FALL SWAP - to Angela from Karin!

Yesterday I received my FABULOUS Fall Swap package in the mail from Karin! My birthday was Monday so Karin - perfect timing! I feel like my birthday has lasted all week. :)

I opened this package and there was PINK everywhere! Karin, I know we've never met, but it's like you've known me for years. I am obsessed with pink and I love everything you sent me! Everything was wrapped so pretty with coordinating stickers. I felt like a little kid getting to open all these treats!

This cute heart felt note was on teacup stationery. I love handwritten notes! So here we go...opening all my beautiful pink packages...

F is for Fragrant Vermont coffee filling the house! What a treat!!! My husband is also very thankful for this - he is a coffee nut. We both had some this morning - it was chilly outdoors and the coffee smelled so yummy brewing in our house. :)

A is for Angela to write a sweet note! I love notepads and have one in just about every room of my house. This one just replaced the ratty one on my fridge. It's so cute. And I like how the sheets are perforated. :)

L is for fall leaf candles that give a cheerful glow. These are so pretty and will go on my dining table. They smell good too. I almost don't want to take them out of the package cause they look so cute.

L is for the coin purse you LOVE to have wherever you go!!! Karin, I literally squealed out loud when I saw this! I have a thing for coin purses and Vera Bradley! I feel spoiled rotten! I really like this pattern too. This is going on my keychain pronto!

BONUS - and the Starbucks is just because you are special. Awh! I'm tucking this in my coin purse and going to get myself a pumpkin spice latte. 

Karin, this truly made my day. Sorry for all the exclamation marks, but I'm so flipping excited about all my prizes! :) I hope you feel as special as you made me feel. Happy Fall ya'll! 

I'm not trying to be mean to this shirt...

Today was the first day of school. Getting up early was the biggest feat for our family who loves to sleep in. Wesley is usually the one who bounces out of bed, excited for the day but this morning was a little different.

I was making waffles and scrambled eggs, Paul was making coffee, when we heard someone sauntering down the stairs. Wesley came out into the kitchen with the saddest look on his face and said..."I'm not trying to be mean to this shirt, but it doesn't go with my pants!" He then plopped down by the back door and tried to shove his shoes on. He was getting more frustrated by the second. I went over to him and hugged him, but had to get back to the eggs on the stove. So Paul went over in my place. I looked over as he sat down by Wesley and talked to him. I couldn't hear what he was saying, I just heard the comfort in Paul's voice. Then, I heard a little giggle from Wesley. I hope I always have that moment freeze framed in my mind. It's not one that I could go grab the camera and take a picture of.

As Paul was walking Wesley to his class, Wesley told him that he was nervous about 1st grade.

I can so relate to my little Wesley today. Whenever I'm nervous about something, I feel like nothing looks good on me, my hair won't work, I get irritable, etc... I love the verse Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works and that my soul knows well."

At least he wasn't trying to be "mean" to his shirt. :)

Heel-TASTIC!

My CRACKED UP HEELS need some serious help!

Follow me for a second, I'm going to get to the reason I MUST take care of my crack-a-lackin' feet:

I was in Walmart with my boys looking for pj's for Pajama Day at school. Will and Wes were Out. Of. Control.  They both like to hide in the racks and it drives me crazy! I looked like a mom who had completely lost control of her wild banchee boys and others were starting to take notice. I grabbed a pair of $4 pj bottoms and a $2 t-shirt and told them we were "Leaving...NOW!" Oh...just wait til we get in the car...

We started leaving the boys clothing area. That's when I ran into June. She is one of the most beautiful and gracious ladies that I have the privilege of calling friend. I have learned so much from her - especially in the kitchen. I saw her and told the boys to hang on a second while we chatted. Of course they continued their running around as I tried to make up excuses for their behavior..."Oh, they had a lot of sugar today at school", "I think Wesley is getting sick", "Paul is out of town and they're both really tired..."

June and I were talking away and I thought I felt something at my feet. I ignored it because our conversation was getting really good. About 2 minutes later I felt a pinch at my heel and I turned around- only to find my 5 year old - laid out flat as a pancake on the WALMART FLOOR and he was ever so diligently PICKING THE DEAD SKIN OFF MY HEELS!!! He hopped up so fast when he noticed I saw him and I'm thinking, here comes the "mommy please don't be mad at me speech" but, NO. Instead, he proudly displayed for June and I, the handful of skin he had collected!!! He had been at it for a while. "Mommy, look how much I got!" I was MORTIFIED. Beyond imagination. This proved to me that mothers really can tune ANYTHING out. June laughed and leaned down to Wesley and she said, "Wesley, I'll bet your mommy would love you to help her with that at home".

We had a good 'ol fashioned family talk that night and Paul told the boys they could rub my feet and shoulders but not in public. And, never to pick at me again!

So, I started Heel-tastic tonight and I'm going to post a before and after picture once they get purty again...hope it's sooner than later!

