As I stated in yesterday’s post, Macey is going to afternoon VBS at our church this week. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the kids are encouraged to bring in various donated items for several charitable organizations in our area. On Tuesday they brought in hygiene products, Wednesday was non-perishable grocery goods and today is baby related items. Well, if you’ve ever read my blog or know me, you know I love a bargain. I definitely wanted to send Macey in with donations every day because this is a great way for her to learn about giving to others, etc. So, I clipped coupons, shopped sales and went to a wholesale club for our donated items. Check this out…

For right around $30, these are the items we donated this week:

3 tubes of toothpaste
3 toothbrushes (2 of them were in with the toothpaste tubes)
1 bottle of men’s hair and body wash
2 regular size bottles of shampoo
3 cans spaghetti sauce
2 boxes spaghetti noodles
1 bag rice
2 bags instant mashed potatoes
1 big box that contained several packages of baby wipes

Isn’t that cool?! Please understand that I am not posting this to brag in any way about our giving. Not at all. What I want to show is that giving can be done on any budget. There is so much good that can be done without breaking the bank. Clipping and using coupons plus shopping sales is a great way to make grocery dollars go a longer way. Shopping wholesale clubs is a great way to stock up on various items that are commonly used around the house as well. Remember, too, that there are always organizations that could use donations. If you ever run across great deals and you feel like donating, there is always a need. You don’t have to have big bucks to do good things, just a big heart. We can all do something and I feel blessed that we have been able to help in some small way through VBS this week.

I don’t know who originated the phrase about the “lazy days of summer”, but I’m guessing they didn’t have young children. Summer is here and it’s anything but lazy. It’s GO time. We GO to the pool…GO to VBS…GO shopping…GO to the park…GO out to play…GO to the zoo…GO GO GO!!  And, honestly, it’s wonderful. We are enjoying summer so much already and it’s only just begun.

Around here, we tend to have our mornings at home and then the afternoons turn busy. But, that is all subject to whatever plans come up, of course. This week Macey has Beach Party VBS at our church from 12:30-3:30 each afternoon, so the house is really still and quiet during that time because Mariana also naps. That’s when I try to catch some Mama time if possible. Macey is loving VBS and it’s been such a blessing to hear her come home singing the songs, telling us about her day, etc. She’ll be going to the morning session in July and I’ll be teaching her class, so that will be fun too. Mariana’s not quite old enough for VBS yet, so she’ll go to the nursery and have her fun there.

It’s been HOT here lately too. That makes for great pool days. The pool water is really pretty perfect right now. We enjoy going down there as much as we can since it’s so near to our home.

I need to find time to blog because I want to keep this site active and alive. Please bear with me as I try to find time to blog in these crazy fun days of summer.

Blessings,
Kelly

When I say that I have gotten into CDs again, I don’t mean music. This time I mean cloth diapers. I started using cloth diapers for Mariana last summer and really liked it. Somehow I got away from it and started using disposables through the fall and winter. Well, I hate buying disposable diapers for a number of reasons and I had a whole stash of cloth diapers here at home, so I decided to get back to cloth diapering and it’s been great again!

I’m willing to bet that some of you reading this are wrinkling your nose and thinking “cloth diapers…ewww”, but it’s really not nasty at all. Long gone are the days when all there was to cloth diapering were white cotton diapers and safety pins. Well, it’s not actually long gone, you can still do that if you like, I suppose, because the option does exist, but there are other solutions. My favorite diapers are called Fuzzi Bunz and they are pocket diapers. What that means is that the diaper has a “pocket” in which to insert a liner for wetness protection. Fuzzi Bunz come in several sizes and colors. They fasten and are adjustable with snaps. Easy and cute. What more could you want in a diaper? The others I often use are called Bum Genius and I have version 2.0 which is last year’s version. This is a one size diaper and also has a pocket for a liner. I don’t like them quite as much as I like Fuzzi Bunz, but they pull up a close second. I’m also looking into other brands and kinds of diapers. A boutique near us just started carrying cloth and I got an email with a $5 off coupon, so I’ll be taking that in soon to see what they have. We have several diapers in Mariana’s “stash” right now - enough to keep her in two days worth of diapers between washes if need be, so that’s nice too. I’d love to have more, so I’m always looking around. It’s hard to believe that diapering can be fun, but with all the options available out there, it really IS a lot of fun. No, really…it is!

