a son to ride his bike.

Most of his injuries occur while he’s serving his family.

He is a real man. I am honored to be his wife.

Today he turns 39.

He is our warrior.

So, in honor of his day, I asked all three of my children to tell you how we say the blood of a warrior:

(One of them was a little reluctant)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmMKIIq5niY]

Happy birthday, honey. I hope it’s a scream!

And good luck on the interview!

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2nd Blogoversary

7:35 am Bykristen

Mark your calendars:

In celebration of my pending Blogoversary, I’ve made a couple of changes: Every time you refresh my blog, 1 of 4 rotating headers appear in random order. (My hubby and I were high-fiving each other late last night when we figured out how to design and rotate our homemade headers all by ourselves. I think we deserve a cookie!)

So. If you’re reading this in a reader, click over and refresh away!

Mark your calendars for Oct. 22! It’s my 2 year Blogoversary and we’re celebrating! I’ll be hosting a Carnival (with a MckLinky). Link up your THAT family stories–you know the ones, the ER visits, the tantrums in Target, the gum-eating-off-the-floor in WalMar–everyone who links, will be entered to win a very special Grand Prize. There will be TWO winners!!

Oh, and just a hint on the super, fabulous Grand Prize for the Blogoversary Carnival next month, one word: C_ _K_E

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I’m Crafty

3:00 pm Bykristen

I Make Cute People

(okay, I got a little help)

photo by Sherrard Photography

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DIYP-I’ve Got Your Number

7:00 am Bykristen

I flipped open the newest edition of Country Living this month and smiled at this page:

Numbers.

Who knew they were so in?

Well. Me, of course. (Not really, I just got lucky)!

I picked up this crock at a thrift store and decided it needed something. So, I taped a stencil to it:

Added some white paint:

I added a black two to my laundry soap jar:

And a three to a throw pillow:

I might be out of control since my stencils have many numerical possibilities.

My hubby said he’s waiting for me to put 24 on something (his Nascar #).

He’s got my number.

What do you think of numbers as decor? It’s in, you know!

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Stand By Your Man

5:00 am Bykristen

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a city girl married to a country boy. My hubby slips into a dashing suit everyday to provide for our family and talks intelligent medical lingo, but he’s really just a hick.

He taught me how to two-step on our first date. He actually whispered in my ear when I donned my first pair of western jeans “Wrangler butts drive me nuts” and he chews and spits sunflower seeds if he drives more than 30 minutes in the car.

He’s a good ‘ole boy. (My interpretation: He’s a very fine man).

For the last three years, every time a position out of city limits opened in his company, he gave me the look. I’ve always had a reason to say no: a challenging pregnancy, a baby on a heart monitor, a need to live very close to my family, a great elementary school, etc.

My hubby honored my wishes with out regret every time.

Another opportunity opened a few weeks ago. It was hours from our home in a city I knew nothing about and would be a major move, but still in Texas. I went to my reservoir of excuses and begin assembling them.

We talked it over for a couple of days, the pros and the cons. At one point, he looked at me and said, “Just say the word [no] and I won’t apply.”

So, I said yes. I said yes because I don’t want to have that kind of power over my hubby. I don’t want to manipulate our future and miss out on something even more wonderful because I’m afraid. I said yes because it was time for me to stand by my man.

We prayed for the door to open if it was God’s plan or to shut if we needed to stay put. I knew the job would be a long shot, with dozens applying.

Today, he has his third interview. It’s been narrowed down to two.

I don’t know the future.

We may be putting our house on the market next week. We may be pulling our kids out of school mid-semester. We may live a part: me here, him there. We may have to keep our promise about getting the kids a horse.

I may be having a mid-life crisis online for your viewing pleasure.

Or life may just stay exactly the same.

Either way, I will be relieved and excited about both.

Because I stood by my man.

I’ve learned a lot about me over the past 3 weeks in this process:

I am not patient.
I am comfortable in my life.
I have a great support of local friends (Cheryl, Amanda, Karen, Sandi, and Kimmy, Bridget) and of my family.
My hubby has better interview skills than I expected!

(And this is where you encourage me about my uncertain future and tell me everything is going to work out).

*Updated* His interview was just moved to Monday, also my hubby’s birthday!

I need a nerve pill.

