Sweet Girls

A Little Photo Shoot

It's been a long time since we've done a post-church service photo shot, so we decided to do one this weekend. I know everyone knows this - but taking pictures of two little kids is next to impossible. So here's what we got:

This is what happens when you ask a two year old to smile:

Yah, that looks natural.

At least you know what they look like. And they still do look pretty darn cute.

A Donut Meet & Eat

Tonight the girls went out on a date with their daddy to Krispy Kreme. {And before you go and feel bad for me, I got to stay at home, crank up the ABBA and clean/dance the evening away with no interruptions. And they brought me a chocolate sprinkled donut when they got home.} While walking into the store, Charissa saw a poster of some donuts and said to Britt, "I've never met those donuts!"

She met, she ate, she conquered.

I Guess There Are Worse Comparisons

Tonight I was putting away some clothes and CJ asked me what I was doing. I said, "I'm just cleaning up a bit." She paused for a minute and then said, "Mama, I give you time to clean up. Like Cinderella." She then shut the door, but through the door she said "You can come out when you're done."

Funny kid, funny kid.

Tuesday Tip - Research Before You Buy

A couple weeks ago we thought we were going to have to buy Verity a new carseat. She was barely squeezing in with a normal shirt on, and she couldn't wear a jacket at all. Not a good thing with winter quickly approaching.* We have a Britax Marathon for Charissa which we love because it's so easy to install, and we thought we'd just get another one of those. But, being the crazy person that I am, I wasn't going to do anything until I did a little research. One of my favorite resources is Consumer Reports because they are an independent company that tests products in lots of different ways so you can get a very well-balanced assessment. For instance, for carseats CR checks crash protection, ease of installation, durability, size, and tons of other things. After looking over all the carseats they tested, I wasn't surprised to see that the Britax was high-ranking, but I was surprised that it was #2. And I was even more surprised when I saw what was #1 - the Cosco Scenera. I've seen the Cosco brand around, and I know people that have their carseats, but I was really shocked that the $70 (!!!) carseat beat out the $280 one. The Britax and the Cosco scored the same on every test except one - the crash safety in which the Cosco got a higher score. What in the world! So save $210 and then have a safer car seat? You can bet that we will be buying the Cosco Scenera.

So a half hour at Barnes & Nobles sipping Starbucks with my husband ends up saving us $210. That's a pretty good deal to me. It just goes to show that the most expensive thing is not always the best product. Moral of the story: do a little research before you purchase.

*It turns out that one of the straps was caught on the underside of the carseat and so once we fixed that Verity has a lot more room.

Sometimes We Fall

Today I took the girls to the doctor to get their flu shots. The medical building hires people to drive around in golf carts and pick people up in the parking lot and drive them to the building (it's a really big parking lot). I normally choose to walk, but today we hitched a ride. When we got up to the building, I was getting up when I stumbled over something , and then fell over the rail on the side, but since I was holding Verity I couldn't do anything to break my fall. I ended up landing directly on my right elbow and somehow hurting the back of my left knee. In a way it was kind of funny because I was laying there on the pavement when all these very nice people start running over to me to make sure that Verity and I were ok, making me feel like I was in a movie. But then the pain set in and nothing was funny anymore. It's been 14 hours and my elbow is still throbbing.

The interesting thing about this whole thing was that I didn't have time to consciously react to what was going on, but instinctively I held onto Verity. In fact, I landed in such a way that she was on top of me, hardly even effected by the fall. It's good to know that my instincts are to protect my babies.

Tuesday Tip - Teacher Discounts!

A friend of mine recently let me in on the fact that AC Moore and Joann's give discount cards to teachers. You get 10% off at AC Moore, and 15% off at Joann's. Plus you can still use your coupons! Immediately I said, "Sign me up!" Well, actually sign Britt up.

Here's how it works. For AC Moore you just copy your teacher license or home school certificate and mail it in to this address. For Joann's you print off an application here, mail it in, and then when you receive your card you have to have it signed by a store manager before you can use it.

Isn't that a great tip for you to know?

Finally!

About 4 months later, I've finally listed my products on etsy.  While I'm not going to be trying to make a career out of crafting, I do need to sell these things just to get them out of my house.  

And I haven't posted anything over at Flowers of Verity in a long time, but a return is in the works!  It's not because I haven't been doing anything, it's that I've been doing so much I haven't had time to blog about it.  Hopefully I'll be able to update this week.  

Silly Kid

I had put the girls down for a nap, and had started working on some sewing when Charissa came rushing into my "crafting room."  She seemed worried and agitated so I asked her what was wrong.  And this is what she said: "Mama!  I lost it!  My belly button is gone!"  

I try very hard not to laugh at my children when they are upset, but this was a tough one.  When I had my voice under control I showed Charissa that her belly button had in fact not disappeared.  Much relieved, she trotted back off to bed.

What do you do with a kid like this? :)

Praying They Are Always This Close

The other day I let Charissa watch a video for a bit while I was getting dinner ready.  I walked back in to check on her and saw that Verity had joined her.  

They stayed like this for the longest time.  It amazes me how much those two love each other.  I'm praying that this continues throughout their lives.

Tuesday Tip - WD40 - Apparently It Can Do Everything

I read this article over at Repurposeful today and thought it was worth sharing.  I love when I find a product that has not one use, not two uses, but about 20+ uses.  Which is why I have fallen in love with vinegar and baking soda.  But more about that another day.  Enjoy!

The Many Different Uses of WD40!

On your car:

• Removes road tar and grime from cars.
  
• Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
  
• Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
  
• Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
  
• If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
  

In the kitchen:

• Protects silver from tarnishing.
  
• Gives floors that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making them slippery.
  
• Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
  
• Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
  
• Keeps scissors working smoothly.
  
• It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
  
• Removes splattered grease on stove.
  

Outdoors:

• Keeps flies off cows.
  
• Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
  
• Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
  
• Gives a children’s playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
  
• Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
  
• Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
  
• Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
  

In the bathroom:

• Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
  
• Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
  

Laundry:

• Removes lipstick stains. And, if you’ve discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash.
  
• Loosens stubborn zippers.
  
• Removes tomato stains from clothing.
  
• Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
  

In the garage:

• Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
  
• Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
  

Kids’ stuff:

• Restores and cleans chalkboards.
  
• Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
  
• WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
  

Around the house:

• Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
  
• Untangles jewelry chains.
  
• Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
  
• Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
  
• Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
  
• Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
  
• Removes all traces of duct tape.
  

Alternative health care:

• Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
  
• Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
  

First Word!

I'm not kidding.  At nine months Verity can say "Mama."  And not in one of those nonsensical ramblings where babies just go "mamamamamamamama" forever.  She calls out for me and says "Mama."  You can ask Charissa and Britt - they've both heard it.  Actually, Charissa was the one that heard it first.  Apparently Verity said "Mama" and Charissa got really excited and kept asking her to say it again.  And true to Treece Girl Form, Verity is pronouncing it with a whine.  "Daddy" gets to be a happy sound, but "Mama" is a whine that seems to convey "I'm in need of some help and I'm going to make this pitiful sound until you meet my needs."  

Tomorrow we go to the doctor for Verity's 9 month check up so hopefully we'll hear that all is well and she's growing on track!

Med School Starts Early

Last night I repurposed an old white, short-sleeve, button-down shirt of Britt's into a doctor's lab coat for Charissa.  It was actually really easy.  I followed a pattern I had recently done for a jumper, added sleeves, and moved the breast pocket to the bottom left side.  

She's been practicing giving shots and listening to hearts on us all day so I think she likes it. 

Fun Songs on Marriage

This past weekend we went to a dinner and talk with our church on marriage. Our pastor shared these two songs during the evening and Britt and I have been singing them ever since. You'll see why. :)

Finally!

Verity finally got a tooth!  Her left bottom tooth came in yesterday morning.  It's actually the same tooth that Charissa got first, but Charissa got it at 4 months instead of 9 months.  Oh well.  I do think that Verity is getting the other bottom tooth, but based on how long it took her to get this last one, it might be a while before we see it.

My New Favorite Thing

I love freezer paper!  There are so many wonderful things that you can do with it.  The first thing I learned to do with it was freezer paper stenciling.  But I only used about 2 feet and I had 28 feet left over, so I started thinking of other things to do with it.  Then I used it to cover the table when Charissa and I do arts and crafts because her paints and play-doh don't stick to it and won't seep through.  So after I used freezer paper for all sorts of things that it wasn't designed for, I finally used it for what it was - and I really fell in love with it.  It's wonderful!  I can wrap my portioned out meats, cheeses, and other things like like presents and when I write on it, it doesn't rub off!  No more mystery meat!  

Go out and get some freezer paper!  

I'm Not Sure He'll Be Getting a Promotion Soon

This is an actual news clip from Cleveland about a bear sighting.  It's absolutely ridiculous - and really funny.

Tuesday Tip - How to Make a Starbucks Frappacino at Home

I'm not a real coffee drinker, but I have come to really love a Starbucks' Blended Carmel Frappacino.  It's so delicious!  But at $4.50 a pop, it's not a treat I get to enjoy all that often (that and it's not really convenient to pop in and out of a Starbucks with 2 kids in tow).  Anyway - I searched online and found a recipe to make a homemade version.  I was a bit hesitant because 1) I don't even know how to use my coffee maker, and 2) I didn't want to be disappointed with a horrible copycat.  It ended up that my neighbor brewed the coffee for me (another reason I love living next to Julie), and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!  Again, not the coffee expert, but it tasted spot on to me.  I no longer feel compelled to go to Starbucks to get my favorite drink.  

So for those of you who want to try this at home, here's the recipe.  Enjoy!

Starbucks' Blended Frappacino Recipe:

2 c. ice
2/3 c. double strength chilled coffee (the recipe actually calls for triple strength, but I used double strength and it tasted just fine to me)
2/3 c. milk
¼ c. caramel ice cream topping
2 tbsp sugar

Mix it in the blender to the preferred consistency.

Beautiful Girls

These are some pictures we had taken while we were at the beach in June.  Aren't they beautiful?

Charissa actually pulled Verity the whole way home in this wagon.  It wasn't just a posed picture.

Sorry Folks!

So my very good (and helpful) friend Samantha let me know that the link I posted to my Flowers of Verity blog wasn't working.  And that's because I didn't do the link right.  So for the other 3 of you that want to see it you can go to Flowers of Verity (flowersofverity.blogspot.com) and see what's going on there.  

Sorry for the confusion!

Don't Be Jealous Nathan

I went out to get the mail today and this is what I saw:

Charissa and I watched them through the window for a long time this afternoon.  We thought of our friend Nathan and knew that if he was in town he would have been loving the new addition to our yard.  

Tuesday Tip - An Easy, Mess-Free Way to Dust Ceiling Fans

I really don't like to dust my ceiling fans.  It seems that more dust gets knocked to the ground and on my head or on my bed than gets on my dust cloth.  So it just turns into a sneezy, messy affair.  But I ran across an easy way to dust the blades without all the mess!  Simply use an old pillow case and slip it around the blades one at a time and wipe them off.  The dust goes in the pillow case and not anywhere else.  Then all you have to do is take the pillow case outside, turn it inside-out and shake the dust out when you're all done.  

Clean fans without the mess!  Now all you have to do is muster the desire to go do it.  :)

Britt's Seminary Completion Party

This weekend we had a party to celebrate the fact that Britt finished seminary.  To be honest, I don't think a party is enough for all the work he did - I wanted fireworks and spontaneous choreographed singing and dancing focusing on his diligent work and sacrifice.  Since that wasn't an option, we had hotdogs instead.  But it was pretty fun. 

I made little tank tops for the girls that said "I love you" in Greek and Hebrew (Greek for Charissa, Hebrew for Verity).  