Mo' Money guest writer - Paul Richardson :)

About three weeks ago my wife came home from the grocery store and freaked me out! She told me what the grocery bill was before she employed her coupon strategy. It was a much bigger number than I was used to hearing. She always saves a criminal amount of money at the grocery store, but I immediately thought, ‘There’s no way she saved enough to make up for that kind of damage.” I was wrong. My wife had walked out of a grocery store saving 75% of her original total.

It is becoming a bit ordinary at our house for her to come home having saved triple digits. That’s right, $100 or more. I’m a very proud husband, but not of just the numbers she puts up week after week. You can find plenty of people that have coupon strategies (all inferior to this one of course) What I am most proud of is the heart of why she does this.

Angela and her friend (and now business partner)  Dana Reagan started Clipsy Chicks around a year ago in a home. They had been couponing and sharing notes, and some friends invited them to come share what they had learned with other ladies. They put it in the form of a presentation, targeted at the women in the room, and they were a hit. Just by word of mouth and a series of invitations they have now spoken more than 40 times to hundreds of women in churches, business, and retreat centers. It’s just been word of mouth, because they are just that good, and because what they are teaching works.

They had two things at the heart of this that they really wanted women to understand. Whether or not they are talking to women who are Christ-followers this is part of the message you will get:

• This is about stewardship. There is no reason to blow money at the grocery store that can be saved. You can carve money (lots of it) out of your budget right now. Think about your monthly grocery bill. Do you have any idea how much you spend? Whatever it is, cut it in half (at least). Now, what would you do with that much more money in your pocket every month without working a single extra hour outside the home?
• Anybody can do this. Both Angela and Dana have teacher’s hearts. They want to see everyone that they encounter have success. They have created a system of shopping and saving that is easy to mimic, along with tools that you can use to start saving money right away.

On Thursday night, March 31st at 7:00pm (that’s this week by the way) the Clipsy Chicks will be at West Ridge Church dropping some knowledge that you can use right away. You are welcome to come, but it would be even better if you registered in advance. You can click here to do that.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

Things I'm lovin' - Part I

I pulled out this tablecloth last week - it makes me so happy! It's so vintage. It's a hand-stitched heirloom from Paul's family. It looks like it popped right out of an anthropologie catalog. yay! 

My front door wreath has had a spring makeover. My sweet friend Lauren gave me this wreath last year. And I usually just copycat her when she changes hers out. :) The fern is fake - $2.50  and the little bird - good heavens is he sweet or what - was $2.50 also.

My new converse sneaks! Paul got these for me on clearance at Marshalls. LOVE them!

I've got a thing for coin purses. Especially the kind with the ball clasps. This one is so handy on my keychain. There's probably 25 frequent shopper tags on there. But I keep change and a tube of carmex in my coin purse at all times. 

More to come...

Lent is not in your pockets.

Our family had a sit down discussion Sunday night about Lent. The boys thought we were talking about the white fuzz found in your pockets. "No,  not, "lint", Lent." They have reached an age where they are starting to understand the events that lead up to Easter. Lent begins 40 days before Easter starting on Ash Wednesday and ending on Good Friday/Holy Saturday (differs with denominations).  Some people give up TV, sugar, food, smoking, meat, etc. As a family, we wanted to observe this time together. There is something very meaningful about the number 40. Think of Noah and the 40 days and nights of rain. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.. I don't know the significance of the number, but I would like to research it more.

I knew what I should give up for Lent and actually started on Monday. It's music. I am a music nut through and through. If you saw my itunes library you would see literally every genre represented. However, last week, my youngest was singing the words to Ke$ha's song Tik Tok!!! Now, he didn't hear that one at home, probably at school. However, I want to play music that will get THAT ONE out of his head. So, for the next 40 days, it's worship music only in this house. I have already noticed in the last 2 days that our home is more calm and the boys are talking nicer to each other.

We asked the boys to think of something they could give up during this time to remember the sacrifice made for them. For Wesley - PlayStation3. Will - he's not concrete in his decision yet, but it will probably be his daily treat from the jar after school.

In the times Paul and I have observed Lent, we find that we are less distracted and more open to God's direction for our lives. It's a good time to clean the clutter out of our homes and minds.

BTW-I have found some incredible music on itunes to fill my home throughout this season. There's some great music for kids too - not at all cheesy. And I don't have to worry about the lyrics. :)

Do you observe Lent? If so, what do you give up during this time?

