So in an effort to help my family save some money, I am working on some household things that will save a bit here and there. We did the laundry soap, and LOVE it! I recently made a batch using my husbands Irish Spring Ocean something or other, and it is amazing! I have a new HE washer being delivered today, so hopefully that water savings will help too!
Anyway, I am in the market for some information on saving on dryer sheets. I hate them. They are expensive, they are a fire hazard, and they are just plain annoying! I don't mind that our clothes won't come out of the dryer smelling like Fresh Linen, I just want them to come out with no static. So begins the journey to find something. The first thing I am going to try is the aluminum foil. I have read that you ball up some foil, toss it in with the wet clothes, and the foil takes over from there. I will report back!
Update: Okay, I did see a little bit of a difference in the static, but not much. I do think that my new washer along with my home made soap makes my clothes super soft, and the addition of a scented soap to the mixture gave a great smell. Next thing to try are those silly looking dryer balls.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
30 before 30
WOW! It hit me about a week ago that in roughly 10 weeks I will be 30. I have had an amazing 29 years, but there are a few things that I would like to do before hitting the big 3-0. I have already accomplished the most important things in my life: come back to my amazing relationship with God, get married to a man that loves me even though I am kinda a jerk sometimes, and have the three most amazing daughters that I could ask for (even though they can kinda be jerks sometimes). However, there are a few fun and silly things that I would like to do before the big day (April 19th for those of you that don't know. Don't worry though, there will be a countdown starting April 1). What makes this really great is that I already get to mark one thing off the list. As of this weekend, Paytin is potty trained! If anyone wants to do any of these with me, that would make it only that much more fun! (Except #1, that is reserved for my husband!)
12. Potty train Paytin. Completed 2/6/12
1. Kiss in the rain.
2. Go fishing, bait my own hook, and take my fish off said hook.
3. Get in shape, other than round.
4. Re-do the bathroom.
5. Help someone I don’t know.
6. Get a job I love.
7. Take a cooking class.
8. Learn to sew.
9. Have family pictures taken.
10. Crochet something.
11. Finish reading the Redemption series.
13. Clean my truck.
14. Bake some cupcakes with bacon in it somewhere (because who doesn’t love bacon?)
15. Send my husband flowers.
16. Start the chronological Bible reading plan http://www.esv.org/assets/pdfs/rp.chronological.pdf.
17. Color my hair something funky!
18. STOP SMOKING!
19. Make an Origami something.
20. Solve a Rubik cube without just taking the stickers off.
21. Feed and love on the homeless.
22. Fly a kite with my kids.
23. Plan a rockin’ 30th birthday 80’s dance party, or 80’s themed Outdoor Un-Prom.
24. Learn the Thriller dance.
25. Learn to parallel park.
26. Watch all of the Monty Python films in one setting.
27. Five day prayer fast.
28. Participate in a flash mob.
29. Learn how to BBQ.
30. Get a goat (fainting goat preferably).
Friday, July 8, 2011
Where should I start?
I suppose the only answer is to start at the start. I am 29 as of today. I am in love with an amazing man and together we are raising our three beautiful daughters. Quentin and I met at a bar. I wish I had a romantic story to tell about our love, but it just happened.We were great friends then realized that there was more than friendship behind the hugs. We started dating in July of 2000, and were married September 18, 2004. We will celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary this year, and I pray for many, many, more.
Our oldest daughter, Ashley, is actually my step daughter. She will be 16 in December, and let me tell you how glad I am that she will finally get her license! I am a lot of things to this family, but the job I dislike the most is that of chauffeur. I love her in an amazing way! It is a different love than that of my girls, because I didn't have to love her, I chose to. Let me tell you, that is one choice that I am glad that I made. She is an amazing kid who stole my heart 11 years ago, and has grown into a beautiful young woman with a great heart. I am blessed to have her in my life, and blessed that I have been able to watch her grow up.
Our middle daughter, Hailey, will be 5 in November. Hailey is a smart child, but sometimes to smart for her own good. She has the best heart, and a faith in God that any adult will be jealous of. My precious girl prays hard, loves God and Jejus (Jesus, but she says Jejus and I just love it!), and reminds me everyday just how great a God we serve. I often say that I want to be just like her when I grow up. She has been going to pre-school since she was 2, so it is hard to believe that you are talking to a 4 year old when she speaks. The things that come out of her mouth astound me. Hailey's love for her family is amazing! She is a daddy's girl, but thinks that her mommy can fix anything. Her big sister is her hero, and her little sister is her protege (or minion, depends on the day). I love her when she is a happy princess, and when she is princess pissy pants. Mostly, I just love to love her.
Paytin is the youngest at 1. She will be turning 2 in August. She is a fireball! Red headed and bad tempered! I had planned on only having one child to make our little family one of 4. God had a different plan for me, and although I didn't like his plan at first, I could never thank him for giving me one more little girl. Her smile brightens my day, and her laugh makes all bad days better. The way she smushes my face when she says I love you wipes away all of the bad she could ever do. She is a blessing, and I am glad that God decided to give her to me!
My hopes are that I can do justice to these precious gifts that I have been given. God has trusted me with their lives, their hearts, and their minds, and I pray daily that I am doing what he wishes me to do for them.
My God is an awesome God, and everything I do, I hope to bring him glory. I am not the most patient person, and am working on that, big time! There are many things in my life that I am not proud of, but I have come to learn that those things are in the past, and that I need to look to the future. My passions are God, my family, my friends, my church, and my community. I truly believe that it takes a village to raise kids, and my church and my community are that village. My heart has not always been this heavy for Christ, but over the last few years I have grown in a way that I never though possible. I see things clearer, and more passion than ever before.