We had LOTS of people show up for the party ...

... and lots of cars.

We went through over 80 hotdogs that night! One friend even showed us how to eat when your hands are full of children.

A certain baby bundle couldn't handle all the fun and she conked out about halfway through it.  It's funny to me that Verity can still fall asleep anywhere.  (And I know my mom looks kind of sad or worried in this picture, but she really was having fun.)

The kids were enjoying some basketball, even though most of them couldn't reach the goal.  

It was a great night for us just to relax and celebrate 6 years of hard work, sacrifice, commitment and faithfulness.  Now on to the next challenge!

She's Really One of Us

If you asked Britt what his favorite meal was, he would probably say "Rice & Beans."  That man is ridiculously easy to please.  He loves rice and beans.  White rice and black beans.  Oh he'll mix it up a little and add salsa, or cheese, or Texas Pete, or a pepper, or corn, or whatever else he can scrounge up, but basically it's still just rice and beans.  He'll eat that everyday for lunch.  Every day.  And then wonder of wonders - Charissa likes it too!  She started off with the cheese and black bean quesadilla, but now she's on to just eating plain black beans cold for lunch.  I offer sandwiches and other things, but she prefers beans.  And since there is so much lovely protein in them, I just let her chomp away.

So now it's Verity's turn at black beans.  Our pediatrician recommended feeding her more proteins because she's so hungry all the time.  I know there are all sorts of pureed meats, but I just can't bear the smell of them.  Beans will have to do.  This week I made up a batch of pureed black beans and rice (a complete protein) for Verity and let her have her first taste of it.  Do you think she likes it?

She ate every last bit of it up and then wanted more!  She is definitely her daddy's child.

I am so thankful for my family that is easy to please!  They are such a blessing to me.  

Sweet Sisters

I don't know if two girls could be any sweeter.

He's Done With Seminary!

Britt finished his last course in seminary last week!  We had a little celebration on Thursday when he came home from class.  

I thought it would be fun to decorate the car for Britt as well.  

It's hard to believe that we're all done with seminary.  It's been a constant part of Britt's life ever since I've known him.  But I couldn't be happier.  No more classes, no more papers, no more nights away from the family.  

Now we just have to find a job ...

I Love Two-Year-Olds!

Two-year-olds are full of boundless energy and crazy sayings.  Life is always crazy, but usually fun.  Sometimes when we have people over and Charissa is running around crazy and Verity is squealing and the noise is so great that conversation is hard, I look at our guests and say, "I'd like to say that they're acting up for your benefit, but this is just our life."  

My friend Dana once made a list of things you could hear her saying throughout the week.  Things like "Don't play the piano with your gun" and "Don't wear a blindfold down the stairs."  Well I think I'm going to start my own list.  Last night you could have heard me saying, "Charissa, don't ride your sister.  She's not a horse."  Poor Verity.  So long suffering.  Actually, I think Verity enjoys her sister's company so much that she doesn't care what they do. 

And another joy of two-year olds is that they are a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.  They know everything!  Like tonight we were talking before dinner and Charissa was very excited about her chocolate milk and we were talking about how it comes from "cow milk."  She then got very serious and said, "Cow's milk is hot dogs."  ??????  What is that about?  Totally bizarre.  

She keeps me laughing that's for sure.  

Tuesday Tip - How to Check for Rotten Eggs

Just a quick tip for you guys this week - but it can be very helpful.  

We don't eat a lot of eggs in our house since Charissa and I don't really care for them.  That means that a dozen eggs can sit in our refrigerator for a long time.  So how do you know if an egg is still good?  It's not like it goes brown around the edges or gets soft.  The way to tell if an egg has gone bad is to see if it floats in water.  Isn't that cool?  Just put the eggs in a large bowl of water and see if they sink or swim.  The swimmers get tossed.  

Simple, but helpful. :)

Visiting my Grandparents

This week we are in Kentucky staying with my grandparents while Britt takes his last class of seminary (YAY! YAY! YAY!).  It's so nice to be with them while Britt is having to work so hard this week.  The girls love playing with Pop and Granny and there are plenty of things for them to do here.  My grandparents live on a farm, so Charissa and I have been taking long walks out in fields and having so much fun just walking around and talking.  

Here are some pictures:

My grandparents house.

The front yard

A couple of the barns

Charissa and Verity love playing out on the glassed-in porch.

My grandparents have a golf-cart type thing to drive around their property.  At this particular instance they were using it to sit on while they bubbles.

We filled up a pool most afternoons and let the girls go swimming.  They loved that!

CJ loved seeing goats and chickens while we were here.  

 

We'll be here until Friday, but Britt is done with this class tomorrow.  Pray that he perseveres through this final day!  And that the girls let him sleep tonight so he is rested!

Tuesday Tip - A Year of Real Simple

I really enjoy reading Real Simple Magazine, but I don't often get it.  Well that's going to change!  Amazon is having a sale and you can get a year's subscription for $5!  FIVE DOLLARS!  Ridiculous!  

The sale is until July 18th so get it while you can!

It's Finally Started!

I finally started a blog for all my creative ventures.  You can go to Flowers of Verity to keep up with all the things that I've been making.  I'm going to be cutting down on the crafts and projects that I usually post on here and start posting them over there.  It's called separation of crafts and family.  :)  

Our Week In Review

I know I meant to blog earlier this week, but it just didn't happen.  We've been crazy busy.  So I thought I would just do a little pictorial review of our week:

Charissa had a friend over and they played lots of dress-up.

Verity had a moment of unsupervised time near a dinner roll and she tore it up/devoured it.

A beautiful stray kitten has claimed us as her family.

Verity learned about the greatness that is Steak 'n' Shake.

And Charissa discovered that she can fit inside the sink at her play kitchen.

As always, it's been a fun/crazy/bizarre/laughter-filled week.  

More Coming Soon ...

Sorry for the extremely long absence!  There has been a LOT going on here.  I will go into further details in my next posts (including some exciting news!).  