There are many benefits to cloth diapering and these are the things that I appreciate most about doing it.

• It’s environmentally friendly. We only use a disposable on Mariana at night right now, so that is far less junk that we are contributing to the landfills.
• Less diaper rash. Cloth is friendlier to little bottoms than plastic and chemicals.
• More cost efficient. Sure, there are start-up costs to getting a cloth diaper supply established, but they are washable and can be used for such a long time. No running to the store every week for a pack of diapers. It’s great!
• They’re cuter than ’sposies. There is nothing cuter than cloth diapers on a little one’s bum. Seriously.

Another reason we decided to go back to cloth is to hopefully help with Mariana’s potty-training. We discovered back when Macey was this age that disposables aren’t the greatest for potty-training at all.  Toddlers can’t feel wetness in the disposables, so it’s hard to teach them about not wetting. With cloth, they can feel the wetness so that can help alert them better to when they need to go. While cloth does wick away the moisture, it’s not the same as disposables. No chemicals to harbor all the wetness. Mariana has shown some potty interest, so maybe (JUST MAYBE) cloth diapering will help guide us in that direction.

So, yea…I’m excited about our re-entry into cloth diapering. If anyone has any diaper recommendations, please let me know. I’d love to know more. And, if anyone has any questions about cloth diapering, please let me know that too. I didn’t go into specifics about diapering, but I’d be happy to share if anyone is interested.

I am a faithful reader of my friend Jawan’s blog. I can always count on there to be great posts there. Some are uplifting, some are great bargain tips, some are great craft ideas, etc. Her blog never fails to provide me with great reading. Well, on Friday, she posted about some cool new shoes she had gotten at WalMart. I loved them in the picture she posted. I happened to be at WalMart today and, to my surprise, I happened to remember the shoes Jawan talked about. So, I meandered over to the shoe aisle and they actually had them in stock. And, in my size! WOO HOO! Since Jawan and I live at least 100 miles apart, I doubt we’ll incur any fashion wrath if we happen to wear the same shoes on the same day anyway. HA! So, now I am the proud owner of these really cool new shoes:

I love ‘em! They are great for summer. They go with so many of my clothes. And, I can just slip them on and go. What’s not to love?! The best thing is that they aren’t just like all of my other shoes. Around here that goes a long way because Mickey swears that all my shoes look alike.

I also got these beauties while I was in a shoe buying mood today:

Also really cute, huh?! They are white and have an eyelet look to them. They are really comfy and I just think they are so fun!! I can’t believe I found these at Walmart. I have to give all the credit to Jawan for posting about the first pair because I would never have looked otherwise.

And, please excuse the low quality of my photos. I had to take them with my phone since my camera is in for repairs.

Now, if anyone else has any great shoes to share, do let me know. I’m all about fun summer shoes, especially at great prices. I live in flip-flops most of the time, but a girl can never have too many options, right?

Macey graduated preschool last night. They had a ceremony at the church where they wore little caps with tassels, marched in to “Pomp & Circumstance” and even received little diplomas. They also sang some really cute songs. It was such a sweet event. I can’t even begin to describe how emotional I was seeing my girl up there though. My firstborn, my motherhood dream first fulfilled, is growing up so quickly. It’s hard to realize sometimes how fast it all goes, but in just a blink I realize it full-force at times.

