What makes me different than a typical person on Groundhog's Day . . .

I'm excited if our local groundhog sees his shadow. That means only 6 more weeks of winter around here!

My New Favorite Website

I don't even remember how exactly I found this website, and after visiting it for a month or so, it seems I am the last person on earth who hasn't heard of it. But in case you haven't either, let me introduce you to

The Pioneer Woman

When I first found the website, I intended to visit it only for recipes. It wasn't until I started poking around that I found it's author, Ree, blogs about life on a ranch, photography, homeschooling and decorating/gardening! If only she quilted, this might be the only blog I would ever need to visit! So take some time to peruse the site and I guarantee you'll find something you like.

And when you are completely addicted, as I now am, you can send me presents to show your appreciation . . . I'll be patiently waiting!

Gas Prices

Has anyone else noticed as gas prices drop, the media bemoans how much money is being lost in the stock market, but when gas prices were soaring, they complained about all of the "average joes" who couldn't afford to take their summer vacations?

Are these people ever happy?

One Word Answers

1. Where is your cell phone? van
2. Your significant other? loving
3. Your hair? brunette
4. Your mother? forgetful
5. Your father? organized
6. Your favorite thing? chocolate
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? faithful
10. The room you're in? nook
11. Your fear? cancer
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? better
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? un-opinionated
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? Mac
17. Where you grew up? flatland
18. The last thing you did? parented
19. What are you wearing? capris
20. Your TV? ugly
21. Your pet? hairy
22. Your computer? slow
23. Your mood? cranky
24. Missing someone? Sandman
25. Your car? white
26. Something you're not wearing? rings
27. Favorite Store? Kohls
28. Your summer? busy
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? a.m.

5 Things

Five Things About Me Meme
Morning Rose tagged me to do a Five Things About Me Meme.


The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
Each player answers the questions about themselves.
At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.


What were you doing five years ago?

1. I was finishing up my first year of teaching 4th through 6th grade at a private Christian school.
2. Dan and I went to Maui on our first exotic vacation!
3. I was pregnant with Elijah.
4. We travelled to Washington state to attend Dan's brother's wedding.
5. I was enjoying my first summer vacation not working! (I have stayed home since ending that school year)



What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

1. Finish laundry
2. Research sewing machines
3. Try to get the house back to normal after a crazy weekend with houseguests and cookouts
4. Finish watching "Becoming Jane"
5. Did I mention all the laundry?

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. anything chocolate
2. cheese and crackers
3. ice cream
4. fresh strawberries
5. chips and dip

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Give most of it away - it would consume me.
2. Redo our kitchen and basement, or . . .
3. Move to a home on the lake.
4. Travel, especially to foreign countries where we know missionaries.
5. Invest and live off of the interest (okay, that's Dan talking)

What are five of your bad habits?

1. Worrying
2. Being critical
3. Being obsessive compulsive about things
4. Wasting time
5. Picking at scabs. Disgusting. I know.

What are five jobs you’ve had?
1. Shoe salesman at Sears
2. Telecounselor for MBBC
3. Pharmacy tech
4. Manager of health and fitness club (anyone who knows me will find this very ironic.)
5. Teacher

What five people do you want to tag?
1. Sarah
2. Gretchen
3. Karen
4. Tina
5. Elizabeth

Shop till you drop!

Remember when I mentioned that I would have a post on a new company I found,
peas&carrots? Well, here is that promised post! I first heard about this great company when my friend, Summer, took pictures for their marketing. After drooling over their bags and fabrics for long enough, I decided to purchase the two products that I loved the most:

The Quick Change - great for running around town. It holds 3-4 diapers and wipes and is perfect for when you need changing supplies with you, but you don't need to cart around a whole bag. I love it! And I love the fabric, which you get to choose! And one of their unique handbags - they offer 6 different styles, all available to customize with your fabric choices. I really could have bought all of them!

Well, shortly after I recieved my purchase in the mail, peas&carrots unveiled a new little product, the "zippy," which you can get in the matching fabric for your bag. Now how cute is that?!?!

Check out their site - you will definately find something you love, even if you don't have a baby anymore. The bags make great purses, and she also makes some stuff for older kids, too! Not to mention the baby shower gift option . . . Leave a comment and tell me what you like!

Enjoy!

A Few Updates

I have been itching to update my blog a bit, but I want to add some of my own photographs in the header and such, which I haven't had the time to do! So instead of completing all the changes at once, I added a few new elements that would be fun for you to check out.

1. I've added links to 3 friends - My brother Kevin, my friend and cherished babysitter, Elizabeth, and Sara's Art House. Check them out!