I wanted to let everyone know that I am disabling the ability for people to leave anonymous comments.  I've been going back and forth about this for a long time, but I finally decided that I need to go ahead and do it.  It's not that I don't love to hear from you all, but sometimes people misuse anonymity.  Thus comes the change.  I do hope that most of you continue to keep commenting though!  

Hopefully you will hear more from me soon!

A Glorious Moment

Yesterday I was going to the girls' room to get them up in the morning when I heard Charissa singing.  I paused for a minute to listen and realized that she was singing "Only Jesus" and then when I peeked around the corner I saw that she was sitting on the floor with her Bible out!  How precious is that!  She was having her morning devotions!

Man I love that kid!  

More on Freezing

I read an article about freezing foods by Mark Bittman from the NY Times and I thought it was a good, clarifying piece.  

Enjoy reading!  

Tuesday Tip - Declutter One Shelf at a Time

Do you ever walk through your house and see things where they don't belong or open a closet and see piles leaning against each other?  But of course you don't have the time to take everything out of the closet and get everything organized right then.  But that doesn't mean we have to give up and decide to live with the clutter.  

I wrote a while ago about making a habit of a clean home, and today I wanted to expand on that a little bit.  Basically it's the idea of capturing those 5 minute opportunities that you do have and cleaning up one shelf or one cabinet.  Sure you won't have your home clean in a weekend, but if you make this a habit as well, then maybe things won't pile up.  And we all have 5 minute opportunities all throughout our day.  When we're on the phone, when we're waiting for the water to boil, while Daddy is bathing the kids, when the girls sleep a bit longer than we planned ... there are so many windows of time we can use, we just have to be diligent to use them.  

While I was thinking about this post I was reminded of a quote I first heard from "The Richest Cat in the World" (definitely a movie I loved in my childhood).  Anyway, it goes, "Inch by inch, life's a cinch.  Yard by Yard, it's very hard."  It makes sense.  

So in the last week I have stolen 5 minutes along my day and I've been able to straighten up my linen closet, hall closet, study closet, and the girls' closet.  It has also been helpful for me to have boxes ready that I can put things in to give away and to throw out.  

Nothing too dramatic this week, but sometimes we all need little tips to help us.  

A Great Moment of Irony

The other night I went into the study to ask Britt if he wanted some ice cream while he was reading.  When he said he did, I started to leave the room to go get, but then I popped back in to ask him if he wanted any milk.  This is how our conversation went:

Me:  Britt, do you want any milk?

Britt:

Me: Britt? Milk?

Britt:

Me: Britt!

Britt: Oh sorry ... I was reading an article about having better communication with your wife.

It doesn't get funnier than that.  

An Accident Waiting to Happen ... Literally

Last night I was getting Verity changed into her PJs after her bath and we were having the best time giggling and smiling at each other.  When she was all ready I picked her up and snuggled her, when it occurred to me that she felt a little weird.  With a little further inspection I realized that I had never put a diaper on her!  

So glad I caught it then and not in the morning!

More Pictures from Memorial Day Weekend

My mom sent me some pictures of the girls from our trip to see them and I couldn't resist sharing!  

Look at Verity!  She smiles!

Right before we left my mom found this sombrero and got Charissa to put it on.  It's ridiculously large.  It was also ridiculous how my mom tried to pawn it off on us.  Nice try Nana.

Love those girls!

Crazy Eights

My friend Nicole tagged me to do this, so here I go:

8 Things I am Looking Forward to:

1. Britt finishing seminary this summer!
2. Starting my own etsy shop (it's tentative - we'll see how it goes)
3. Starting Beth Moore's Esther study
4. One day being an aunt
5. My two little girls being best friends
6. Seeing where God is going to take us this summer
7. Grilling out all summer on our new grill
8. New Moon the movie :)

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Cleaned my house
2. Laundry
3. Ran errands at Target & Michaels
4. Cooked with bamboo shoots for the first time (yummy!)
5. Tended to two small children all day
6. Watched 1/2 an episode of Star Trek (further details coming)
7. Played on the floor with the girls
8. Crashed in bed exhausted!

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

1. Sleep uninterrupted through the night!
2. Spend more time sewing
3. See my friend Rachel
4. Be able to always rest in God's sovereignty
5. Be a better mother
6. Be a better wife
7. Be an aunt
8. Paint ... with skill

8 Shows I Watch:

1. Bones
2. House
3. Lost
4. The Office
5. Friends
6. Castle
7. Lie to Me
8. That's all I can think of ... and that should be more than enough!

I don't know who to tag, so if anyone wants to do this they can!  

I Need Some Inspiration ...

I sat at my computer today and tried to think of something to share.  I have some things in the works and I have a file of ideas I could post, but nothing screamed "share me today!"  So I decided to go into a different direction by asking for a Tuesday Tip.  

Does anyone have a great idea they would love to share?

Does Anyone Else's Monday Look Like This?

Today I opted not to fold as I went, so it kind of piled up.  Quite literally.  But I don't mind folding laundry.  Usually as a treat to myself I'll listen to a sermon or watch something.  It makes the task very pleasant.  

Hope everyone else is enjoying Laundry Monday!

Idbids!

A few weeks ago Repurposeful did a giveaway for Idbids - something I hadn't heard of before.  But as I read the description, I really wanted to win.  There are three Idbid characters (Scout, Lola, and Waverly) who teach children how to keep the earth safe and green one iddy biddy step at a time.  It's wonderful because they help teach concepts of conservation and pollution and give examples of reachable goals that children can do to help the environment.  So I decided to enter the contest - and I won!  I think this is the first time I've won anything since 5th grade when I won a CD player from McDonald's ... and I only won that because my brother entered me in since he was too old.  

So we're very excited to have Waverly the Idbid in our home.  We've been playing with him this week and reading the book and talking about what it means to conserve water.  I think Idbids would make a great birthday gift or Christmas gift for the child who really doesn't need just another toy.  