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Name That Photo Winners

9:13 pm Bykristen

Y’all are hilarious.

I need to make a mental note to have Caption Contests whenever I need to laugh.

It’s been one of those weeks.

Here are some of my favorites:

“Mom put this picture up to take attention away from the image of her in a Cow Costume” by Gina

“Frugal Dishwashing” by Eden

“I blog for chocolate” by Sharon

“The Proof is in the Pudding” by Lisa

“Twilight-schmilight” by Don Martelli

And the winner is……..

“Everything’s better covered in chocolate” by Lisa

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WFMW-How to Find Your Car in a Parking Lot

7:00 am Bykristen

Today’s WFMW is, perhaps, a small glimpse into an ordinary day of being me.

But, people, I am not proud and I’m happy to pass along a few tips for finding your lost car. Or to be more precise, the whereabouts of the car you parked, but forgot where, because you were totally engrossed in Target’s red-ticketed clearance section for well over an hour.

Not that I would know about that. It’s just a for example.

First off, park in the same space every time you visit your regular stores. This does not mean drive the wrong way down an aisle and cut in front of the elderly gentleman who has been patiently waiting for his spot to open up. *You know who you are.* If your spot is taken, park in the same row every time.

But if you forget, and you have a key fob for your car on your keychain, press the alarm key. It works every time. (warning: You will be stared at, but you won’t have to walk home.)

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!

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6 Months of Diapers

1:30 pm Bykristen

*UPDATED AGAIN::PLEASE READ*

I know many of you were touched as I was, with the comments. An anonymous reader offered to give a random commenter $100 for diapers. If you feel led to do the same, please email me! Thank you for being the best readers ever!

Winner of the $100: Gigi

Winner of $25 LStewart

Winner of $50 Sandra

This was hard. Reading thru these comments was painful. So many needs. But God.

I believe He will provide your needs according to His riches in Glory.

More than ever, I wish everyone could win.

I used the Random Number Generator because I figure nothing is random with the One who knows it all.

Congratulations DanaB (Windows Wide Open), email reader.

Everyone else, register here, to receive a $5 Luvs coupon!

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Name that Photo Contest

7:00 am Bykristen

If you were this photo, what would your name be?

Winner gets a month of free advertising on my sidebar! A million dollar value. (Well, it could be if I raised my prices a little, actually for now it’s a $60 value). Winner can advertise their blog, store, friend’s blog, church, cousin’s Etsy shop, etc. As long as it’s family-friendly, you choose!)

This contest closes Wednesday.

Do you have a giveaway that would make the perfect holiday gift? October is booked and I have limited spots in the months of November & December, so email me to secure a date! Please note that I have changed my giveaway policy.

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A Guide to My Girl

7:00 am Bykristen

I’m the first to admit that I have no idea what I’m doing raising a ‘tween.

She is beautiful and complicated and changing so quickly it makes me want to freeze time.

Or puff quickly into a paper bag to prevent hyperventilating.

I’ve put away my love of fiction reading during this season and my bedside table is littered with these amazing books. I highly recommend them instead of a paper bag.

Resources I’m reading by myself:

Five Conversations You Must Have with Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney

(I love this book! It’s timely and it has instructions on what to say to your daughter at different ages in her life. It is a must-read book!)

Your Girl: Raising a Godly Daughter in an Ungodly World by Vicki Courtney

(This book is so encouraging and offers valuable, practical teaching on what to do to raise modest, Godly daughters.)

If you aren’t already reading Vicki Courtney’s blog, Virtue Alert, you should be!

Resources I’m reading with my daughter:

The Body Book: It’s A God Thing! (Young Women of Faith Series)
Beauty Lab (Part of the Young Women of Faith Series)

We have been reading a chapter every couple of nights and just finished the first. There is a section for girls to journal their thoughts and feelings in the books. My daughter has really enjoyed this special alone time with me. So have I.

Resources I’m reading to my daughter:

God’s Design for Sex-4 Part Series

Book 1- The Story of Me (God’s Design for Sex) (ages 3-5)

Book 2-Before I Was Born (God’s Design for Sex) (ages 5-8)

Book 3-What’s the Big Deal?: Why God Cares About Sex (8-12)

Book 4-Facing the Facts: The Truth About Sex and You (12+)

My daughter is in the fourth grade and I want her to hear information concerning sex from me before she hears it from peers, who gathered their facts from older siblings or movies. I’ll be the first to admit, we are just now starting this series dipping our toes into this large, uncomfortable subject, slowly. These books read like a story and are very well written, but they are very informative. But I really like the Godly perspective it offers, even if it makes me want to find that paper sack.

