{learn a little about me}

I'm a Christian wife and a stay-at-home homeschooling mom to three great kids. In 2007, I began my original blog, Three Blondes and a Redhead, as a journal about my world, but transitioned in 2009 to Intentionally Katie to accommodate a growing audience. I am passionate about being a good "Household Manager" and love to encourage women and parents in the areas of cooking, organizing and frugal living. I'm a sucker for comments, so please feel free to drop a line and say, "Hi!"

* 50+ things about me
* 100 things that make me happy
* I am...
* Lessons I've learned
* My favorite parenting tips
* 101 Goals in 1001 Days list

{meet the rest of the family}

Mike, my husband of nearly 17 years

Ryan, 12 years old

Kaylin, 10 years old

Jason, 7 years old

I write about the kids often because they are such a huge part of my life. We spend our days homeschooling and our weekends running in different directions. We are a very real family and I try to be as transparent as possible without embarrassing them too much. I hope they entertain you as much as they do us!

101 Goals in 1001 Days

The first time I saw the concept of completing 101 Goals in 1001 Days was on my friend Rachel's blog. I love lists (especially to-do lists) and goals (especially when they're attainable...you know...with a deadline of September 27, 2011!) so the idea immediately appealed to me. Well, Katy Lin just did a 101 in 1001 list and lit a fire under me again to make my own list.

Somehow, the idea of completing 101 bigger goals is pretty daunting, but I'm ready for the challenge. It took a while to come up with 101 things and I'll admit I looked at these friends' lists for inspiration. And with my mini-OCD personality, it took everything in me not to categorize these to create some order, but instead I just left the list as-is, pretty much how things popped into my head. I'll let you know as I complete items and will update this post to show what has been crossed off. If you want to make your own list, read some tips here.

1. Wake up at 6am every day for 30 days in a row (5/7/10)
2. Create a realistic housekeeping plan and follow it for 1 month (6/12/10)
3. Complete the never-ending project I’m doing over our bed (1/13/09)
4. Do a 3 day media fast (8/2/09)
5. Have another baby (10/23/09)
6. Take 2 weekend getaways with my girlfriends (5/17/09 and 3/12/10)
7. Take a short vacation with another couple, no kids allowed (3/25/11)
8. Go to a marriage conference with Mike (1/10/09)
9. See the Grand Canyon (7/24/11)
10. Take a trip back to Kansas City (10/6/11)
11. Read a fiction book, start to finish (I know, that’s pathetic, but I'm not a fiction reader) (4/6/09)
12. Start an All About Me scrapbook (1/15/09)
13. Organize the sports equipment in our garage (1/11/09)
14. Open savings accounts for the kids (6/25/11)
15. Teach the kids to tithe weekly (9/25/11)
16. Go on a cruise (1/11/10)
17. Put wood floors in my scrapbook room
18. Hike to the top of Camelback Mountain
19. Share my faith with a stranger (9/15/11)
20. Teach Ryan to read (1/16/10)
21. Teach Kaylin to write her name (1/16/10)
22. Develop a workable system for paperwork in the office (3/15/11) 
23. Keep the desk clutter-free for 1 month (6/4/09)
24. Sell my old bedroom furniture that I had as a kid (9/24/10)
25. Recycle our unused electronics (10/22/11)
26. Do 25 random acts of kindness (9/22/11)
27. Attept to make homemade cinnamon rolls (1/27/09)
28. Go to San Francisco with Mike (3/25/11)
29. Label the baskets on my bookshelves and in the linen closet (5/28/09)
30. Fast from sugar for 30 days in a row (3/25/10)
31. Put cabinets and countertops in my craft room
32. Figure out digital picture frames (9/24/10)
33. Learn how to use my MP3 player (9/9/11)
34. Post MHR every Friday for a month (1/23/09)
35. Clean outside windows and screens (6/2/09)
36. Have the kids choose a Christmas "angel" that’s their age and have them choose gifts for their child that they would want for themselves (12/15/09)
37. Volunteer at a homeless shelter
38. Sit down and pre-plan meals for 1 month out and stick with the plan (2/5/09)
39. Visit a friend in the hospital (1/27/11)
40. Figure out how to make bread starting the dough in the bread machine and finishing it in the oven (4/27/09)
41. Buy more memory for the computer (2/19/09 - we bought a new computer instead of new memory, but this totally counts!)
42. Add ads to my blog to help bring in a little income (1/31/09 and 4/1/10)
43. Figure out how to record home movies to DVD using my computer (8/10/10...kind of)
44. Call a locksmith to unlock our empty file cabinet (7/26/11)
45. Try sushi (California rolls don’t count) (1/11/10)
46. Build a snowman with the kids (9/19/11)
47. Go jogging on the beach (9/6/10)
48. Buy groceries with a weekly cash allowance for a month (2/1/09)
49. Learn to use Photoshop (5/19/09)
50. Get 25 comments on a single blog post (1/11/09)
51. Create a family mission statement and frame it (7/8/09)
52. Pray for Mike every day for a month (2/18/09)
53. Go to a concert/comedy show (11/4/09 and 8/19/10)
54. Allow the kids to have dessert before dinner (11/15/09) and (6/26/11)
55. Color my hair back to blonde again (4/15/09)
56. Purchase overstuffed chairs and a large ottoman for our living room (4/25/10 - thanks for the great deal, Mom!)
57. Get the broken dining room chair fixed (1/18/09 - thanks, honey!)
58. Hang curtains on the office window
59. Install crown molding in the bedroom
60. Take a photography class (12/6/09 and 11/20/10)
61. Get an amazing $1000 camera (6/10/09)
62. Do a cleanse (7/13/10)
63. Research buying contacts online to save money (8/24/10)
64. Start using 100% homemade household cleaners (6/27/10)
65. Make vegetarian meals 3x a week for a month (4/2/10)
66. Play in the rain with my kids (7/22/10)
67. Visit Desert Botanical Gardens
68. Go to Organ Stop Pizza with the family (7/31/09)
69. Sign Kaylin up for a dance class (3/10/10) 
70. Camp by the Christmas tree (12/10/10)
71. Figure out Twitter(4/19/09)
72. Take a bubble bath once a week for a month (3/31/10)
73. Bring Mike breakfast in bed (5/31/09 and 6/21/09)
74. Find the perfect picture for above the dining room table (6/29/09)
75. Take a hot air balloon ride
76. Plan a girls day with just my mom and Kaylin (5/29/10)
77. Clean out my bedroom closet (4/14/10)
78. Purge old paperwork from our file cabinets (11/27/10)
79. Give myself a pedicure 3 months in a row (9/10/11)
80. Buy a van with a DVD player for long car trips (3/31/09)
81. Wash my car by hand (5/2/10)
82. Take a spin class (without leaving in the middle) (9/22/11)
83. Invite 5 “new” neighbors over for lunch (4/18/10)
84. Go a whole week without raising my voice to the kids, not once (7/16/09)
85. Teach Ryan to make a full dinner all by himself (5/13/11)
86. Teach Kaylin to go potty by herself (1/28/09)
87. Attend Kick Boxing every Saturday for 3 months
88. Attend a Yoga class once a week for 3 months
89. Lift weights 2 times a week for a month (3/12/10)
90. Jog for 30 minutes straight (6/2/10)
91. Talk Mike into getting a professional massage (8/21/10)
    