Here are a few action shots of Charissa and Waverly:

She doesn't look it, but she was very excited to open the box.

We were talking about how rain drops fall down from the sky, so Charissa ran over to her stool and tried to throw Waverly back up into the sky.  She's so stinking cute!

Our happy new friend.

Definitely check out their website. Even if you don't buy an Idbid there are lots of cool things to do there.  

Sweet Girl

Tuesday Tip - Impromptu Bib Clips

Even though I've become accustomed to traveling with a humongous bags attached to me with all sorts of things for the girls, I always seem to be without a bib at restaurants.  It's so frustrating.  But last week I found a solution!  I would link to it, but I don't remember where I found it.  Anyway - you just take ribbon and 2 binder clips and make it into something like you get at the dentist.  That way you can just stow it in your bag and use a napkin when you're out.  Added bonus - you don't have to cart home a dirty, wet bib in your diaper bag.  Yay!  

Here's how to do it:

1.  Get some ribbon and 2 binder clips.

2.  Sew each end to one of the loops on the binder clip.  I did this on my machine, but it would probably be easier to do by hand.  

And that's it!  What a brilliant solution.  I can't wait to use it on Sunday.

Splish Splash Fun

Warm weather is upon us so it's time to get out the swimming pool!  And not only the pool, but the Slip 'n' Slide!  

Verity opted to rest in the shade on a towel rather than getting splashed by her big sister.

Charissa even remembered to use her water wisely - recycling her pool water to feed the plants.

She's shocked and amazed that the water is squirting up at her.  She loved the Slip 'n' Slide, but she kept slipping on accident and never on purpose.

I think Britt is a little too big for the Slip 'n' Slide. 

Lately we've been able to have a lot of really fun family time.  It has been so wonderful.  I love to be with my husband and my girls and just enjoy each others' company.  Which isn't hard to do when everyone seems to either be a silly goose or have on silly pants.  At least according to Miss Charissa.  

Why You Don't Give a Toddler a Milkshake in the Car

Oh well ... clothes may need to be washed, but happy children and the memories they make are worth it.

Two Great Baby Gifts and Their Tutorials to Go With Them

Last week I made I wipes case and diaper clutch for a friend of mine who is due in August.  

It was remarkably easy to do.  For the diaper clutch I followed this tutorial at Boogaboo Babies, and for the wipes case I used the tutorial from Make It and Love It.  If you ever want to make either one of these items I completely recommend using these tutorials.  I certainly hope Baby Catherine enjoys using them as much I enjoyed making them for her.

Don't You Wish You Lived Here?

You could play dress up all day ...

... and then sleep in your tu-tu.  

It's days like these that reinforce how happy I am to be a stay at home mama. 

Tuesday Tip - Laundry Aides

I ran across a blog by The Simple Green Frugal Co-Op about getting stains out of clothing.  It's something that I think is a great resource to have up in your laundry closet ready when you find yourself with an especially rough stain.  I've copied her entry for you reading pleasure:

It makes good sense to look after your clothes to prolong their useful life as long as possible. As a mother with three young children though, I have a constant battle with a variety of stains on their clothing! So I thought today it might be useful to share some methods for removing stains from machine-washable clothing, using commonly available ingredients. I keep a notebook to jot down methods as I come across them in magazines, books or the internet, and asterix the ones that work well to use next time. As always, use your judgement when spot-cleaning any item of clothing and if you think it might not be colorfast, test a small hidden area first (like a hem) and be as gentle as possible with more delicate or printed items.

I also try to avoid using methods which require specialised products like dry-cleaning fluid or white spirits as two of us have very sensitive skin, and for environmental reasons I prefer the simpler, the better. Usually, my first line of defence for dried stains is to soak in an oxygen bleach prewash such as NapiSan or OxiClean (although I use a cheaper generic version of these), and then move on to other stain removal methods for persistant stains, while the garment is still wet.

Firstly, note that all spills should - ideally - be seen to as soon as possible for the best chance of removal. When that isn't possible, or you don't have the time (or the energy) to deal with it, rinse the item in COLD water and leave it to soak until you can get to it.

Secondly, heat will invariably set stains, making them very difficult, if not impossible, to remove. If you miss a stain when you are washing your clothes as normal, but notice it when removing it from the machine, deal with it while it is still wet. The heat from drying the item in the sun, in the dryer or ironing it, will usually set it.

Thirdly, if you can, work from the back of the stain to the front so that you don't accidentally force the stain further into the fabric. For most clothing items therefore, turn them inside out and rinse from the back. Treat delicate items with appropriate care; don't rub vigorously.

Lastly, if you can't remove a stain, don't throw the garment away immediately - it may be possible to save the garment with some creative sewing! Cover up stains on children's clothing using applique, fabric paint and buttons. Oh and a word about hairspray and perfume - these are commonly discussed online as being good for removing certain stains, but it is the alcohol in them that does the job. Go for rubbing alcohol in preference if you can, as hairspray and perfume contain other ingredients which can make the stain worse in some cases.

Ballpoint pen: Cover fresh stains with salt to absorb as much of the ink as possible, and then soak in milk before washing as usual. If you know that the fabric is colorfast, you can use a paste made from cream of tartar and lemon juice. Apply to the stain and leave for 30 minutes before rinsing and washing. If you aren't sure, test the paste on a hidden section of fabric like the hem, first.

Beetroot: For fresh stains, rinse as much juice from the item with cool water as possible. Then soak a piece of white bread in cool water, place over the stain and leave to absorb the stain. Wash as normal in cool water. If it has dried, rub the stain gently from the outside edges inwards with glycerine, or try soaking it in white vinegar. Rinse and wash as normal.

Blood: Wash as much of the stain out as possible with cold running water. Rub the remaining stain with a bar of pure soap until removed, and launder with your normal powder or liquid in cold water. For dried stains on colorfast items, soak in cold water first to loosen the stain, then apply a paste made of 6 tablespoons baking soda and 1/2 cup water. Work it in a little and leave to sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then wash as normal in cold water.