I’m gathering books to read to/for my son. I’ll share those at some point.

What about you? What is the right age to talk about this stuff? Did your parents or friends give you your information?

Add any helpful parenting resources you’ve read to the comments!

*If you buy the book from the link on my site I earn a few pennies from Amazon.

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THAT Family Tree Society-Issue 54

10:00 pm Bykristen

Pictures of the Week (last weekend):

faux diamonds

petite gold balls

The Week in Review: Both of my girls were inducted into the ear piercing club. I decided a long time ago to have their ears pierced when they asked for it. We took my 9.5 year old and my nearly 3 year old watched. Two days later, I relented because my toddler had made up her mind and wouldn’t stop asking. They both did great!

Introduction into The Society: Happy to introduce y’all to: Jamaican Mommies

Yes, the real Jamaica!
1. Tell us a little about your blog (name/reason why you blog): My Blog is called Jamaican Mommies and was started simply because I became a young mom and somehow started realizing that there were so many other young moms that I knew. I therefore wanted my blog to be a forum where these other moms could come for information on varied topics and to also share their ideas, thoughts, concerns etc related to motherhood. The companionship has also been worth looking forward to as other moms share their experiences, letting you know, you are not alone.

2. How long have you blogging? Since May of 2009. Right on time when my 3 month maternity leave finished. I found that blogging was a way to continuously speak all things mommy related, while trying to deal with my ongoing separation anxiety.

3. How would you define THAT family? THAT family is what in essence makes each family unique. For my Family, we are THAT family simply because we enjoy some of the ‘less extravagant’ pleasures of life- such as movie nights, a long walk in any natural zone, visits to the beach for days on end, drives to the countryside, trying new recipe (well me that is and hubby does the taste tests. lol) and basically being at one with nature. One of our new found pleasures has been cuddles with our six month older.. What can ever beat that?…We are also THAT family because sometimes we aren’t too perfect, and even though it might take a while, we value the merits of apologies and know that saying “I am sorry” is always bound to reap positive results…So you see, we are definately THAT family

4. When did you discover you were a part of THAT family? I’ve always been a part of THAT family even before I had my own, but the realization really sunk in during my transitory period between University and ‘the real world’. It was then that I truly discovered the aspects/elements that I wanted MY family to have. I have since been blessed to find a husband who shares these ideals and hopefully as our little one gets older, she will too.

5. Where can we find your blog?

You can find meat http://jamaicanmommies.blogspot.com

I know at first glance you might think it isn’t someplace where ‘international moms’ can truly feel at home, but once you are a mom or a mom at heart, I’m sure you can relate. If you also want to learn about another culture via my posts, it is worth perusing.

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A LUV-ly Giveaway

2:00 pm Bykristen

*This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for entering. Winner will be announced soon.

I pray about my blog.

Sounds silly or even crazy (especially considering some of things I do here), but it is what it is.

I pray that I will be effective.

I pray that I will make a difference.

I pray that God will use my words to impact someone’s life.

And so, when the Luvs Diaper people contacted me about sharing $5 off coupons with my readers and possibly a giveaway, I nearly deleted it.

Mainly because we are out of the diaper stage. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. I like to write from my own experiences and because we still love The Wipe and use them for unintended purposes, (I mopped the floor with one on the bottom of my foot yesterday) I decided to fire back an email.

I spent a few minutes reminiscing about our first diaper days when I would scrounge Ebay for diaper coupons. I remember the place in our budget marked diapers and how I tried to squeeze every penny out of that column.

I remember a friend passing along a megapack of diapers her baby had outgrown and I’ll never forget how something so insignificant made such a huge difference in our month.

And so, I asked Luvs for something significant for someone special.

Because I pray about my blog.

I pray that I will be effective.

I pray that I will make a difference in someone’s life.

Today,with the help of Luvs and their “Take a Stand” campaign, I am giving away a SIX MONTH SUPPLY of their fine diapering products, plus a cool diaper bag ($250.00 value) on my blog.