92. Let the kids make most of the decisions for an entire day (8/1/10)
93. Plan an international trip with Mike (7/25/11)
94. Watch Gone With the Wind (10/6/10)
95. Do a devotional with the kids every day for 2 weeks (7/17/09)
96. Go to bed at 9:00 every day for a week straight (1/22/11)
97. Research an inexpensive, good quality skin care regimen and stick to it (9/14/11)
98. Get Lasik surgery on my eyes
99. Floss daily for one month (2/18/09)
100. Find the perfect-fitting bra (8/19/10)
101. Get 100,000 hits on my blog (1/12/10)

Please let me know if you start your own 101 list...I'd love to peek, especially now that it's too late to steal any of your ideas. Wish me luck!!!

(Update: so many of you have emailed or commented that you have created your own 101 in 1001 list...if you posted it to a blog or wrote about any kind of goals or New Year's resolutions, feel free to link to your blog post below...)

Free Kodak Prints

I recently discovered that when you sign up for Kodak's online photo center, they give you 75 free 4x6 prints. I'm a sucker for free pictures, so I sign up every time.

Well! I uploaded all of my pictures from November and December that I want to scrapbook and I placed my order. They had a 9 cent picture promotion going through January 9th (using the code "NEWYEARPRINTS"), so I figured if I had more than 75 pictures I wanted printed, I was paying shipping to Kodak anyway, I may as well order through them, too, right? And at 9 cents each, why not get a double of this picture for Grandma and a copy of that picture to include in Aunt Claudia's thank you note...

When all was said and done, I had 119 pictures in my cart. What on earth?

Anyway, I noticed an option to pick up your prints at a local store. Turns out they only charge $2.49 for a pick up fee vs. the $5+ I was going to pay to have them shipped to my house. Um, pick up, please!

I went through the local stores and CVS Pharmacy was on the list. Cool - I have to go there this week anyway.

But wait - it gets better! I just realized that I think I can use my ECB credits (CVS's bonus bucks program) to pay for these pictures!!!

SO...my 119 pictures should have been $17.85 (at the regular 15 cents each price) but with discounts and free prints totalling $13.89 and a measly pick up fee of $2.49, with tax, my total is $6.79. AND if they let me use my ECB, it will be free.

Hallelujah, I love CVS.

Parents: Tell, Kids: ASK

Have you ever heard advice given to parents about telling your kids to do something rather than asking? For example, "It's time to go to bed," instead of, "Are you ready to go to bed?" or "Please clear your dishes," instead of "Could you clear your dishes, please?" By turning requests into a question, kids are given the right to easily say, "no" and the parent ends up arguing or forcing the child to do something that they thought they had an option to do, when in reality, they shouldn't have been given a choice.

I've always believed in this theory and speak this way fairly consistently. That's the good news. The bad news is that it occured to me that I'm teaching my kids to do the same. And I just realized they're developing a bad habit. It didn't bother me until I heard them talking to another adult this way, now it's all my ears will hear.

It's a perfect example of manners and attitudes being caught not taught. I can't blame them, really.

I think it started when Kaylin was just beginning to talk. "Milk, please," was a polite request because she was using her manners and saying, "please," like she was taught. Ryan used to say, "May I have some milk, please?" I remember this for sure. But somewhere along the way, that statement turned into "I want some milk, please." Again, seemingly polite.