Chocolate: Rinse in cold water, then scrub with a cake of pure soap and cold water to remove the brown stain. Then to remove the oil stain, rub with a cake of pure soap in hot water. Rinse and wash as normal.

Coffee and tea: Soak in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water. Wash on a cold cycle and hang in the sun to dry.

Crayon: Mix two drops of tea tree oil with one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and then massage gently into the stain with your fingers. Rinse and wash as usual.

Curry powder/ turmeric: Wipe with a small amount of lavender oil before washing as usual.

Fruit juice: Wash in white vinegar and then hang in the sunshine to dry. Many fruit stains are UV sensitive and will break down with exposure to sunlight. Dark fruit stains like stone fruits may benefit from rubbing with glycerine first.

Grass: Try soaking the item in full strength vinegar for half an hour before washing. If stains remain, try sponging the stain gently with rubbing alcohol before rewashing.

Grease and greasy stains: Cover fresh stains immediately with salt to blot up the excess oil. Brush off gently and dab any remaining stains with vinegar, or gently rub a small amount of dishwashing liquid into the stain. Wash as usual.

Marker pens: Try dabbing gently with methylated spirits, changing the cloth frequently to remove the marker. Wash as usual.

Mud: Allow to dry and brush off as much as possible (you can even try the vacuum cleaner nozzle). Rub liquid detergent into the remaining stain and allow to soak, rubbing occasionally, for 30 minutes, then wash as normal.

Paint: With water-based paints, try rubbing the mark with dishwashing liquid or dab the stain gently with methylated spirits. Rinse and wash as usual. For acrylic paints, dab with turpentine or gently apply rubbing alcohol with a toothbrush. Rinse thoroughly and wash as usual.

Rust and mildew: Make a paste of lemon juice and salt and apply to the stain. Leave to sit for 30 minutes - if the garment is white leave it in the sun (don't do this with coloured garments as it will bleach the fabric). Rinse and allow to dry (but not in a dryer). Repeat if necessary.

Soft drink/ soda: Treat as per fruit juice stains (most soft drink dyes are vegetable-based).

Tomatoes: Sunlight! Wash the item as normal, and then hang right-side out in the sun. Like many fruit stains, tomato stains are UV-sensitive and will fade to nothing with exposure to the sun. Many a bolognaise-stained white shirt has been saved this way at my house ;-)

Green Giggling Girls

This week the girls received a set of matching green bathing suits from a great aunt of mine.  I tried to get a picture of the girls in the suits so that my aunt could see them, but it's hard to get a picture where the suits really show.  Oh well - the girls are still pretty cute.

Do you see that?  It's the first picture we've been able to get with Verity smiling.  She's been smiling for months now, but I couldn't ever get it on film.  Mission completion.  :)

The Best Mother's Day Present

This year I got the best Mother's Day present: a nap.  It was wonderful.  Almost 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  This was followed by the second greatest present: a clean home.  What more could I want?  I did also get a fun black tote bag.  And pizza for dinner.  

What a great day. :)

Mowing Buddy

Charissa is a Daddy's girl.  If Daddy is home Charissa wants to be with him.  It doesn't matter what he's doing - she wants to be involved.  As evidenced by this:

Yup, she's riding on Britt's back in the Ergo while he mows the grass.  

That kid is just plain funny. 

Becoming Real

"What is real?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room.  "does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse.  "It's a thing that happens to you.  When a child loves you for a long,long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful.  "When you are real you don't mind being hurt."  

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse.  "You become.  It takes a long time.  That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.  Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.  But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

- Excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

I was getting ready for bed tonight and was beyond thrilled that it was only 1100.  Today had been a long day in a week of long days, so I was feeling tired and much too ready to close my eyes and take a break from feeding, changing, and caring for small bodies (at least for a few hours).  Then I heard Britt say, "I hear someone crying."  

It only took me a second to realize that it wasn't Verity, and it wasn't Charissa's "I just woke up and feel alone" cry - she was in distress.  And when I got to her room it only took a whiff to realize why.  I guess my sensitive spirited little girl also has a sensitive tummy.  After calming her down, I quickly set to work gathering all the dirty sheets and blankets and stuffed animals to put them in the wash.  Unfortunately, Buddy was among those headed for a late night bath.  

Who is Buddy?  Buddy is Charissa's best friend.  She's a little pink bunny with purple flowers who used to play music, but lost that ability a few washings ago.  Once a fluffy and clean little bunny, she now has permanent markings and tears from CJ loving on her.  Buddy is Charissa's constant companion.  She sleeps with buddy.  Buddy plays games with us.  Buddy likes to watch Veggie Tales.  Buddy even potty trained with us.  There are few things we do that Buddy isn't involved.  And tonight, Buddy was dirty.  

After saying goodnight to Buddy and putting her in the wash, Charissa and I went back to her room and sat down on the floor while Britt made her bed with fresh linens.  I knew that going to bed without her fluffy friend would be hard, and she had made several comments about getting Buddy dirty, so I thought I should reassure her.  I started telling her that Buddy loves her so much and that Buddy wasn't upset about getting dirty.  We talked a bit more about how Buddy loves to be there with her so much that she didn't mind if that meant she got a little worn along the way.  

While talking with Charissa, tears came to my eyes.   So I went on to tell her that Daddy and Mama love her even more than Buddy does.  And that even though we get tired, we aren't upset that she needed us late and that she'll probably get us up early tomorrow morning.  She's totally worth it.  

After I left my room I was thinking about how I have changed so much in the last few years.  While I still don't love changing diapers and cleaning sheets with vomit on them, it doesn't phase me anymore.  I don't have the time to primp and get ready like I used to.  Clothes not only fit differently, but I need them to function differently.  They aren't for going out on the town - my clothes are for crawling around on the floor and running through the park chasing my little girl.  