2. I've also added a section for fun sites I like to visit. Although I could probably write a seperate post on each site, I will save you from that now and just direct you to check out the sites.

My world was opened up after I discovered Etsy, so for all of you looking for unique gifts or products for yourself or family, Etsy is all hand made, so meander around a bit and get creative!

Farmgirl Fare has some great recipes and fun pictures of farm life. Read up on her profile to better understand what makes this site so cool.

Splitcoast Stampers isn't new to most of you stampers out there, but if you are looking for inspiration, there is no better site!

And Peas & Carrots - well, let's just say that I should have a post about this fun company soon. I'm waiting for a handbag and quick change to come in the mail, and then I will share!

That's all for now. Let's hope my tulips that Elijah and I planted last fall will come up and they will aid my new blog design.

10 Products That Make My Life a Little Better . . .

(in no particular order)

1. My Mary Kay Timewise 3-In-1 Cleanser. I start and end every day with it, and have never used a better product.

2. My dishwand. You know, the tube with a sponge attached that dispenses dishsoap as you wash. I can't remember the last time I filled a sink with water and used a washcloth. It makes for quick clean up for the dishes that can't go (or won't fit) in the dishwasher.

3. Curl refiner hair product. Either Aveda's Be Curly or Redkin's Curl Refiner. Scrunch it in after the shower and my curls stay soft and frizz-free all day. It makes my hair routine take all of 2 minutes.

4. Huggies baby wipes. How did I live without these for so many years? Not only do they clean up after a diaper explosion, but they wipe dirty faces, clean stamps, and remove makeup. What other all-purpose product does this?

5. Carmex. The original, made in Wisconsin product.

6. Tropical Twist Trident. Tasty gum that freshens my breath when needed. My purse is rarely empty of this product.

7. My Kitchenaid mixer. I use it more than I thought I would!

8. Music by Sovereign Grace Ministries. When I listen to music, one of their CD's is almost always my first choice. I haven't heard many other artists whose lyrics are so rich and theological.

9. Berres Bros. Coffee. What can I say - I like Starbucks, but NOTHING beats a hot cup of Highlander Grogg.

10. Settlers of Catan. I haven't tired of this game and haven't met many people who don't love it as much as Dan and I do. We have stayed up late too many nights playing with friends and never regretted it. Wanna come over for a cup of coffee and a game?

Christmas Edition of "Get to Know your Friends!"

I received this email from my missionary friend, Kim, and decided it would be fun to post here.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper. It's the only time of year that I don't use gift bags.
2 . Real tree or Artificial? To my husband's chagrin, we have an artificial tree. I was tired of waiting to decorate until we had time to shop for a tree! And I worried about the kiddos eating pine needles. Maybe in the future we will go back to a real one. But I'm not promising it!
3 . When do you put up the tree? As soon as possible after our annual Thanksgiving traveling schedule.
4. When do you take the tree down? Usually after we returen home from our annual New Year traveling schedule!
5. Do you like egg nog? I never have, until I tasted my friend Amy's homemade recipe. Now that was yummy!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Wow, that's a hard one. My parent's probably remember better than I do!
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Just one. I hope to get more to make a collection someday.
8. Hardest person to buy for? By far, my father-in-law.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My mom or my daughter. Girl stuff is easy!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Old fashioned snail mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I remember desperately wanting a "My Little Pony" and then being bored with it like 5 minutes after it was unwrapped. That's totally my fault, though. No blame to the parents who bought it!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Without a doubt - White Christmas.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Sometime around September. My goal has been to be completely done BEFORE Thanksgiving, but it hasn't happened yet.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think I have ever recycled a Christmas present, but for the 19 weddings the year after we got married . . . yeah, most of those were re-gifts!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Probably cookies
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear lights on the tree inside the house, colored outside
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night; Joy, Joy by David Phelps; Here With Us by Joy Williams; Sleep, Jesus, Sleep by Sovereign Grace Music
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Usually we travel to my parent's house, but this year we are visiting them early and we are staying home for Christmas! Yeah!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? I kinda doubt it.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Ongoing Christmas argument. I grew up opening on Christmas morning, Dan on Christmas eve. I'm still holding out for the AM . . .
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? the crowded stores. Even Walmart on a Monday night during football is crazy!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Most of my ornaments have special memories attached, but I am particularly fond of the car ornament that the cast of my senior recital gave me - in honor of the play we performed, "Driving Miss Daisy."
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? I love the pizza treats that we eat on Christmas Eve.
25 . What do you want for Christmas this year? Well, I already got my camera, so I guess it's the list of home projects that I have! (I think a finished basement is at the top of the list right now)

Ok, now I tag all my readers who have a blog to answer the same questions . . .

