Are we that Family?

Have you ever seen two young people in love and thought, "wow they will have gorgeous children." Or saw a church directory and thought: "how in the world did THOSE two people make those beautiful children." Terrible. Horrible Shallow. I know I know.

I dont think I'm all that wonderful but I also dont hide under a paper bag. I think my husband is OK. I'm attracted to him. I think my kids look nice. They are mine and I like them. I dont turn away from framed pictures of them.

Every once in a while a good friend will look me square in the eye and explain that I have really beautiful children. OK. This has happened more than once. Are they surprised? Is this some odd encouraging word of affirmation someone somewhere suggested we say to people?

This weekend my husband and I saw several people that we hadnt seen in YEARS. Some not sicne our wedding. I got this statement a few times again. It wasnt a casual thing it was that look you square in the eye and state a fact that you JUST must hear.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN? I'll never know. Now that I've posed the question, you all will be squinting at my family photo and giggling. You'll think you need to say something encouraging or shoot me down in my attempt at getting compliments. I'll never know if we are one of those families.

Audio Books and reading out loud (a giveaway)

I love literature. I love books. My husband loves books. Literature shapes us and there is nothing like hearing a book read out loud to you. There was a period of time where I had surgery and my husband had a back injury, we read out loud. Most of the day. We read and read and enjoyed so much together. We both got on our feet again and were blessed with two more babies. Life got busier and busier.

Don't misunderstand, we read. We read and read and read. We read to our youngest children. Our older children read to younger children (and to each other) but there are also times when its just easier to turn on Sponge Bob. I want to make it easier to quickly get good literature.

Spurred on by June being national audio book month.  I wanted to set my 10 year daughter up with an Ipod of audio books but when I started looking online for downloads I had trouble finding ones worth reading/listening to.

I was contacted by Molly of My Audio School, which she founded in 2009 to "give children safe and easy internet access to classic audio books, educational radio drama and television and radio broadcasts of historic events." I was so so impressed by the site. It's content and quality are exemplary. While searching the internet myself I had trouble finding worthy titles, but once on My Audio School, I immediately wanted to listen to many. And I could. We could.


My Audio School came out of Molly's desire for her children. Molly has a son with dyslexia, she didn't let that stop him from having access to good literature and a good education. She has chosen titles and content for her site with amazing vigor. Vigor that our families can now benefit from. I am so grateful for that.

There are many areas in my life where I could improve. Many that I want to. Honestly though, sometimes there just isn't the time or energy or resources to figure out or implement these changes. Starting in June, our family will be exposed to and benefit and grow from more literature and more reading out loud thanks to My Audio School.

********AND guess what? My Audio School has generously offered a one year subscription (a $14.99 value) to one of our readers!!

to enter:
tell me a book from your childhood that stands out in your mind

extra entries:

<3 head over to my Audio School and come back to tell me one title you want to sink into right now
            Keep in mind that what you see listd is only a small fraction of what is available to members.
<3 like my Audio School on Facebook
<3 become a follower of this site

I will choose a winner (through random.org) on 6/30

Washcloths by Madelyn

Our 10 year old daughter Madelyn wants lip gloss and silly bands and other silly things. I was raised by two strict people who lived through the depression. I am cheap. beyond cheap. I also dont have money to spend on these things.


I am not crafty. I really like the idea of WAHM. Of "stealing" little snippets of time while babies nap and between drying tears and wiping noses to make small crafts etc to add to the families extra money. Trouble is that I am not crafty.

Madelyn has been in an amazing Girls Club for a few years now and has learned some really neat things: baking, knitting, jump rope, camping, quilling, needlepoint, painting and crochet.

She has been hoarding yarn under her bed. (in a sealed plastic container) It bugged me. I tried to find a good parenting moment here. I found a pattern that seemed easy enough and made some prototypes. She is making washcloths to sell. We talked about 10% going to her Girls Club dues, 20% for tithe and needing to pay for supplies. There is a homeschool craft fair in the Fall and we are preparing for that. Then I got carried away and thought about Etsy. And a logo and business cards and blog giveaways and.....

I also dropped and broke my camera.

Today I tried to get my act together for her and took some pictures with a lame camera and posted to Etsy. There will be matching ribbon tied sets soon, more (hopefuly better pictures) and if money comes in a logo and some giveaways. Maybe some money for lip gloss and silly bands and popscicles from the ice cream man.