But it doesn't truly matter.  God has so blessed me with a wonderful family.  My husband loves me, my two little girls love me - and they think I'm beautiful.  So I am. 

Charissa's Prayers

This afternoon during naptime I overheard Charissa praying while she was in her bed. This is her prayer:

"Jesus, Pray Verity goes to sleep. Pray Buddy goes to sleep. Pray Mama goes to sleep. Pray Dissa goes to sleep. Thank you for my cereal. Aaa-men!"

It actually became more of a chant and she repeated it over and over again for about 5 minutes. It's so amazing to me what that little mind thinks up.

Rock'n'Roll CJ

CJ sat down with the guitar and started singing her favorite rock'n'roll song over and over and over.  And by "playing" I mean she was strumming and tapping the guitar (which reminiscent of August Rush) and she sang the same two lyrics over and over.  It was ridiculously cute and entertaining.  

Tuesday Tip - Kissing Shoes

Charissa loves putting her shoes on when we "go-go" - and of course she insists on doing it herself.  Now with shoes you'd think that there is a 50-50 chance that she'd put the right shoe on the right foot, but she pretty much always got them wrong.  Not that I cared.  It didn't bother her so I just let it go.  But for some reason strangers felt the need to tell her that her shoes were on backwards, and Charissa is a bit sensitive to people laughing at her, so I decided to try to help her put them on the right feet.  After several rounds of "This is your right foot and this is the right shoe" I realized that wasn't going to go anywhere with her.  Fortunately I found* an idea that works: kissing shoes.  You put a little smiley face on the instep of each shoe and teach your child that their shoes are on the right feet when the faces can kiss.  

It works wonders!  Charissa now puts her shoes on the right feet like 95% of the time.  Everyone's happy now!

*Right now I can't remember where I found this.  So if anyone runs across it or knows, please let me know!

The Amazing Technicolor Skirt Sets

Last week I popped into the fabric store to get white and black thread.  That was all.  I just needed two spools of thread.  But then I saw this really fun brightly colored stripedy fabric and I was drawn to it.  And it was on sale!  So I ended up getting it and another coordinating fabric that was also on sale.  I don't always have an intended use for fabrics when I buy them, but this time I knew that I would make skirts out of them.  

I made Charissa a pretty basic little skirt with an elastic waist.  I added a 2 inch trim at the bottom and a little applique flower.  Verity's dress was a bit more complicated.  The skirt of the dress is the same length of Charissa's but I attached it to a white onesie to make it into a dress.  The only onesie I had on hand was a 3-6 month, which worked out fine for now, but I lost a little length in the sewing so she might grow out of it soon.  The next time I'll use a bigger onesie.  But it'll work out ok because I'll just cut off the bottom part of the onesie which she gets too tall for it.  

In addition to the appliques on the front of the skirts, I put one on the back of Verity's onesie.  I love hiney decorations! 
And what outfit is complete without hair accessories?  So here is Charissa's ...
... and this one's Verity's.  Of course after I made it I found out that Verity's head isn't big enough for the headband and keeps flopping off.  Oh well.  

The girls were very cute on Sunday in their little outfits.  As much fun as it was to have a new outfit for Sunday, I don't think I'll be making them every week.  

Baby V Now Comes With Bows

Verity is losing her hair - there's just no denying it anymore.  So gone were the hopes that she'd be able to wear bows in her hair.  Until I remembered seeing headbands that you can change out bows with so even those with no hair can still accessorize.  So I made one last week:

I basically just wrapped a plastic headband with white ribbon and then made a loop off to one side that was big enough to clip a bow on.  So easy!
Sorry for the bad pictures, I'm having a little trouble with my camera right now.  I've done something to it and I can't figure out what I did.  But isn't she precious?  I mean, she was precious before, the bow just accents it.  

One Lump or Two?

If you come to our house, you'll probably be served a nice hot cup of cheese cubes.  Life is fun here. :)

EDIT :: Apparently some people were confused - Charissa put her cheese cubes that she had for a snack into one of her play tea cups.  She brought it to me and asked me if I wanted a "sip" and then proceeded to give me a piece of cheese.  It's very fun being her mother.  

We've Been Busy

As you can tell from the lack of blogging, we've been busy.  Between potty training and changing schedules and spring break we've been running around crazy.  But things are settling down for us now and I'm starting to feel like a normal person again.  And CJ is almost completely potty trained!  She still wears a diaper at night, but other than that she's good all day - even during nap time!  I'm very impressed with her.  

Anyway - I don't have a ton of time right now to post right now, but hopefully I'll be back again soon!

Tuesday Tip - What to Do With Bone-In Split Chicken Breasts

I don't know about you, but I don't really enjoy dealing with raw meat.  I prefer to buy my meat neatly packaged with no skins and no bones - it's just so easy.  But it's not the cheapest way to get meat.  And I think everyone is looking for ways to do things cheaper these days.  My friend Candace sent me a link to $5 Dollar Dinners where she explains how you can pretty easily use bone-in split chicken breasts.  I tried to copy it onto my blog, but that didn't work for some reason.  I really recommend reading her article because it'll probably save you tons of money and it's a lot easier than you would think.  

Tuesday Tip - Freeze Your Herbs

I love using fresh herbs when I cook. In fact I'm hoping to start growing my own herbs so that I can conviently walk out my back door, pick a few leaves and give my dinners a fresh burst of flavor. Until then, I'm stuck picking them up at the store. The thing I don't like about this, is that it's so wasteful. I use the rosemary (or thyme or cilantro or parsley) for one meal and then I'm left with the vast majority of the package and nothing to do with it. And then about a month later I find it at the bottom of my produce bin and hate that I have to throw it away. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

Well, I think I've found a solution. Freeze your leftover herbs. It's so simple! And one would think I would have found out about this earlier since we all know I have a great affection for all things freezable. And this was actually an accidental discovery - just like so many other great accidental discoveries (penicillin, champagne ...). Anyway - on one of those very rare shopping trips in which I was child-free I was lingering over the fun frozen foods when I saw a package of frozen parsley. It came in this tray with little pop out sections that each measured out to be about 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley. Fascinated, I took it out of the swirling mist and checked it out. As I'm looking it over and reading the labels I think to myself, "I could so do this." Especially since I have tiny Martha Stewart ice trays that are just the right size.

