Tim Hawkins video

I've never heard of this guy, but he's hilarious! Someone forwarded me this video on you tube. Check it out when you get a minute. The other clips of him that I watched were funny, too. They should be in the "related videos" section on the right. Enjoy a laugh today!!!

How could new pillows make me THIS happy?

Look at my cute new pillows!!! I got them on clearance at Target and I LOVE them. I started converting our bedroom from browns to blues last fall when I bought navy curtains, then I got a new down comforter and duvet for Christmas, but the comforter and curtains desperately needed something to pull the colors together. And these pillows did the trick! I think I want one more giant navy pillow and I'll be pillowed out. My friend Jen suggested that I detach my headbaord and mount it to the wall and putting the bed frame on risers to add height instead of doing a piece of art up there. I'm embarrassed to say that it's been almost 2 years and I'm finally read to do it! (I've always loved the idea, but somewhere in there, I had a baby and became distracted away from decorating) I can't wait for you to see it when you come to visit Jen!!!

Valentine Challenge

In the spirit of LOVE and Valentine's Day, I want to challenge you. Sit down and make a list of all of the things that you admire about your husband. Your can list a few that are Dad-related, but really appeal to his self-image and need to be respected as a man. Make a top ten list...or top 20 if you're feeling sassy! Put it in a card or love note. Just please don't email it to him!!!

VICKS Vaporub works!

Have any of you seen the email circulating about putting Vicks Vaporub on your feet at night? I looked it up on Snopes a few weeks ago when Ryan had a cough and it's still "undetermined." But let me tell you...IT WORKS.

We've been using a vaporizer in Kaylin's room for about a week to help her cough, but she just can't seem to beat it. I tried the Vicks and it didn't seem to make much difference. Then yesterday, I ran into a friend at the chiropractor who said that she read that you put Vicks on your feet, then wet socks (warm water), then dry socks. She did it on herself and she said she slept SO well. Then last night at 2am, Kaylin got herself into such a coughing fit that she was choking and gagging and actually made herself vomit. I went in to change her sheets, changed her PJs and did the Vicks trick with the new wet-socks-technique Sally told me about. Within 2 minutes, the coughing stopped. I rocked her a bit and put her back to bed and seriously, it was...dead...silent. Nothing. The coughing was completely gone. I, on the other hand, was wide awake and took over an hour to fall back to sleep. But wow, I'm so glad Kaylin was able to sleep peacefully. She had been having coughing fits for 2-5 minutes all night long, poor thing.

What's weird is that Kaylin's wet diapers in the mornings (after putting Vicks on her feet) smell very strange. I've heard that this works b/c the Vicks absorbs into the bloodstream, so I guess that's how it exits the body. Beware of odd smelling diaper changes if you try this, but if your family is coughing, DO try it.

More organizing...the bookcases

Our bookcases have been SO useful for us, but since getting them a little under 2 years ago, they've been organized, yet very unsightly. They were purposed for storing dozens of books and resource guides, definitely not for decoration or appearance. I wish I would have taken a "before" picture to make myself feel even more accomplished for having pulled this off because the transformation is amazing to me. I did take a before picture of a few shelves, just to get the idea of the hodge podge of stuff that was on there. (notice there's Scotch Guard, old journals, index cards, boxes, catalogs, a scale, really random stuff) I bought a few baskets with a store credit at Ross, but everything else is from elsewhere in the house. I'm proud to announce that I did this little project for $6.20!!!

So here's what got me started: in my quest to declutter and streamline things in our house, I decided to take my many, many pre-2002, pre-digital camera photo albums (not to be confused with my scrapbooks) and move them into my craft room closet. Pictures stored where I scrapbook...makes sense. The biggest reason they were in the office bookcases before was because we had the room and they fit well. Again, functionality. They are all mismatched, various sizes, and are not attractive to look at, so into the closet they went. Unfortunately, my craft room closet door is always open, so I still see them.

I googled "decorating bookcases" (because I'm design-challenged sometimes and I found myself among piles and piles of books, seperating them by category, but not knowing where to go from there) and I came up with tips on the HGTV site and the DIY site. (click on the links to see the tips) The coolest tip I found was to cover mismatched photo albums with patterned contact paper to give them a uniform look. Check out the before and after pictures below...

Accountable Kids

I am completely hooked on this new program. It's called Accountable Kids and Ryan is a completely different kid since we started it a few weeks ago. A friend recommended it when I sent out that plea for "what do I do" to get Ryan on the right track at school. I read the book and we ended up buying the whole reward chart system. I originally wanted to recreate it on my own, but decided to get their system...it's done, it's easy, it works.

