Family Musings

This post brought to you by Sprint . All opinions are 100% mine. Confession time. When I leave my smart phone at home, I feel naked. My friends know that I ALWAYS have my phone with me. One friend who sends me last minute emails always writes, "I know you'll get this because your phone is always with you." And it's true. I don't even like going to the grocery store 1/2 mile from my house without my phone. Maybe I've got issues, maybe not. That isn't the point of this post. I have a Blackberry on the Sprint network and they have made a protection app available to all of their Blackberry, Android, and select feature phones that helps you retrieve your phone if it is lost. You can even lock or wipe the phone clean from a Sprint Website. And if you don't already have an app to do this, you can also sync your contacts in case you ever lose your phone. The app is only available for free until August 30th. After that, only...

After watching a couple of the documentaries on the list I shared last week , I think I want to start juicing. I'm up in the air as to whether or not it will just be a breakfast kind of thing, or if I might want to try a 5-15 day juice fast. I'm also wondering how something like juicing might affect my hormones and brain chemistry, as related to my depression. I've spent nearly 2 hours on Amazon.com and a couple of other sites between last night and today trying to figure out which one I want to get. I've read almost every review on Amazon for the 15-20 juicers that had a 4-star or higher rating and I think I've narrowed the list down to 4 possibilities. Except for one, they are all in the $135 range. The reason I'm doing so much research is that I don't generally have $135 laying around to just go buy something on a whim. In fact, I'm clearing out some clutter in our house with the intention that it might fund this purchase. I need to ensure that I...

It used to be, BC (before children), that I wore jewelry every day. I had such a large jewelry collection that I talked my parents into buying me a fancy jewelry armoire for my birthday. There was jewelry to match every outfit in my closet. I had matching sets, funky stuff, refined pieces, simple strands... I rarely lacked for the right piece to wear. None of it was terribly expensive either. The vast majority of it was costume jewelry, with a smattering of special precious pieces mixed in. Then, came Charlotte. She loved my jewelry. She would pull on my cute, dangly earrings or get her fingers tangled in my multi-layered necklaces. As with other new mothers I know, I eventually just stopped wearing jewelry. I did find a couple of simple pieces that worked, but truly, my accessories no longer really reflected my true personal style. It's been four years since the birth of that little girl... And over time, my style disappeared changed. Pieces from the first decade of this centu...

 There is a baby shower gift that I love to give. It is something every mom needs, even if she doesn't know it. It is Devotional Diapers. These little diapers give moms of babies a brief chance during their day to reflect on the Word of God and, hopefully, experience a moment of peace amidst all the feedings, dirty diapers, and spit ups. Not only do Devotional Diapers make a great gift, they are easy to give. I don't remember how many baskets of these I've given to moms at baby showers. Once, I even shipped a basket half-way across the country to a mom who I knew needed some peace in her day. To make these, all you have to do is print out mailing labels with Bible verses on them. I chose verses that relate to being a mother or parent as well as verses about love and service (because we all know that changing 7 diapers a day is a true service to the littlest member of our family). I do have duplicates on this list and that's okay with me. Then, you just stick ...

I'll admit it. I'm kind of a geek in that I like to watch documentaries. My favorite so far this year has been Helvetica , a documentary devoted to the famous font. It really was quite fascinating. Trust me. I was searching for Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead based on the recommendation of a couple of friends who had seen in and within 2 minutes, I'd added 13 documentaries to my Netflix instant streaming queue. It is almost certain that I won't agree with the perspective of all of the film makers, but it will be interesting to compare all the different viewpoints and perspectives. So, here is a list of the documentaries I've added. There is a definite theme here and you'll see that they all deal with food or water as it relates to our health or how we treat it as a resource. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead Deconstructing Supper Ingredients Broken Limbs The Future of Food Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution What's On Your Plate The Real Dirt on Far...

Lots of people accuse social media participants like myself of only presenting the good side of our lives. There has even been research showing that the more time people spend on social media (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc...), the more likely they are to be depressed. The theory is that they think everyone else has a great life because we all post cute stories about our super smart kids or brag on our husbands for being so awesome. And that theory makes sense to me. On the flip side, I've always thought about myself as a blogger who presented my life as real. I've shown you pictures of my messy house , Bruce's unemployment ,  Mary's medical issues , shared my bad mothering moments , and how my vanity kept me from serving my family . Of course, I try not to share stories of my girls that I think will embarrass them when they are older or stories about fights with my husband. I learned a long time ago that even though we may resolve the issue in our marriage, other peo...

While we had a big party last year to celebrate Charlotte's birthday, this year we kept it a little more low key by celebrating at home and then planning a special surprise for her later in the week. On her actual birthday we visited the local children's museum and baked a cake together. I take no credit for the design or flavors, they were completely of her choosing. Here we are singing "Happy Birthday" to her, and being sure to include her mandatory ending. My favorite part, of course, is at 0:21. Just precious! On that same day, we also told her about her birthday surprise for Friday. Her reaction is priceless! And her joy didn't end after this video is over. She talked about it every day and told anyone who would listen about her exciting trip on a balloon ride and lunch at Rainforest Cafe. Waiting to go up in the Characters of Flight balloon ... Mandatory picture with mom to prove to the adult Charlotte that I really did exist in ph...