The difference, however, is that by making a statement versus asking a question, my kids suddenly sound very demanding. And I'm beginning to sense it in their hearts. You can practically hear them holding back an obnoxious, "ahem...NOW" at the end of the sentence.

So this has become my newest pet peeve and pet project. It takes effort and intention to catch them telling and correct them into asking, but I'm already seeing progress.

I don't want bratty kids. I really, really don't. How is it that when you think you have something mastered (I would well up with pride every time my kids said, "please") there's a whole 'nother element that you didn't see coming? Some days I don't think I'm smart enough for this parenting role. It's sucking my brain cells right out of my head on a moment by moment basis. Whoops! I feel a few more escaping right now...

Go Hug Your Husband

I'd like to ask for prayer for my poor friend, Shelly. Her husband passed away suddenly yesterday morning. The day after Christmas. He was truly the love of her life. She has a baby girl, 3 year old twin boys and a 14 year old daughter. And she is now on her own with those sweet kids.

What began as a blood clot this summer, turned into a tumor, he began chemo, the tumors shrank, they celebrated when he came home from the hospital last week, God gave him all day on Christmas with his family, then Shelly found him unresponsive yesterday morning. And now he is with the Lord.

If you know Shelly or feel lead to help in some way (Dan had been out of work for months due to being in and out of the hospital, so they need lots of help financially, with groceries, diapers, anything will help) please email me at ktksu(at)cox(dot)net.

Whenever I was having a rough day with Mike or the kids or began a pity party about our situation, I thought of Shelly. Her family's circumstances put things into perspective for me so often and I hope this can somehow help you appreciate all that you have, too.

Seriously...go hug your husband. Just because he's alive and with you right now.

Some post-Christmas ideas

Did everyone have a GREAT Christmas? Is anyone out there a little sad that it's over...like ME? I just love this time of year and the "big day" seems to come and go so quickly.

In thinking about wrapping up the festivities, I have some ideas for you to let the Christmas cheer linger a little bit. A few friends of mine have a great way of enjoying their holiday cards all year. Well, not the cards so much as the pictures included with the cards. They take those huge collage frames with all of the different sized holes in the mat. Anyway, they put the pictures of all of their friends and family in the frame to hang up and look at throughout the year. Isn't that genius? (thanks Erin for the picture!)

Since I never got around to displaying the cards I received this year (I just tossed them in a Christmas basket, which is VERY unlike me), I've decided to do something a little different over the next few months. Someone once told me that they keep their Christmas cards on their dinner table throughout December and every night at dinner, take out a card and pray for the person who sent it. Well, December's nearly over, so we're going to start this on the 1st of January. If you haven't sent me a card yet and want prayers...there's still time!!! :)

Once your holiday fun is totally done and you're ready for your house to look like it does the other 11 months of the year, consider spreading it out over a few days. I notice Mike gets really bummed when we put away all of our Christmas stuff, so I'm thinking about putting away all but the tree one day, then taking down the tree a few days later, just to prolong the festivities as long as possible for him. (especially this year)

Other ways to keep the spirit alive:

- Drive around and look at Christmas lights...again. Most people keep their decorations up until the New Year, so go ahead and gawk.

- Hit some after Christmas sales and buy stuff (decor, festive holiday wear, wrapping paper/ribbons, even gifts) for next year. I'm so sad that we don't have extra cash right now because I would LOVE to buy tiny trees for each of my kid's bedrooms for next year.

- Rent a couple of "Christmas" movies that you didn't catch on tv. White Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life and The Family Man are great movies set around the holidays, but aren't ALL about Christmas like Elf, The Santa Clause or The Grinch.

- Sit down with the kids and help them write Thank You notes for their gifts. (it's a good habit to start with them early) If they're too young to write, have them draw a picture then sign their name at the end of your note. Include a picture of them enjoying the gift, if you can.

- AND there's still time to "camp" by the Christmas tree. (unless you've already torn your stuff down...)

That reminds me. I'm curious: when do your Christmas decorations come down? I'm meeting more and more people who pack up their Christmas stuff on December 26th. Scrooges! Traditionally, I'm totally a January 1st girl. When I was working, it was the perfect day-off to complete the big task of tearing down, packing up, putting away and doing the post-decoration clean-up. What about you?

A Sucker for Santa

I've mentioned that we've been wishy-washy about the whole Santa thing, right? Well, I overheard Mike say something to Ryan, encouraging the situation, and I totally went with it.

The kids are super excited for Santa to visit, especially Ryan. He knows that he has to be asleep before Santa will come, but he didn't understand why he couldn't "just say, 'Hi'" - you know, because they're old pals. We've seen Santa twice on purpose and ran into him at Sprouts grocery shopping by accident.

As I was pulling the gifts out from under the tree and setting them out for the morning, I realized I forgot a VERY important Santa detail. It was so important to me that I actually got the kids back up and brought them downstairs to pick out cookies to put out on a plate.

I wrote a note and read aloud "For: Santa" and Kaylin immediately added, "AND Rudolf AND the reindeer..." So I kept writing. Both kids colored him a picture, too.