We have been so blessed to have Macey in our church’s preschool since she was two. She has had the best teachers and has loved every single moment she has spent there. We love that she has not only gotten a great academic foundation, but has also gotten to explore creativity, learned to socialize and has also learned more about Christian faith and values. It’s a great school and I’m so glad we’ll be aruond another three years as Mariana goes through. Next thing you know, she’ll be graduating and moving up to kindergarten, but I am NOT ready to think about that yet.

The last official day of preschool was today for both girls. They each had parties in their class. When I picked Mariana up, her teachers told me the cutest story that she was watching herself in the full-length mirror in the classroom and singing the clean-up song to herself. When we went to get Macey, one of her friends named Grace came out to give her a hug and said she’d miss her.  How sweet! We will definitely have to have many play dates over the summer to keep these girls in touch.

It’s hard to believe that preschool is now over for Macey. She was a touch emotional last night about missing her friends, but she knows we’ll have the summer to play and that she is going to make new friends in elementary school. Still, this is a big step for her. A big milestone in her life. And, when I saw her march in last night, my heart just overflowed. Macey makes us proud in so many ways. She’s so sweet, smart, gentle, creative and loving. She’s one amazing little lady. It’s hard to let go sometimes and let her grow up, but we know that with God’s guidance, she’ll be fully ready to face the world and make a positive impact wherever she may go.

To the moms in my life…

Happy Mother’s Day!

To my mom - aka Nana - I owe you eternal gratitude. You have given me roots to grow and wings to fly. You have taught me what it is to be a mom - how to love with my whole heart and still let go with both hands when the time comes knowing that it’s okay. You’ve been the voice of reason, the arms of comfort and the source of strength for me more times than I can count. You’ve been my rock through all my years and I love you so!

To my step-mom- aka Dorothy…aka MiMi - you came into my life almost twenty years ago and I have been so blessed to know you, love you and be loved by you. I cherish all the times we’ve laughed and cried or laughed until we cried. You always bring a ray of sunshine with you. We have so many little jokes that we share and we’ll always have Mitford! THANK YOU for being you! I love you!!

To my mother-in-law Linda - aka Grammie - I know I’ll never have any of those “horror stories” about my mother-in-law because you have taken me in as one of your own since day one. You have a kindness and compassion about you that radiates in everything you do. Because you loved your son and taught him to love, he can share that love with our own family. I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done and all you do. You’re a blessing and I love you!

To my Gran - aka GranGran - What would I do without you, Gran? My Pearl! There’s never been a facet of my life that you weren’t there to share. Some of my favorite childhood memories were made right there with you and Pop. You tell me like it is when I need to hear the truth. You also let me “just talk” when I’m in a chatty mood. You inspire me to deeper faith and good works and service to others. And, I love you thiiiiiiiiiiiis much!

To my Grandma - aka Grandma Teapot - You have taught me more than you know. You helped instill a work ethic in me which I value to this day. You gave me my first “job” when I was just a little girl. I would go to the cleaning shop with you on Saturdays and use a magnet to pick up straight pins from the floor. That dollar or two you gave me was all the money in the world back then. Later on, you got me a job at the candy store and that was another blessing. You’ve made me feel so special and have given me many happy memories. I thank you! Love you!

To my Grandmother-in-Law…aka Grandma Charlotte - I knew you were a gem the first time I met you. The first thing you said about me was “I don’t like her”, but I knew you did. You were testing me and I like to think I passed with flying colors. I just love your spunk and determination. I love how fiercely loyal you are to those you love. I love how you remind Mickey about what a brat he was a child, but how you do that in a way that shows you really do love him to pieces. We were honored to give Macey your name as a middle name and we know that some of that Matriarch spirit will always live in her. We hope to see you this summer because we all miss you. Love you!

To all the moms in my family and all my mom friends - I learn so much from you. Thank you for sharing your lives, your hearts and even your kiddos with me and my family. May we all grow and learn together as we go along.

Hope today is a blessing all around!