I know this giveaway won’t apply to everyone. But will you take a minute and think of someone who needs this? Please leave their name or your relationship (for their privacy) in the comment as your entry.

This giveaway will close on Tuesday, the day the $5.00 Luvs coupons will be available. It’s a limited supply, so mark your calendars.

Y’all have a great weekend! And don’t forget to remember 9/11

*Please understand that I am not receiving anything for hosting this giveaway

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DIYP-Another Chalkboard Project

7:00 am Bykristen

I know. I’m losing it. Someone, please commit me.

To padded -chalkboard walls.

I can’t help myself. I love chalkboard paint!

I found this ugly tray for $1 at a garage sale (there was a price tag on the back for $19.99! I pity the poor soul who paid that much!)

Since I already had some half-used cans of spray paint and chalkboard paint, I’m pretty sure this is the cheapest DIY project I’ve ever done.

And they say money can’t buy happiness. P’shaw.

I primed the tray and after it dried, I spray painted it with a Satin Ivory:

Already looks better, huh?

I used a sponge brush and applied several coats of chalkboard paint.

So easy.

And now if could just have the message on the board come true!

When repurposing an item for a chalkboard:

Look at the shape of the item.
Don’t let the material scare you away. You can paint over old art, metal, mirrors, plastic, anything!
Prime first.
Use a sponge brush to apply chalkboard paint
Be brave and have fun! You can NEVER have too many chalkboards!

I stumbled upon a package of chalkboard wallpaper at a discount store for $5 a package:

I’ve been wanting to try this out and I had the perfect spot for it: the inside doors to my craft cabinet. (Yes, I know it’s a mess, it’s on my to do list!)

Before:

After:

Seriously, I applied this stuff in two minutes flat! I think it’s great and it was a lot easier than paint, but not as cheap.

Visit Thrifty Decor Chick for more!

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This is Love

4:00 pm Bykristen

*Updated List of Needs*

I asked my Russian friends from The Persecuted Church to give me an updated list of some items they need. They live entirely on the support of Christian families, while they lead and teach leaders still in Uzbekistan and other Russian countries via Skype.

If you’d like to donate money, that’s always needed. But here are some items you can send (They don’t have to be new). With the holidays approaching, this is a great way to teach children about giving.

1. Bath Towels
2. warm blankets for children
3. Big Plastic bowls(for mixing)
4. Salad bowls (or anythings for kitchen will make me happy)

5. Sizes of clothes:
Husband
L
pants-34*30
shoes-9
Wife
XS or S
pants-4 medium
shoes-6,5-7

5 yr daughter
4T-5T
shoes-9-10

3 yr son
3T
shoes-8-9

If you can donate any of these items, please email me (kristenwrites@yahoo.com)

Also, when my friend lived in Uzbekistan, she made their clothes and was very good at sewing. I’d love to buy her a sewing machine. If you want to help me, let me know!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Many of you have emailed and tweeted and left comments asking about my Russian friends from The Persecuted Church.

First, thank you for caring, secondly, if you are new to their story, please follow the link above. It might just change your life.

I know watching their story unfold has changed mine.

Our dear friends had an amazing three month trip to the Ukraine, the nearest place they were safely allowed to enter. Even twelve hours and hundreds of miles from their former home, caused their families left behind in Uzbekistan a visit and interrogation from the police.

While they were there, they traveled thousands of miles within the country teaching and encouraging pastors and Christian workers. They shared the gifts you sent.

Their story is still unfolding. But I will tell you of one miraculous event. They wished to see their parents, whom they hadn’t seen face-t0-face in the three years since they were forcefully deported from their county. It was a prayer whispered a thousand times, but it would take a miracle for these precious parents to travel across unsafe borders with papers and funds.

The day before they were to meet, our sweet brother called my hubby via Skype. He was very discouraged and said that everyone had received their travel documents to visit them in the Ukraine, except for his mother. She would have to stay behind.

Her heart was broken. I remembered ‘meeting’ her on Skype a few months before, this jovial woman whose children had been ripped from her life, thanking me, for caring for her children.

My heart was broken for her. My hubby and I prayed for a miracle. Our friends prayed for a miracle.