At Sprouts, Santa gave the kids autographed pictures, which I totally saved and put near the empty plate of cookies and the stockings. Am I good at lying to my children or what? Ah, the magic of Christmas. Oh, don't worry - we'll read the Nativity story before we open gifts in the morning and blow out birthday candles for Jesus. I haven't forgotten the real meaning of Christmas, but I AM getting into this Santa thing!

Reality Check - Christmas Letter '08

I got a Christmas letter via email the other day from a faraway friend whose oldest is Ryan's age and who is expecting baby #4 this summer. She is the all-natural, earthy version of Super Mom and I look up to her in so many ways.

As I read through the letter, seeing updates on each member of the family and positive-infused details about their life, I slowly sank in my seat. Here she is, pregnant plus has a whole extra kid more than me, and she's seemingly floating through life. The only line in the letter that seemed less-than-wonderful was, "Things are well with us...wild, but well."

I immediately responded with an email, pouring my heart out. I have been really struggling the past two weeks. Not only is Mike feeling low and having trouble enjoying his "time off" with our family during the holidays, but my kids are beginning to obsorb the tension and they are quickly becoming a HUGE handful. So in addition to the financial stress, there is additional marital stress and (woo hoo - come join the party!) now parenting stress. I've been pushed past my limit and after reading about how someone with more kids (and an exhausting pregnancy!) than I have is handling life with grace and optimism, I wanted to cry.

My sweet friend responded with "the unedited Christmas letter," which was much more raw and laugh-out-loud hilarious. I guess the before and after emails helped me realize that no one wants the ugly truth in an annual Christmas letter. For some recipients, this is the only time all year that they hear from us. I doubt they want to hear all of our daily struggles and frustrations. Kind of like the passers by who say, "How are you?" If you answered anything but, "Fine," (or at the worst, "Hangin' in there," if you're not fine), everyone would be so shocked that they'd slowly back away from you the crazy person having verbal diarrhea all over them because, really, they were just asking to try to be polite. I mean, come on. It's Christmas. Everything is sugar-coated at Christmas.

So...without further adieu, I present to you MY unedited Christmas letter...

Wow - it's been a horrible past few weeks an interesting year! We had a major change for our family in October when we received the financially and emotionally devestating news that our church was downsizing its staff and that Mike was being laid off. As naive as it seems, even considering the downward financial spiral our country has gotten itself into We were completely shocked by the announcement, but after bouts of tears, fears, doubt, anxiety and even anger we trust that God is in control of every aspect of our lives and know that He has a great, new job that will require him to work longer hours and sit in rush hour traffic while the kids and I eat dinner alone around the corner for Mike.

The kids are completely out of control doing well and are growing up so fast. Although if they don't start shaping up, they may not make it to their birthdays next summer. Ryan is in his second year of pre-school but will be pulled out if Mike doesn't find employment soon and absolutely loves it. It's the only time of the week that he will sit still and actually follow instructions from anyone. Kaylin is completely potty trained at the young age of two except when she decides to pee all over the place, out of the blue, usually out in public, when I'm unprepared and don't have a change of clothes and she even sleeps in underwear at night which she decided to do the day after I purchased and opened a mega-pack of 120 diapers!

I love that our kids are best friends which gives them twice the power when they decide to misbehave or gang up on me in an attempt to send me over the edge and that they're such great play mates unless one tries to steal the others' toy and, in that case, it's ON...they will antagonize each other to the point of screaming and/or causing bodily harm...until I can't handle it anymore and freak out, shouting at the top my lungs and putting them both in time out...where they continue to antagonize each other. I am so grateful to be their mother but doubt my abilities daily and that I am able to stay home with them full time which may be ripped away from me if we start running out of money and I need to go back to work.

I hope this letter finds you well if I can gather enough change to purchase stamps to mail it and pray that your family is enjoying this holiday season. We would appreciate your prayers specifically that I can manage to get through the next few days without shedding any more tears during this unwelcome unhappy unstable rough patch in our lives.

Merry freakin' Christmas, from our home which is freezing because someone won't let me turn on the heater to yours.

A few pre-Christmas organization ideas

Before your home is infiltrated with all of the new stuff that your loved ones will give you this week, I have a suggestion. Start making room BEFORE Christmas day. (I know...like you need one more thing to do before December 25, but just hang with me for a minute.)

Take a big box or some Rubber Maid plastic bins and pack up some of the old "boring" toys that have not been played with in a while. Pull them out in February or March when the Christmas toys lose their luster. If your kids are old enough (say pre-school and above) involve them in the process. You might even want to use this as a learning opportunity to explain how you want your family to stay organized and how too many things (or "clutter") makes it hard to function well. Remember: if you don't teach these principles to your kids, no one will!

Another idea is to put away some of the NEW toys that you get for Christmas. That may seem odd, but let your kids pick a few of their favorites for now, then rotate in some of the other toy gifts in a few weeks when you need a few minutes to do some chores around the house. Or if you go on a long car trip. Or you just want to shower...or read a magazine...or make a phone call. (obviously I'm talking to the moms of little ones here!) Just don't forget to rotate the toys back in - if you're an "out of sight, out of mind" person, jot it down on your calendar as a reminder.

A few final ideas for a calmer Christmas morning:

- While opening gifts, keep the following things nearby:

* a large trash bag for wrapping paper and boxes (clean up as you go instead of spending an hour later in the day)

* scissors (what is it with the packaging on toys these days???)