Merry Christmas!

Another Reason . . .

. . . that I enjoy my "once-a-month-cooking" habit is that it frees up my kitchen during the day to bake my own bread or other goodies. I don't feel so overwhelmed at being in the kitchen "all day" because I know that dinner is already made, only needs heating up, and I am free to use my time to experiment with new side dishes or other fun recipes!

*This post is for my facebook friends who have been asking about my oamc fixation.

Edit

Thanks for all the comments on my previous post. I think I am going to take all the advice, in one way or another! I have decided to keep reading "Heaven", but to skim it for the next 10 chapters or so. If it doesn't get any better, than I will put it away for good.

As for the Piper book, I have decided to shelve that one for the time being. I can always pick it up again when I need the message (that is, when I'm struggling to desire God) or lend it to a friend who may need it.

Sometimes you know the right answer, but you just need someone to validate that it is ok! Thanks everyone!

Dreading Reading

I have a quick question for all you avid readers out there. Have you ever just trudged through a book? I mean, you keep reading, hoping for it to get better or for the message to affect you, but each chapter is drudgery and each time you shut the book you think to yourself, "I don't think I can stand to ever pick that book up again." If you have experienced this with me, what did you do? Do you keep reading (as my OCD nature tells me to finish) or chalk it up to a time waster and move on to a book that really speaks to you?

Here's what I am battling with. I have been "reading" Randy Alcorn's book, Heaven for some time now and I feel like his initial point about our bodily resurrection and the necessity of the earth's resurrection has been made already. But each chapter seems to go back to that main thesis and try to prove it in another way and I find myself quietly screaming, "OK! I GET IT! MOVE ON! WHY DO I NEED TO READ 40 CHAPTERS IF THIS IS ALL YOU ARE GOING TO SAY?!" Now don't get me wrong, Randy Alcorn is a great author and I have greatly benefitted from some of his other books, but I am just struggling with this one.

The other book that I put down a few months back and haven't picked back up is Piper's When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy. Now the same qualifier counts here: You can't argue with Piper and I have enjoyed his writing, but I feel like once you get his theology, each book kind of just repeats it in a new context.

So, my readers, what do you think I should do? Do I keep plowing through the books and strive for the good feeling I know I will have when I finally finish a book, or do I stop now and devote my already scarce reading times to something seemingly more profitable? Give me your advice!

Book Sale!

I just finished blogging about my new favorite kid's book, The Jesus Storybook Bible, when low and behold, Gretchen offers a great deal on that very book!

Her bookstore, on the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is offering The Jesus Storybook Bible for 50% off this week only! Stop on over to her blog and you can order there and she will ship it to you.

In case you are wondering, I bought 5. With the multitude of babies arriving at our church in the coming months, I figured I should be prepared!

my 2 cents

I read this article on Yahoo news today and 2 things struck me:

1. The editor speaks of the New Testament as completely true.
2. The editor expects us to accept that any written work NOT the New Testament doesn't have to be truthful.

Interesting . . .

Copyright Question

All fellow bloggers,

Where do you find your non-copyright pictures for your posts? I was just contacted by a photographer whose picture I had used in my last post. Apparently I am not able to use just any picture that comes up on google images. This is news to me. So I am wondering where the best websites are to use royalty free pics to make my blog look pretty! Let me know what you use!

And to make sure that I am compliant with all copyright rules, I am using a picture from my own collection. Enjoy!

This is my sister-in-law (on the left) with her friend showing off their coffee mask. Cute, huh?

New View from Our Corner of the World!

I've been thinking about trying a new template for sometime, and today I decided it was time! The pink of my old template was starting to annoy me, so it is time for some changes! I'm trying out some new titles for my blog, still thinking about the right one, so check back for that change. Also, I hope to update my friend's blogs link and the links for the blogs I check on a regular basis. No time like spring to do some organizing and updating!

Also, thanks to everyone who has been praying for my dad. He is out of the hospital and enjoying (last I heard) the extension of their vacation that was interrupted. I really appreciate all the notes of encouragement and prayer.

Waiting . . .

While I am still waiting for a chance to download the pictures from Dan's party, I decided to give you a fun link I found. Apparently YouTube gave out it's first awards and this video won for "Most Original." Take a minute to watch and you will see why!

***Disclaimer*** I do not know what the song they are singing is about. I was not listening because I unashamedly got caught up in the spectacle of the video. My guess is that you will too. So if the song is inappropriate in any way, you have my apologies.

Now for a more dignified recommendation, check out this video by my favorite group, The Newsboys. This song ranks as one of the best of all time!