Please do take a look. the Washcloths are well made and clean and very scrub worthy:)

Keeping Me Posted

Summer is approaching quickly and as the temperatures heat up I cant help but think about gatherings, parties and graduations. Our family also has a few summer birthdays and some new babies coming this Summer. I discovered a husband and wife team that creates georgous invitations!

https://www.keepingmeposted.com/

At, Keeping Me Posted, you can purchase unique announcements, party invites, and holiday cards.  Keeping Me Posted has new designs that constantly get updated with the latest trends and styles of today.  The state-of-the-art photo personalization tools make any person a card designer.  Try the cutting-edge tools to upload photos from Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, and SmugMug.  Fresh, new designs fill the website’s pages.  The customization tools on the website can change the font color, size, and style.  The tools can be used to change photos from color to black and white or sepia.  Review your card electronically for free. Want a design you don't see on the site? Not a problem--Just let Keeping Me Posted know about it, and a perfect design can be made just for you for free.  HP Indigo printing presses print the cards on top-quality thick matte paper.  Cards are reviewed carefully during the various production stages so you get something special that you will be satisfied with.  Stop by Keeping Me Posted today at www.keepingmeposted.com to let people know you are moving, having a baby, or throwing a fabulous party.

By order of the Management

I just discovered a new blog that I absoulutely HAD to share with you!

She is offering these two posters free to download.

Don't ya just love 'em?!?!?

Why don't ya head on over to:

say hello from me and download these babies for yourself!!

Happy Birthday Rachelle

It's Rachelle's birthday! You know when you sit down and make a list of who your true friends are, the ones that you can really count on? (You all do that right) Rachelle is on my list. But we weren't even born in the same decade, now do we live in the same state, or part of the country and we haven't met. Hello to the wonders of blogging, and the internet.

She is a gem. A sweetheart. She is turning 24 and man does she know how to celebrate!

On Friday she is hosting the mother of all giveaways. Head on over and

where there will be an AWESOME GIVEAWAY EVERY HOUR!!

It's birthday week over at

Coming Clean

Let's come clean. I have heard a lot of talk about Shaklee and how much money you can make and live the dream. Honestly, I was turned off by it. Then, I started to hear more and more about their cleaning products being efficient, non-toxic and inexpensive.

I saw this before and after on House of Grace:



I saw  pictures of Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chic "finally" clean her oven. (and wondered if I should be cleaning mine ;) I seriously looked around at my dirty house and began thinking.

I saw this cost comparison which really made sense.

I am a chemical snob. I have a son with an auto immune disease and a million allergies. I hate hate hate the smell of almost every cleaner. I have skin that gets dry and bleeds when anywhere near cleaning products. So....I don't clean:) Not a good plan huh?

I saw this video from Rachel Ray:

http://youtu.be/mTUal9QW2cE

This on toxic cleaners:

http://youtu.be/i7RhyrQMhY4


and another from Dr. Oz and Oprah that I couldnt figure out how to embedd or cut and paste.

After everything, I was sold. I finally did it. I took the plunge and tried Shaklee.

I was blown away. And, A little embarrassed at how much dirt I got OUT of my surroundings.

Empowered by Shaklee I:

cleaned my sink:


Wait though! I do clean my sink. I wipe it out often. I clean it with a natural stainless steal cleaner, I scrub it out with baking soda. So WHY did I manage to get soooo many paper towels of black gook when I used this stuff:

Scour off is AMAZING. It is made from cherry pits and smells WONDERFUL (remember how much I detest the small of cleaning supplies?)
Liked it soooo much I decided to tackle my oven:


It did come totally clean and shiny. By now, I knew it would. What amazed me was that I wasn't scrubbing and scraping and repeating. I was just rubbing on and then off. It was THAT easy.


Still empowered by Shaklee, this time armed with Basic H, I:
got dry erase marker out of a Boy Scout shirt. (no pictures, I was a little frustrated that someone would write on their brother's shirt :)

cleaned shag carpeting. In a few rooms. Because there was no sudsing and build up it was faster and a lot more efficient.

When a friend moved I ended up with her cleaning box and a bunch of expensive new fangled all in one cleaners. One said specifically it worked on glass and mirrors. I went to town on our 15 foot sliding doors and then our windowed office doors and then, then, I noticed it left a gooey sludge all over them. I sat down and pouted. Now I need to go back over them all with Basic H.


In the end, I am soo glad that I did try Shaklee and am wondering why it took me so sceptically long. It is more natural? Cheaper? and for me, so far it has been faster and simpler. Now my question is, do I become a distributor? If I do would you try it out? Wanna try Shaklee cleaners now?

Bonnie

who blogs at

 has generously and amazingly offered 5 of my readers a sample of Basic H cleaner.



yes, I said FIVE!

To enter:

Follow this blog and tell me something that you put off cleaning

for bonus entries (leave one comment for each) :
-Head over to House of Grace and see all that this powerhouse can do) and tell me which you'd like to try your sample of Basic H on
-Follow House of Grace on Facebook (Say hello for me!)

On May 31st at midnight PST I will, using Random.org choose 5 winners.