The idea is that you decide what "chores" your child will have to complete in the morning, afternoon, and nighttime. For Ryan's age, his chores include brushing his teeth, making his bed, taking his vitamins, things like that. Things we were having him do anyway. BUT with this chart, he is responsible for doing them himself. We don't nag him about "have you brushed your teeth yet?" and he is held accountable for doing his chores all on his own. When each set of chores are complete, he gets a ticket, which he turns in for things like watching tv, getting a piece of gum or playing his video game. Again, things he was already doing, but now he earns the right to do those things. Also, if he does something above and beyond, he gets extra tickets or if he does something he shouldn't, tickets are taken away.

Can I just say that our house is SO MUCH calmer now!!! I don't get nearly as emotional when he steals a toy from Kaylin or gets an attitude when I ask him to do something. I just say, "Go get me a ticket." And because the tickets hold value to him, he is very careful about behaving because he doesn't want his tickets taken away. He only gets a handful each day and he works really hard for them, so he truly understands.

There are also incentive cards to encourage a positive behavior (one of the things we're working on is having Ryan ask to be excused from the table and clear his place without being prompted) that help get desired behaviors parents want. It also reminds Mike and I to give praise for good behavior instead of falling into the "well it's about time...that's how he should act anyway" type of rut. So Ryan's not only working toward getting tickets and cards, but he's also hoping to get our praise. Eventually, you take away the reward and the behavior becomes a habit. And something new becomes the desired behavior that is rewarded.

I was putting all of my eggs in this basket because nothing else seemed to be getting us desired results. And this is actually working!!! We no longer spank or swat Ryan, no more time outs or toys or privileges taken away, we just take tickets. And it seems to sting even more. When he wants to watch tv and doesn't have any tickets, he has a little stack of extra chore cards that can earn him tickets. So he's asking me to vacuum the crumbs under the kitchen table or help set the table for dinner or put away his laundry.

If you have kids 3-14, you have to check this out. There are dozens of chore cards for kids of all ages, it's such a great system. I'm sold!

When I grow up...

...I want to be my friend Reiko. She's a few years older than me and has "been there, done that" with so many of my current struggles and experiences. She has been a huge mentor for me over the last 2 years and we have so much in common: we're both only children who grew up without our fathers around, we both love to scrapbook, our husbands even seem to have similar struggles and personality styles, the list goes on and on. She also homeschools her 8 and 11 year old boys, who are the most amazing kids ever. We don't talk as often as I'd like, because we're both very busy, but when we get a chance to talk, I always leave the conversation feeling refreshed and blessed.

I signed up for a nighttime Bible study that Reiko is teaching on Tuesdays. Unfortunately, yesterday, I overexerted myself at our first 2 Hour Time Out meeting of the year (the moms group that I run) and I was back in bed, sick again. I called to let her know that I wouldn't be at our first study and she dug a little deeper about my illness. By the end of the conversation, she had decided that in the morning, she would pick up my kids and my piles and piles of laundry and give me a whole day to rest and recover. I was practically in tears, I was so grateful.

I tried to spend all day resting, but I am SO BEHIND on my life and all I have to do, I kept finding myself at the computer answering emails and taking care of business. But I have to say, it was really nice to be able to go and lie down when I felt light headed or take a quick nap at the drop of a hat. It (literally) took all day, until 4:00, before I started genuinely feeling better again. A whole day off at the tail end of my sickness was exactly what I needed.

So at 5:30, Reiko showed up with my kids, bags and baskets full of clean, folded laundry, and grocery bags full of dinner, hot and ready to eat. Have I mentioned that I love this girl??? She is so caring, giving and selfless, humble and wise beyond her years, I seriously want to be just like her when I grow up.

DeBeer's Diamond Class Action Suit

I read on a friend's blog this week that if you purchased a diamond between 1994-2006, you could be entitle to a part of a class action suit payout. (I love that I have friends who read the paper!!!)

Here's a quote from the article: "De Beers, world's largest supplier, agrees to pay $295 million for controlling market for 14 years. Customers who bought a De Beers gem between Jan. 1, 1994, and March 31, 2006, have until May 19 to submit a claim to the settlement's administrator to get money back. Customers will need a receipt but won't have to give up any gems. How much anyone receives in the settlement will depend on the value of diamonds purchased and the number of claims filed. Go to https://diamondsclassaction.com/ for more info!"

Click here to file a claim. For some odd reason, I actually still have my receipt and appraisal info for my wedding ring, but it had a different diamond dealer's name on it. As I read through the terms of the suit, apparently, it doesn't matter if you actually purchased a DeBeer's diamond or not. They're paying out to anyone who purchased a diamond because they monopolized the industry during that time. (I think!) Anyway, check it out and if you have info about your diamond purchase, you may as well file a claim. What's the harm? If you don't get any money back, you're right back to where you are now...with nothing. Filing online took me less than 10 minutes. Payouts could be in the hundreds, so give it a shot. I realize by telling everyone about this, my claim amount will be reduced, but we have to help each other out, right???