We were away over the weekend, so I didn’t get to post. So, I’m here now waking up my sleepy blog. :p

I hope it was a great weekend all around. We were in South Georgia over the weekend. It was a really nice family weekend. We got lots of Nana time in which is always nice. Mickey and I even got to have a dinner date on Saturday which was great for us. The weather was incredible all weekend too and we just had a really great family weekend.

The reason we went down for the weekend was for our nephew Jackson’s baptism which was on Sunday. Jackson did great for the whole ceremony. He fell asleep in his mommy’s arms (is there anything more peaceful than a sleeping baby?!) and stayed asleep through most everything. He almost woke up when Liz leaned his head down to get his water and oil, but he went right back out. We had the honor and privilege of being included in the ceremony as Jackson’s Godparents and we take that vow very seriously and right to heart. We love that little boy so much and we feel so blessed that he has come into our family.

I will post more later. I need to catch up with a book review and deals. I’m also reading an incredibly powerful book that I can’t wait to post more about. It’s called The Shack and as soon as I’m done reading it, I’m going to post more.

Happy Monday!

Today I had the privilege of working in Macey’s preschool classroom alongside another mom. We were there for an hour and a half to relieve the teachers so that they could go to the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon today. There were 14 kids present today (2 were absent) and they were so well behaved. They were so adorable and we had a ball being there with them. The time flew by so quickly and before we knew it, the teachers were back from their luncheon. I just loved being there with the class today and what made it even more special was that Macey was thrilled to have me there. It was a GREAT morning!!

I am a room mom for Mariana’s class, so I prepared a dessert for the luncheon. I made a Chocolate Lovers Favorite Cake and it turned out beautifully. I filled the center of the bundt cake with raspberries and lined the outer edge with strawberries. I put chocolate sauce over the cake and berries and dusted with powdered sugar. I hope it tasted as good as it looked. Here is a photo of the cake this morning before we took it in:

Seriously, doesn’t that look good?! I must ‘fess up and say that I didn’t even label the cake dish because I didn’t want the leftovers to come home and tempt me. Someone else can have the cake and all it’s chocolatey-fruity goodness. YUM!

We really are thankful to be a part of such an amazing Christian preschool. Macey has been attending since she was two and she has loved it from day one. We have had the best teachers all along and every year has been a blessing. This year Macey’s teachers are “Miss” Libbie and “Miss” Rosemary and she just adores them both, as do we. Mariana attends one morning per week and her wonderful teachers are “Miss” Jennifer and “Miss” Angela. We have had the best year and have really felt tremendously blessed to have all four teachers for our girls.

So, today is Earth Day 2008. A day to take some extra time to be grateful for our beautiful planet and to put ourselves into action to preserve it for future generations. When I told Macey “Happy Earth Day” this morning, she reminded me that EVERY day should be Earth Day. I agree, Macey. I agree. God has entrusted this wonderful Earth to us and we should all do our part to take better care of it. We should be better stewards of this gracious gift God has given. And, believe me, I’m not pointing any fingers outward either. I’m pointing them all at myself and starting here at home. There are things we can all do to make sure our world is cleaner and healthier all around. We can recycle, we can use energy wisely and efficiently and we can reduce waste. Those are just starters. There is much more we can all do! To learn more, click here and let’s all do our part to insure a beautiful tomorrow!

This post is sure to show everyone what I nerd I really can be or really AM…either way you look at it. But, hey, I just have to share because this never happens. I beat Mickey in Wii Golf this morning! WOO HOO! Check this out:

That’s my “Mii” on the left  with the -1 score and Mickey’s on the right with the very uncharacteristic +5 score. Lately I have been addicted to Wii Golf and Mickey indulges me by playing 9 holes with me on it. He usually wins. Sometimes he only beats me by a stroke or two, but he’s been known to take me to the cleaners. Well…NOT THIS MORNING! Ha! I finally won. Granted, he gave up on the 9th green when he knew he wasn’t going to win and his putting added a couple of strokes due to that. But, still…victory was mine. And, I’m just nerdy enough to post about it too.