Enjoy the links. I love YouTube!!!

As I've mentioned before, I am a sucker for quizzes and thought this one was interesting. See how you do!

You Are 60% Left Brained, 40% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Tagged, again!

This tagging thing keeps me up on my posts! I was tagged by Hindto to give 5 interesting things about myself. This doesn't come easily, since I don't find myself very interesting, but here goes:

1. I have hundreds of ideas for starting my own business. I have always loved the idea of owning a bookstore, but I would only stock books that I agree with, so the market better like my ideas! I also would love to run a coffee shop, especially in cooperation with my sis-in-law, Noelle. She would decorate and teach me the way of the barista, and I would buy books for our customers to read while they sip our delicious coffee. I sell Mary Kay, so that is one of my business ventures, and I have often thought about getting my cosmetology degree, just so I could cut my family's hair and any friends who trust me!

2. I used to laugh when Dan would suggest me working with him (he owns his own business) and tell him that I would rather stay married to him! Now I feel a little differently. After 4 months of him working by himself with no team members, I decided I could do it. Unfortunately, I was at home with a newborn and 2 year old when I had this revelation, so there was no way I could do it! However, if the need ever arises again, I know that I will be more willing to pitch in and help. And who would make a better team member than your spouse? I pretty much always know what he is thinking already! :)

3. In high school, I remember saying that I would never have children because I was scared of the pain (who isn't?) and that I just couldn't imagine myself as a mother. I was more of a feminist than I was willing to admit. One of my best friends, Amber, told me that she couldn't imagine me not being a mother, since I was already so motherly! Trust me, this wasn't a complement to a 17 year old girl! But since having children, I can't imagine life any other way. I love being a mother! I'm so glad I was wrong!

4. All through my childhood and even into college I doubted my salvation. It wasn't until I started identifying signs of the Spirit's work in my life that that issue was resolved. I'm so glad that I know now not to just look at the date in the flyleaf of my Bible and trust a prayer! By the way, this opens a can of worms as to whether or not I was saved as a child, or until I was an adult. Who knows? Only God, and He is at work in my life now, so that is all that matters!

5. Ok, those of you who really know me probably already know this, but for my new readers . . . I tend to be obsessive-compulsive about neatness. So much so that my mom used to purposely move something on my dresser just to see if I would notice - and I always did! Some of my friends even refer to me as "Monica," and if you ever watched the TV show "Friends" you will know what they mean! I struggle not to let this tendency become a sin in my life, and I know it has. When I am more concerned about my house being in my idea of order than in loving and caring for others, I know this is sin. And when I lose my patience when my mom is here and doesn't put things back where they go, I am sinning. Yes, mom, I realize it and am working on it!

So there you have it, the only 5 things that I could come up with this morning! Hope you learned something new about me from this post!

Tagged 2x

I was tagged to take this survey by two of my fellow bloggers, both Rachel and Morning Rose. So here are my inspiring answers:

Donette's ABC's
A-available or single? No, happily married for 7 years!
B-best friend? Who else but my husband? I also have some very good girlfriends.
C-cake or pie? Usually pie, lemon and anything chocolate!
D-drink of choice? Coffee and Diet Coke are in a dead heat.
E-essential item I use everyday? besides the shower and toothbrush, probably my ceramic hair straightener and the internet.
F-favorite color? Red.
G-gummy bears or gummy worms? sour worms or bears. They just have to be sour.
H-hometown? Born in Normal, IL.
I-indulgence? The rare occasion that I get to spend some $ at Starbucks.
J-January or February? January, a month of rest after the busy holidays.
K-kids and names? Elijah 3, and Allison, 7 months.
L-life is incomplete without? God and family.
M-marriage date? August 14, 1999.
N-number of siblings? 2 - Kevin, my 37 year old brother and Erik, my 33 year old bro. In October we are all going to be in our 30's! AAAAHHHH!
O-oranges or apples? Apples, especially granny smiths.
P-phobias or fears? Centipedes and bats.
Q-favorite quote? “80% of statistics are made up." Mark Twain
R-reasons to smile? my kids!
S-season? Fall - all the warm-fuzzies.
T-tag 3 or 4 people: Everyone I know has done this already!
U-unknown fact about me? 29 years without a cavity.
V-vegetable you don't like? Peas.
W-worst habit? shameful to admit, but probably overeating.
X-extra special pet? Sadie our dog.
Y-your favorite food? Anything chocolate, and for a healthy answer, strawberries and raspberries.
Z-zodiac sign? scorpio, but does anyone care anymore?

Well, there you have it. 26 interesting tidbits about me. What about you?