Just hours before they were to depart to see their children, the documents arrived. We rejoiced with them. And I cried as if it was my own mother.

Our Russian friends returned to the United States a few weeks ago. They returned home. They do not have a physical home, and are believing for yet another miracle. A local pastor has been kind enough to let them stay in his unsold home in another city, over an hour from us. They remind me and teach me daily that home is not a place, it is people.

We traveled to the home that is not theirs on Labor Day to fellowship with them. Our families are starved for each other. We laughed and talked and ate. It felt like home.

I watched my dear heart-sister create a meal from nothing. She lovingly rolled dough thin and taught me as she worked. I marveled at her skill and asked so many questions. She told me of the special steaming pans her mother passed down to her from Uzbekistan.

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“When we were forced to leave, we filled our suitcases with our special pots and books in our language, not clothes and unimportant things,” she explained as she rolled the dough thinner and thinner.

I asked several questions about the unusual pans that allow you to stack the unique dumpling-type dish 4 or 5 deep and she explained that America did not have anything like it.

She turned and looked at me with so much love, I couldn’t bare it, “Would you like my steaming pots? I would like to give them to you.”

Just like that, she offered me one of her most valuable possessions, one of her only links to her home and her mother.

“No. No, please, I do not want them or need them. I just think they are unique.”

She turned and carried on her act of love, rolling dough, as if it were nothing.

This is love.

I am a student.

Oh, how they teach me.

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The Portrait of a Family

7:00 am Bykristen

I usually duck when someone points a camera in my direction.

I’m not camera shy, really, I just don’t love being the object on the other end of a lens.

It probably sounds weird that I’ve dreamed of a professional photo shoot of my family. A brave soul to follow us around while we wear white and dodge grass stains. (We’ve had family pictures taken at WalMart loads of times and it’s fine, but, well, you know).

So, there it is: my dream.

And, thanks to Sherrard Photography, she captured much more than grass stains:

The sweet gal behind the lens took around 500 pictures of our family in around an hour. She was so fun and creative and put this uneasy girl at ease.

Her work is amazing. Christa is flexible and easy-going and cute as a button.

She is a premier wedding photographer and will travel just about anywhere to capture your special day. She sticks to areas around Houston, Texas, for everything else.

And if you visit her site, you’ll fall in love with her gorgeous images.

If you tell her I sent you, she’ll offer 10% off her reasonable family sitting fees.

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WFMW: Homework Center

7:00 am Bykristen

4-5PM finds us in the kitchen on weekdays during the school year.

My kids, still in elementary school, enjoy doing their homework at the kitchen table, the hub of our home.

I like it too.

While I start preparations for dinner, they work on spelling words and vocabulary definitions. I’m there to prod and answer quick questions. Unless it’s math. There are tears with math. And my kids sometimes cry too. We leave math to Dad.

Last year, we were always scrounging up pencils, digging for paper and losing markers. I decided a homework center was a necessity.

I found an amazing shelf 1/2 price at Marshalls for $20. It asked to come home with me and since I’m nice, I obliged. I fell in love with it’s smart cubbies and practical shelf.

We covered cardboard oatmeal containers in fun scrapbook paper:

And filled them with learning goodies:

This old tin tray I found at a yard sale, serves as a perfect message center for projects and important reminders. I used magnetic clips to attach to the tray:

The little shelf even had placards for my kid’s names:

I added some rulers and a paperweight my toddler made and it’s ready to go!

It didn’t take my kids long…

I think this project gets an A+. Don’t you?

What works for you?

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! Was your link deleted? Click here.

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The Pleated Poppy {Giveaway}

7:00 am Bykristen

*UPDATED* Congratulations to the following winners: reader (no blog) Cherith Baker; SaraK

I’ve fallen in love again. It comes in the form of pleats and poppy’s.

I mention The Pleated Poppy during the (in)courage launch last month and I’m so happy to be hosting a giveaway today!

I love everything about this beautiful store! When I look at the things Lindsey creates, I’m amazed at her talent and how simply pretty it all is! I love her tag line to: beautiful imperfections of the everyday. Probably because I can relate to it so well.

Her prices are affordable and her items make perfect little gifts to give or keep.

Here are some of my favorites from her store:

Pink Posy Petal Pusher, $12