I wish that I could say that I had a come to Jesus moment, but I don't. I was taken to church regularly as a child, but once I hit about 10 or 11 I didn't really go very often. I started again at about 14, but not for the right reason. I think at that point I just went for something to do, but also because the cool kids were going. :) I am so glad that I found a church home with Nineteen:Ten Church, and the wonderful people in it.
Now that I think about it, I guess I had a come back to Jesus moment. When I was pregnant with Hailey I was given a routine blood test that would tel me if there was an 80% chance that she had Trisomy 18. This was told to me over the phone, while I was at work, in front of a computer. Google should be illegal! The first think I did was Google, the next thing I did was break down. I was given the name of a specialist to call to make an appointment for a more detailed ultrasound. 2 weeks later, the ultrasound was inconclusive, and an amnio
I tried out a few local churches, and then found Nineteen:Ten Church (formerly Watermark) and fell in love. The people were so nice, my kids were happy, my husband was happy, and I was happy. We have been going to Nineteen:Ten for 3 1/2 years now, and could not be happier with our decision. I have made some wonderful new friends, as have my girls. I have made huge strides in my walk with the Lord, and am a stronger person today than yesterday, and will be even stronger tomorrow. I am learning that with faith I can do anything.
My newest venture is school. I am enrolled with UIW online university, and am still praying that this is the place that I am supposed to be in my life. Life is hard, work, being a wife and mom, and going to school, but I believe that if it is what He has planned for me, then I will rock at it all!
This first post got a lot longer than I had planned, but the words just kept coming. :)
Our oldest daughter, Ashley, is actually my step daughter. She will be 16 in December, and let me tell you how glad I am that she will finally get her license! I am a lot of things to this family, but the job I dislike the most is that of chauffeur. I love her in an amazing way! It is a different love than that of my girls, because I didn't have to love her, I chose to. Let me tell you, that is one choice that I am glad that I made. She is an amazing kid who stole my heart 11 years ago, and has grown into a beautiful young woman with a great heart. I am blessed to have her in my life, and blessed that I have been able to watch her grow up.
Our middle daughter, Hailey, will be 5 in November. Hailey is a smart child, but sometimes to smart for her own good. She has the best heart, and a faith in God that any adult will be jealous of. My precious girl prays hard, loves God and Jejus (Jesus, but she says Jejus and I just love it!), and reminds me everyday just how great a God we serve. I often say that I want to be just like her when I grow up. She has been going to pre-school since she was 2, so it is hard to believe that you are talking to a 4 year old when she speaks. The things that come out of her mouth astound me. Hailey's love for her family is amazing! She is a daddy's girl, but thinks that her mommy can fix anything. Her big sister is her hero, and her little sister is her protege (or minion, depends on the day). I love her when she is a happy princess, and when she is princess pissy pants. Mostly, I just love to love her.
Paytin is the youngest at 1. She will be turning 2 in August. She is a fireball! Red headed and bad tempered! I had planned on only having one child to make our little family one of 4. God had a different plan for me, and although I didn't like his plan at first, I could never thank him for giving me one more little girl. Her smile brightens my day, and her laugh makes all bad days better. The way she smushes my face when she says I love you wipes away all of the bad she could ever do. She is a blessing, and I am glad that God decided to give her to me!
My hopes are that I can do justice to these precious gifts that I have been given. God has trusted me with their lives, their hearts, and their minds, and I pray daily that I am doing what he wishes me to do for them.
My God is an awesome God, and everything I do, I hope to bring him glory. I am not the most patient person, and am working on that, big time! There are many things in my life that I am not proud of, but I have come to learn that those things are in the past, and that I need to look to the future. My passions are God, my family, my friends, my church, and my community. I truly believe that it takes a village to raise kids, and my church and my community are that village. My heart has not always been this heavy for Christ, but over the last few years I have grown in a way that I never though possible. I see things clearer, and more passion than ever before.
I wish that I could say that I had a come to Jesus moment, but I don't. I was taken to church regularly as a child, but once I hit about 10 or 11 I didn't really go very often. I started again at about 14, but not for the right reason. I think at that point I just went for something to do, but also because the cool kids were going. :) I am so glad that I found a church home with Nineteen:Ten Church, and the wonderful people in it.
Now that I think about it, I guess I had a come back to Jesus moment. When I was pregnant with Hailey I was given a routine blood test that would tel me if there was an 80% chance that she had Trisomy 18. This was told to me over the phone, while I was at work, in front of a computer. Google should be illegal! The first think I did was Google, the next thing I did was break down. I was given the name of a specialist to call to make an appointment for a more detailed ultrasound. 2 weeks later, the ultrasound was inconclusive, and an amnio
I tried out a few local churches, and then found Nineteen:Ten Church (formerly Watermark) and fell in love. The people were so nice, my kids were happy, my husband was happy, and I was happy. We have been going to Nineteen:Ten for 3 1/2 years now, and could not be happier with our decision. I have made some wonderful new friends, as have my girls. I have made huge strides in my walk with the Lord, and am a stronger person today than yesterday, and will be even stronger tomorrow. I am learning that with faith I can do anything.
My newest venture is school. I am enrolled with UIW online university, and am still praying that this is the place that I am supposed to be in my life. Life is hard, work, being a wife and mom, and going to school, but I believe that if it is what He has planned for me, then I will rock at it all!
This first post got a lot longer than I had planned, but the words just kept coming. :)
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