My friend Meagan is a Lakeland and online deal blogger and, in honor of school starting back up, has several awesome giveaways running right now. Even though I've entered most of them and it reduces my chances of winning by sending you there, you can find all of her active giveaways at Publix Coupon Queen . Many of them currently have low entries so your chances of winning are pretty good. Also, another friend of mine who blogs about weekly menu planning and recipes has a Totino's and Box Tops for Education giveaway going on right now. It also has low entries. Best of luck to you!

These pictures from my morning remind me of Sara Groves song, "Setting Up The Pins." The mess you see below happened while I was cleaning the kitchen so they could make waffles for lunch. I did make them clean up before they ate though. But we all know, it will look like the first picture again tomorrow!

Dear Bruce, Today, you are 34 years old. Last night, you said 34 wasn't a very special age, that it didn't really mean anything other than you were one year closer to death. Of course, being the pragmatic person I am, I reminded you that this was true for every birthday. And you, being equally pragmatic, of course agreed before we drifted off to sleep. But, I think turning 34 is awesome (maybe because it will be my turn in 5 weeks?!). So, in honor of your 34th birthday, here are 34 reasons you are an awesome human being. You always kiss me good night. You never stop trying to learn new things (like teaching yourself Greek!). You actually enjoy watching So You Think You Can Dance with me! Your sense of humor is dry and sarcastic, just my type. You have a silly side. You humor my long-winded stories filled with an impossible number of unnecessary details. You let me sleep in more mornings than not. You work hard at being the best you can be in your job. You work so...

Yesterday morning Mary wanted a banana. So, I gave her one, not knowing she'd already eaten one before I woke up that morning. I guess she thought she pulled one over on me and started doing this little dance.

Today's guest post reminds me of my own need to switch cars when we were expecting our first child . ****************************** As a soon-to-be first time mum, I put off the task of shopping for a new car for as long as I could! The thought of trading in my stylish little convertible for a more practical family car was not appealing to me! Now the summer is coming to an end and the baby bump is a constant reminder that my two-seater convertible just won't do anymore, I need to set about the serious business of family car shopping! Living on the outskirts of London, I've always found that small cars are best. I love the convenience of being able to park them in tight city spaces and can't face the idea of manouevering a large people carrier into an average London parking space. After shopping for baby bits and bobs in Selfridges the other day I came across a small Fiat dealer in central London. I didn't actually realise there were any Fiat dealers in th...

Dear Charlotte, You'd think that after writing to you three years in a row, I wouldn't be surprised by how much you have grown in the last 12 months. But I still am amazed at the way you are changing, turning into a girl with a beautiful heart for the people around you. Your memory is exceptional. Small details that Daddy taught you months ago seem to come to mind easily when asked. That is definitely something you got from him. He has a great memory and I hope you continue to exercise that part of your brain. It will make school a lot easier. And speaking of school, I love that you get so excited every time we talk about preschool at home! I love the way you love your sister. Just today, when she fell over, you rushed to her side to make sure she was okay, giving her kisses in all the places she claimed to have boo-boos. Most days you are pretty patient with her and take the job of being a good example seriously. I'm sure as you get older that some days it will feel ...

My first paid job was at Winn-Dixie as a cashier. But that isn't as far back as Winn-Dixie and I go. Apparently, everyone in my family was so excited that my father had a job at Winn-Dixie when I was born, they decided to photograph me with a can of beans sold under the Winn-Dixie brand! The 70's were a classy time people! However... since I can't seem to find a scan of that picture to share with you tonight, how about, in honor of being my first employer and in honor of a Box Tops for Education promotion they are running, why don't I give away a $25 Winn-Dixie giftcard? I love collecting Box Tops for Education (BT4E). I get a weird sense of satisfaction when we finish a box of something and I get to cut the box off and drop that little rectangle in to the container I store them in. Then, when it gets full, I have fun delivering it to the local private school I support. Last time I filled up my box, I had nearly 100 box tops in it! Usually, I get most of my BT4E f...

I hate packing. I know I will forget something and have to go out and buy it at full price. Or, I'll pack too much and regret having to schlep it all over the place. So, that is why, as I watch my #MOPScv twitter friends proclaim that they've already started, a full 3 days before I have to leave, I am getting a little twitchy. Each of these friends mentions something that I just have to  remember, but I'm so worried I won't! So, here is a list of the things I want to try and remember. Please, please, please, if you've been to MOPS convention before (or something similar), chime in with a comment about what I'm forgetting or really ought to leave behind. Poo-pourri: I know that sharing a hotel room with 4 other ladies has its challenges, and if I have just this one thing with me, I won't have to worry about injuring my room mates nostrils. Ever since I first tried it, I knew it would be on my convention packing list. And good news, I'm working with t...