* several sizes of batteries

* both kinds of screwdrivers

* a coin (because some of the toy makers try to make it "easier" to open the battery pack with a coin)

- Take your time unwrapping presents with the littler kids. What's the harm in letting them play with a few of the toys as they are opened? They won't be as appreciative of items that are taken away from them as soon as they're opened while other packages are shoved into their hands. This can be an opportunity for them to learn gratitude and how to thank each person as the gift is opened and played with. Then, if the giver is there with you, they can know that their gift choice was a good one. (This is a picture of Mike's mom reading a story to Kaylin immediately after she opened it last night - in years past, we would have taken the book away and promised to read it later. WHY?! What is the point of rushing through this experience???)

- If your kids get too riled up, slow things down a bit. Last year, Ryan seemed to be inundated with the excitement of Christmas morning. He wasn't enjoying the gift-opening process, he was acting out and there was just too much going on. I wanted to calm him down, so I asked him to sit on my lap (which I never expected him to agree to) and he suddenly was completely at ease. He opened one gift at a time and actually saw what was inside instead of tearing, throwing, ripping and crushing the packages he was given. It was a huge lesson for me that the adults aren't the only ones who get overstimulated when things get chaotic.

- If the piles upon piles of opened gifts get too hectic and you can't see the floor, instead of being overwhelmed by all of the new "things" that suddenly need to find homes in your already full closets, cabinets, nooks and crannies, put the opened gifts back under the tree. I discovered this trick the first year we had Ryan and it has been a lifesaver. This doesn't only apply to toys...your spouses and your gifts can be tossed back under there, too. It helps keep your mind un-cluttered and you can take your time over the next few days putting things were they will belong long-term instead of finding temporary homes and potentially losing gifts that you loved. And if you're doing Christmas morning someplace else and come home with bags of stuff, I suggest the same thing. Instead of leaving everything in the bags and dropping them where ever they land, stick them all under the tree until you have time to put everything in it's proper place.

- Once all of the gifts are opened, interview your family and ask each person what their favorite gifts were. If you keep lists like this every year, it's interesting to look back on later. (and, if you're like me, you might forget what gifts were received within a few days of Christmas if you don't write it down!)

- My last tip is to BREATHE and remember to relax this holiday. If you're hosting your holiday celebration, don't be afraid to accept help for cooking, cleaning up, etc. And don't put so much pressure on yourself for everything to be perfect that you stress everyone around you yourself out. People are coming to your home to enjoy YOU, not to critique how well your place cards match your centerpiece. This is your Christmas, too, and you deserve to enjoy all of these experiences with your friends and family. Be MERRY this Christmas!!!

Light Bulb Moment

You've had them, right? "Light bulb moments." There are certain things people can't tell you to do...you have to want to do it for yourself. You need to want to quit smoking or want to reconcile with a long, lost loved one or want to lose weight.

I had my light bulb moment yesterday.

Remember last month when I thought I was pregnant? Remember how I was 100% sure??? That certainty infested my thinking and allowed lots and lots of food and calories past my lips because I had thoughts of, "What's the point? I'm just going to get fat and pregnant anyway..."

Then surprise! Not pregnant. Oh well, it's the holidays. Again: what's the point??? I'll start fresh after the new year. I'll be good, I promise. But not yet. Bring on the Christmas cookies and neighbor gifts and I'll have just one more because what could it hurt?

But I knew. I felt my pants getting tighter. I saw the scale creeping higher...slowly...one pound at a time. I actually began noticing that full feeling each night after dinner. Not just satisfied. Full. I was eating to the point of being full...nightly. I'm a good cook, but not that good!

Sometimes all it takes is a light bulb moment. Mine was last night. We were eating enchiladas and they were delicious. I seemed to inhale my dinner and added a little more to my plate. Then I snuck a bite or two from Kaylin, who hadn't touched her food. As Mike finished up, he brought his dish to the sink and ran water over it. Odd, considering the fact that I only gave him one enchilada. He can put it away, that man of mine. He's no stranger to seconds.

I asked if he was full and he said, "Yeah, those were pretty filling. I don't need more. I'm good."

(gulp)

I had officially eaten more than my husband. Almost twice as much more than a man who eats a lot. Most people who eat what he eats weigh 300 pounds. Then there are others (like him) who have a crazy metabolism.

Not only did I eat more than a man not on a diet and not watching what he's eating, but I also I had dessert. And, as is now customary, I was full all night. Oh, how I hate that post-Thanksgiving meal feeling of being full.

So there it is: I can't wait until January 1st to cut back. Because at this rate, I'll have gained another 5 pounds by then.

Light bulb.

Ice Cream Cone Christmas Tree Craft

Check out what the kids created at Ryan's school today! We should have colored the frosting green for the true effect, but here's the idea: take a sugar ice cream cone, dip the wide end in frosting and stick it to a bowl or plate. We gave the kids frosting to spread on the cone to make it into "Christmas tree" and candy decorations to add as ornaments and lights. Similar to a gingerbread house but 10 times simpler.

Before...


After...


I aided at the pre-school Christmas party today and Mike was able to join us for the sing-along and (of course) the pizza party. Kaylin sat with the big kids and even decorated her own "tree." She always feels like such a big girl in Ryan's class...