Ok - down to the nitty-gritty how to's.

Method One:

1. Pick the freshiest, healthiest leaves.
2. Wash (if necessary) and pat dry.
3. Spread the individual leaves on a small tray or cookie sheet. Freezing the leaves flat and individually will prevent them from freezing together.
4. Cover and place the tray into the freezer.
5. When frozen (which shouldn't take but a few hours), place in an airtight container or ziploc bag and return to the freezer.
   
   Method Two:

1. Harvest the freshest, healthiest leaves.
2. Wash (if necessary) and pat dry.
3. Stuff 2-3 individual leaves or a spoonful of chopped herbs in ice cube trays.
4. Fill the tray half way with water.  Make sure the leaves are down into the water.  They will tend to float, but that's ok for now.  Place the tray in the freezer.
5. Once the ice cubes are pretty much frozen, finish filling the tray with water.  The leaves should now be completely submerged in the water.  Put them back in the freezer until frozen solid.
6. Once the ice cubes are frozen, remove them from the tray and store in ziploc bags.

 Ta-da!  May you never waste herbs again! 

A Crafty Fun Giveaway

So my friend Nicole had a craft giveaway where the first 5 people to respond to her post would receive something made by her.  The only catch was that you had to offer the giveaway on your own blog.  Well, I was quick on the draw (barely) and was the 5th person to respond on her blog.  So now I am offering you that same chance.  Here are the rules:

1. You must be one of the first 5 people to leave me a comment on my blog.  
2. You must offer this on your own blog.
3. I will make something just for you.  Which means I'm going to try to make it something you'll like.
4. You must be patient with me to finish this project - no 6-8 week delivery guarantee.  Although I will try to do it in a timely fashion.  

So ... who wants to win something?

Easter Recap

This past weekend we went to my parents' house to celebrate Easter with them.  Charissa had lots of fun with Nana and Grumpa and all the egg-tivities that they had planned.  

CJ finding eggs in the backyard

Coloring eggs with Nana

It's hard to see in this picture, but apparently someone thought Verity's name was "Verity Treat."  I certainly think she's a treat.

Charissa and Verity in the Sunday Finery.  For those of you looking closely, you can see that this chair is just like CJ's, just in a different fabric.  It's actually Verity's chair that is waiting for her at Nana's until she's big enough to use it. 

Searching for her Easter basket ...

... and then when she finds it she just dumps it on the floor.

You can always count on Nana and Grumpa to have a good time. 

Easter Ideas for Next Year

    I don't know about you, but sometimes I find a really good idea for a holiday a few days after the holiday is over.  I have a file on my computer to keep track of these ideas so I can use them the next time.  So for any of you who do the same, I have a few good ideas for you.  

    Sarah over at Create Studio shared how her mother used plastic Easter eggs to share the Gospel.  Each egg has a scripture and an object in it going through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Since these were super easy to assemble, I made them one day before dinner and we went through them after dinner.  Charissa had a lot of fun playing with all the little objects, and we were able to go through a lot of the Gospel with her.

    Another idea came from a friend of mine from church.   Again, it was something her mom did with her every year.  They're called Resurrection Cookies and with each ingredient you talk about one aspect of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  The Gospel and cookies?  Now that's pretty cool.  

    So store these ideas away for next year.  And what holiday is coming up next that I can celebrate?   I have a desire to decorate and celebrate.  

I was featured!

My quilt was featured on the Scrap Exchange Blog!   

Flowery Headbands

Sometimes I enjoy a project that I can finish in a short amount of time but is very satisfying when completed.  I needed one of those projects the other day, and so I made the little girl a flowered headband.  

I wrapped a 1/4" plastic headband with light pink 1" ribbon (gluing only at the ends), and then attached the flowers.  The flowers are silk flowers that I detached from the plant they were on, stuck a brad through the middle and fluffed them up.  I actually made a second headband using brown ribbon with white polka dots and then attached white flowers, but I forgot to take a picture of it.  

The amazing thing was that she wore it.  Outside.  While playing.  Two year olds are unpredictable.  

Repurposed Fabrics

My friend Charity and I went to a fabric blow-out sale at the Scrap Exchange last weekend and I got a TON of fabric. It was mostly upholstery fabric with scary price tags on them like $140 a yard and other such nonsense.  So after I got home with my huge bag of fabric - for a grand total of $7.50 - I needed a plan of something to do with it.  Because I had a lot of it.  And it was kind of taking over my work space.  I decided to make a picnic quilt in the hopes that it'll inspire me to spend more time outside.  I saw an idea on Little Birdie Secrets to use a vinyl tablecloth as the backing for a picnic blanket to block the moisture.  Brilliant!  And the leaves and dirt and earthy stuff won't cling to vinyl like it will to cotton.  I set to work on my quilt, modeling if after a design I saw in a book Charity showed me.  This ended up being a much bigger project than I thought it would be since I wanted the blanket to be big enough for several people to sit out and have space to eat.  By the end of the week this is what I had:

Now we are picnic ready!

I still have a lot of material that I need to find projects for, but I did come up with one so far. I took some purple fabric and turned it into a skirt for CJ.

The fabric is actually really stiff so the skirt can stand on its own. Always a bonus.

I have two more piles of fabric that are project-less so if you have any ideas send them my way!

Tuesday Tip - 12 Steps to Finding Something

I have a couple Tuesday Tips in the works, but nothing ready for posting. So for the few of you who read my Tuesday ramblings, I decided to post a website that will help you find everything you've lost. Or so it says. Enjoy reading the Twelve Principles.