Before the chaos began, Mrs. B took the monthly class picture. She always uses props and was wrapping Christmas lights around the kids when one of the, um, rowdier kids yelled, "Oh PLEASE don't tie me up!" Mrs. B quickly said, "...and that is exactly how rumors get started."


In the first hour of class, we crammed in Christmas Bingo (with M&Ms), the kids made reindeer feed (oats and glitter to sprinkle on the yard so the reindeer can see their houses better) and wrapped their gifts to the parents, decorating the wrapping paper, writing the tag and adding tons and tons of bows.

Last year, I was SO surprised by Ryan's gift. His teacher got the best, smiling picture of Ryan that I'd seen in months (he went through a long phase of never sitting still or smiling for pictures) and turned it into a Christmas ornament that Ryan decorated. She gave the class strict instructions to put the gift under the tree and not allow Mom or Dad to peek until Christmas morning. They got the same instructions this year, but unfortunately for me (I enjoy surprises sometimes!) I've seen the gift. And I almost cried!!! I'll say it again: I LOVE this teacher. I don't want to spoil it for Mike (who I doubt is reading this), but I'm excited we'll get to appreciate this gift all year long.

The Benefits of Goals

With the New Year quickly approaching, I know some of you are ready to make some resolutions. Most New Year's resolutions have to do with losing weight, quitting a bad habit or starting a good habit. I've had (and broken) countless resolutions over the years. I hate that feeling of failure, yet I continue to set new resolutions. (I did it again last year) Why do we insist on punishing ourselves annually?

I am, however, a big fan of goals. Goals don't seem as brutal as resolutions. You can make a goal whenever you want. And if you "break" a goal, it seems easier to start back up again the following day. Actually, now that I think about it, that could be why I don't usually stick to my goals...I'm always starting and stopping them again.

Do you know what works for me? Lent. I'll never forget when my high school Bible study leader, Brenda, gave up sugar one year - it seemed so drastic! ALL sugar? I tried to talk her into just giving up chocolate...that would be bad enough, right? But she explained that the point of choosing what you're giving up (or fasting from) was that it was supposed to be something truly sacrificial. I mean, come on - Jesus gave up his LIFE for us, the least we can do is abstain from sugar for 40 days, right?

My Junior year in college, I found out that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. So I went for it. I gave up everything I loathed about myself. I gave up soda, fast food, chocolate, swearing (up until that point, I had a HORRIBLE potty mouth and after that, my speech has never been the same), and saying something about someone that I wouldn't want them to overhear.

Funny story about that last one. Three funny stories, actually. Well, "funny" as in, "Oh no, the phone wasn't disconnected after I called my instructor an a**hole?" or "OMG she was seriously standing right there when I said that about her?" or "I wonder if there's a specific surgery I can have to remove my foot from my mouth..." So not really funny so much as "I need to get my act together if I want to get through college without any more major scars."

Unfortunately, I've fallen away from the goals that I committed to in October. But I'm not waiting until January 1st to get back on the bandwagon. The only thing that's waiting until January 1st for me will have to do with food because I'm not stupid enough to attempt to deprive myself at Christmastime!!!

Goals help give purpose and direction. If you don't know what the "end" looks like, how will you ever get there? I have a challenge: sit down and try to picture how you wish certain areas of your life could look like. What do you want your family to look like? What about your marriage? Your home? Your bank account? Your health? Your friends? All of us have areas we'd like to improve.

Once you've envisioned the major areas that need to be fine-tuned, set S.M.A.R.T. goals. (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely) And I strongly suggest that you write them down. Some ideas for the above items...

* If your family is running in too many different directions, set a goal to begin saying, "no" to certain activities. Or vow to say "no" to something you're currently doing for each new "yes" you commit to.

* If you and your spouse aren't as close as you once were, set a goal to have a weekly date night so you can reconnect without the kids. If you can't afford a sitter, rent a movie and eat a quiet dinner after the kids are in bed.

* If your home is disorganized or chaotic, set goals for those items. Pull out your calendar and challenge yourself to organize one room per month in 2009. (Don't say, "closets in January" or you'll get overwhelmed...designate January as "master closet," February as "hall closet" and March as "baby's closet." If it's more realistic, you're more likely stick with it!) If you wished your home had more personality, choose a room and start decorating. Rearrange the furniture for a fresh look. Buy a new throw pillow. Sew some curtains. Add color to the walls. Paint is pretty cheap and changes the whole feel of a room.

* If your checking account is grim, decide on a certain amount of money (with your spouse) to set aside each paycheck to go toward savings. Or start clipping coupons and saving money at the grocery store. (click here for more tips in that area)

* For health issues, tackle each item individually:
· Are your arms too soft or jiggly? Do some pushups each morning. (do as many as you can the first day, then add 5 every 2-3 days)
· Do you get out of breath climbing stairs? Start walking with a friend a few times a week.
· Do you want to eat better? Do your homework and start reading labels at the grocery store. Or better yet, only shop the outer section (produce, deli, meat department and bakery) without buying processed foods from the inner aisles.
· If you want to lose weight, start by eating smaller portions. Try serving your meals on a dessert plate instead of a dinner plate and avoid going back for seconds.

* If you wish you had good, quality friends, you have to be proactive - friendships don't happen by accident. Is there someone you have a friend crush on? Find a reason to give them a call - I doubt your friend-crush has met their "personal friend quota." High school is over! (though some have trouble growing up and moving away from cliques...) And if you don't succeed with the first friend date, move on to someone else. Step out of your comfort zone and invite another mom over for a play date. Or ask a co-worker to lunch. Our husbands are great and all, but women need girlfriends. It's a whole 'nother kind of relationship.

I have a long term goal of being "that house" for my kids. The house that my kids want to spend time, invite their friends to, return home to as adults and enjoy spending time when they have families of their. Last year, I watched the movie Dan in Real Life and thought, "THAT is what I want!!!" That movie epitimizes the reason I want more children and is exactly what I look forward to as an empty nester. It's truly one of my favorite movies. So don't only think about short term goals...look into the future and set some long term goals for your family as well.

What are some of your New Year's goals???

Link Love

I read enough blogs this week that had me nodding along or saying "ah-ha" that I wanted to share the link love. If you have a minute, I highly recommend reading the following links, if only the first line of each paragraph to get the general idea and to see if you want to read more...

10 Tips for Looking Your Best - Simple Mom (this post is not what you'd expect - it was right on)

Organizing Holiday Mail - Creative Organizing/Simplify 101 (I love this gal - she's my organizational inspiration. Again, great tips)

Winter Gear Organizing Idea - The Happy Housewife (this is genius)

Making Soups from Leftovers - Life as Mom (I hate waste - I flagged this post to refer back to later)

Keeping Computer Time in Balance - Biblical Womanhood

Respecting and Trusting your Husband - Biblical Womanhood

When You're Not Enough - Org Junkie

This last post at Org Junkie is for those of you who get discouraged after reading my blog. Hearing that makes me sad because I strive to encourage, not discourage...but each of us are in a different place and we need be okay with that. And please feel free to continue giving me that feedback, because it reminds me to tone it down a little sometimes. I certainly don't mean to come across as "Look at me, look at me! I saved a bunch of money, redecorated my kitchen, whipped up enough fresh bread for the neighborhood and cleaned the whole house with my apron and pearls on today...just like June Cleavor!!!" I try to be real...hopefully you read those posts, too, so you see that I have my struggles just like everyone else.

Happy reading!

Playing catch up

I'm going through my to-do list and have to take care of a few things in blogland.

First, THANK YOU to Maria for awarding me with the Creative Blogger award. What's better than meeting a new blog friend by receiving an award!?!? (Does that make me cheap...or did I just admit that my friendship can be bought with a cyber-award?) Anyway, thanks Maria...it made my day!!!

Second, I was tagged in photo tag by Niki. I'm supposed to go to my 4th picture file and post the 4th picture in the folder. SO here it is...my snuggly baby and my sweet husband at the Phoenix Children's Museum last week. I tag...everyone. Can I do that? Please leave me a comment if you choose to play along so I can see your post. Consider yourself tagged.

Last, I wanted to post about going to the Star of Wonder Christmas production at Phoenix First Assembly last night. We haven't been since the kids were born, and I was pleasantly surprised that they behaved so well. BUT - about 3 minutes before the show started, Kaylin asked to go potty and was blown off because she'd just gone a half hour before and we thought she just wanted attention because Ryan was in the bathroom.

So she peed. On my lap. And announced it loud enough for everyone within 3 rows to hear. "Mommy, I PEED." Yes, honey, I know. I felt the warmth on my legs immediately.

I didn't have a change of clothes for me or for her, so I put Mike's sweatshirt on my lap and put Kaylin on top. All was fine until they asked us to stand and join in singing Christmas carols. That's when I realized her pee had made it's way to MY backside and it looked like I wet MY pants. And it was nice and warm while I was seated. But after standing for 5 minutes, my jeans were freezing.

Then after a half hour or so, it began to smell. Badly. You know what stale pee smells like...it was worse than smelling flatulence because at least that smell goes AWAY, right? I was horrified. The smell permeated the aisles each time Kaylin hopped off my lap to dance when there were dancers on the stage.

Thankfully, Kaylin wanted to leave after seeing the live elephant on stage, so we left at intermission and missed the crowd of people seeing the ladies in our family walking around with pee on our pants. And smelling our odor, to boot.

And to top off the evening, she peed again in her carseat on the way home. Fa la la...such is life with a toddler.

Christmas lights gone wild

This is the new Christmas lights display (set to music - turn the sound on!) going around on email this year (don't forget to pause my Playlist before playing the video)...


But this one is still my favorite...


We saw a house nearby that was also set to music, but it was no where near as technical as either of these. Merry Christmas!!!

Belated Advent

Of ALL the great Christmas ideas I had intended to do this season, Advent should have been one of the most important. Yet here it is...December 9th...and we have done none of my Advent calendar ideas.

We did make countdown paper chains that the kids have been tearing off daily since Thanksgiving weekend. But that's not truly about Advent. That's just counting down to Christmas day so they don't continue to ask me every day if it's Christmas yet.

So get this - I now have THREE Advent calendars. No joke. And I'm not doing any of them.

A few years ago, I made this in my church moms group. But I never completely finished stitching it. (see days 15-18) Each year, I take it out with the intention of finishing the 10 minutes of stitching that's left, but I haven't done it yet. It's currently on my to do list and I intend to do it by the end of the week. (again, it's the 2nd week of December...better late than never, right?)

Then a few weeks ago, I went to a fellow scrapbook friend's house and made this little Advent Scrapbook. She had extra supplies, I brought the Christmas paper I had laying around and an adorable little book was born. I have all the tags that go inside each day's pockets, but they're blank. How long will this project go unfinished? I need to sit down and write a verse of scripture and an activity on each little tag. Cute, isn't it? It's not happening this year.

But today, as I was roaming the aisles of Target, I found this. I had a gift card from my birthday and knew that Mike wouldn't get mad if I bought it using the gift card. It was even on sale from $28 down to $19. Super cute and not something I can mess up. I brought it home, stuck 2 Hershey's kisses behind each little door (skipping the first 8 doors, of course...) and we're finally doing SOMEthing for Advent. And the kids are thrilled. You can tell that some poor 7 year old kids made it in China because the painted "ribbon" on day 19 is totally going the wrong way. That will bug me EVERY year, I just know it.

Want to know a secret? (actually, you're not the only one reading this, so it's not truly a secret) I'm a natural procrastinator. Honestly, I am. But I've figured this out about myself, so I rush to do things as soon as I think about them so I don't have a chance to put them off for later. If I don't do something right away, it won't get done until the last minute. I have to hurry and do everything while I'm motivated. Like the 12 Days of Christmas series...I wrote those over a weekend and set them up to auto-post on the correct day.

It's a weird thing I do, but I'm just glad I figured that out about myself. So when I think, "Oh, I'll do that later," I stop myself and realize, "No you won't! Just hurry up and do it right now...it will only take a minute and you'll be so glad you did." I read in Donna Otto's book "Secrets to Getting More Done in Less Time" that it's not what you DO that weighs you down, it's what you DON'T DO. I know I've shared that before, but it's worth repeating because it's true for all of us.

What are you putting off? Get up and go do it right now. Seriously...you're just wasting time on the computer. (plus, you've already read my blog, so nothing else could be that important!) Go on! Be productive!!!

Family Interview - What Brings You Joy?

Mike's had his highs and lows recently, but yesterday afternoon, he was pretty down. After he read the Bible for a bit, I gave him a homework assignment: I pulled up my list of 100 Things That Make Me Happy on our computer and I asked him to read the whole post. Then he was supposed to start a list for himself. The idea is for him to read through the list when he's in a mood and if just reading it doesn't cheer him up, we'll try to do something on the list. Nothing on the list really surprised me, but it was nice to see him come up with a list of 30 things that make him happy. When he went through the string of vanilla ice cream, homemade chocolate chip cookies, chili, pizza, hot wings and Mexican food...I realized that he's a typical "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" kinda guy. Good to remember!

During dinner, we asked the kids what makes them happy. Ryan's list was sweet: "When you don't yell at me or put me in time out...when Daddy plays games with me in the play room...chocolate chip cookies...and eating pizza." Kaylin just mimicked him, "Pizza and chocolate chip cookies" since we were eating chicken pesto pizza and cookies were baking in the oven.

Today he volunteered at Ryan's school for the first time. Ryan was SO excited and I think Mike actually enjoyed himself. I'm so thankful that he's getting to experience some of these things during his "time off."

Chocolate Krispie Treats

1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup

1 ½ c. peanut butter
10 oz. box Rice Krispies

Topping:

(1) 12 oz. bag chocolate chips

(1) 12 oz. bag butterscotch chips

· Mix sugar, syrup and peanut butter together over medium heat or in microwave. Stir often, cooking until the sugar dissolves.
· Pour over cereal in a large bowl. Mix well until all cereal is coated.
· Pour into large, buttered sheet cake pan and press lightly to the pan edges.
· In a microwave bowl or double broiler (preferred), melt both bags of chips together. Spread over top of cereal mixture. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is hardened.
· Allow treats to come to room temperature before attempting to slice. Cut into 1” or bite-sized squares.
· This makes a large amount. Recipe can easily be cut in half and prepared in a 13” x 9” pan. Keeps well in the freezer.

These are one of my favorite desserts EVER. And they're easy to make, so give them a try. Becky brought them to "Hunko Bunko" last night at April's house (we dragged brought our husbands to Bunko with us - if you want more details, she effectively covered it all in this post) and I cheated and took a picture of HER creation so I could post it for your viewing pleasure. Because, you see, if I make these sinful little treats, I will eat them all. Seriously...when I make them, I have to put them in the freezer. Last night, I ate an average of one per hour (and we were there past midnight...) plus I brought two home.

Here is a picture of the Bunko girls who got their hands swatted when they tried to eat a Chocolate Krispie Treat...

And with our hunks...

Oatmeal Caramel Bars

These would be great to try for your upcoming cookie exchange. (You planned one after I challenged you, right???)

2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
40 caramels
5 T. milk

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9x13 pan. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Press half of oat mixture into prepared pan, reserving the remaining half. Bake for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crust. Let stand until chocolate melts. Spread melted chocolate evenly over crust. Combine caramels and milk in a double boiler. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until caramels melt. Drizzle over chocolate layer in baking pan.

Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over caramel mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars. These are sticky, so store them in their original pan or on another flat surface; do not stack them on top of each other!