Sweet Dreams

Sometimes, people, even though they don't want recognition...deserve it. So here goes:

Recently Paul went to Africa. He's been many times and this trip was only 9 days. However, in that 9 days me and both my boys ended up with the flu and pneumonia. We were literally in our house for 8 days straight other than going to the dr. I was completely exhausted. I couldn't take care of myself and my boys at the same time. I can't tell you how blessed I am with the friends God has given me. Friends of mine did my laundry, brought meals, magazines, picked up prescriptions, sent over a house cleaner!, got groceries for me and one friend came and sat with me for lunch 2 days in a row - and she cleaned out my closet!!! (for those of you that have seen my closet, you know that was no easy feat:) Some of you may be reconsidering being my friend...I promise I'm not always this high maintenance...only sometimes. :)
The worst night: Day 3 of Paul being away, I was in my bed by 9:00pm and had just taken cough syrup with codeine, and was going to try to sleep. I saw something on my white sheets that I thought was a crumb, but then I saw it MOVE! I grabbed my glasses to get a closer look and I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew what it was. I googled "bedbugs" right away and sure enough. We had them. I was mortified, sick, exhausted and hysterical all at the same time. I just wanted to SLEEP and now I was hyper and on a mission. side note - (We had both traveled recently and brought our suitcases back in our bedroom and they sat on the floor for a few days, I'm thinking that's how we got them. I read that hotels are the #1 place to pick them up. So don't put your suitcases on the floor!) I called one of the numbers on the list Paul leaves me of "in case of emergency" (they are friends of ours that Paul trusts to help me out while he's away). I called Mr. Tony.  My medicine had kicked in and I was dizzy and crying. He answered the phone and said..."slow down, tell me what's going on and what do you need.." I don't even remember what I said but I got the point of the bedbugs across and asked if he could use his truck to pick up the mattresses the next morning. He encouraged me to go upstairs and sleep in one of the boys beds and he would come the next day and take care of the mattresses.

The sweetest day: My sweet friend (and Clipsy Chicks partner) Dana, came over the next morning as well. Her and Tony and a friend named Mike hauled away my old mattresses, pillows, comforters, decor pillows, etc. Dana cleaned the entire bed frame, vacuumed, and was loading up a ton of laundry to take to the laundry mat.

That is when Tony came back in the house with a box spring. At first, I thought it was my old box spring that he had cleaned off and was putting it back on. Then Dana whispered to me, "I think that's a new one". I looked at Tony and asked him if he had talked to Paul about it and if Paul had told him to go get a new boxspring. Tony said..."No, but I talked to my heavenly Father and he told me to do this so I did...Now, lay down on your new bed and see if you like it."

Did I like it!? All I could do was put my head in my blanket and sob. Paul and I have had our mattresses for 13 years. They were old and uncomfortable and gave us both backaches. Now, we have a brand new beautiful pillow top mattress! Tony even thought to get us new pillows, sheets that would fit the much larger mattress, and a down comforter!!!

I had no idea what to say. I was completely overwhelmed at his generosity. And his humility. A few days later, I saw Tony at his restaurant that he allowed me and the boys to eat at for free while Paul was away. He told me how much it blessed HIM to do that for Paul and I. Every night I get in my beautiful bed and am so giddy to just be in it! I could never say thank you enough. So I pray that God will continue to bless our friends as they have blessed our family. I love you guys!

I'm ready for Valentine's DAY!

I received my Valentine's swap package today from JesseRuth! I can't even begin to tell you how perfect the timing is. This totally made my day. I can't wait to tell you all about this gift - here goes:

This is what was on my doorstep about an hour ago! Cute little heart. :)

The instructions were: "Follow the numbers 1-5 and read poem/open your presents! Happy Valentines, Love, JesseRuth"

#1 - "Shopping for a romantic dinner for 2
         is not an easy thing to do
         so take this with you
         to help you carry your food."  
This is a super cute lightweight handbag! I love it!

#2 - "In order to cook dinner
         there must be a mess
         so drape these across an apron
         ...or dress."
Red and white plaid dish towels that are already hanging on my oven handle! They make my kitchen pretty. :)

#3 - "While enjoying your meal
        on your hubby's face will be a thrill
        (as long as this gift is lit you will
        get a thank you kiss)"
Adorable glass candle holders. Already on my dining room table. :)

#4 - "What would dinner be without something sweet?
        With this treat,
         It's hard to beat!"
Yum-O! These look so fancy and I can't wait to make them for Paul when he gets home!

#5 - "Whether cleaning alone or with your hubby
        wear these to put the dishes
         in a cubby."
Ha! Isn't that so cute! I love all these poems!!! Okay, these gloves were made for me JR! I'm not gonna lie, I jumped up and down like a kindergardener when I saw these. I've been clorox-ing door knobs and countertops all day with sick kids - these will make that job feel like a breeze. :)

Are you kidding me??? After all that creativity with the poems and wrapping, there is this beautiful necklace! So girly and fun! I can't wait to doll myself up with this. In the background is one of my sickies, Will, watching Man vs. Food on the couch.

JesseRuth, we might as well call you BABE RUTH, because this was a HOME RUN sister! Outta the park! And to think, we've never met. It's like you know me perfectly well. I love it all and thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Nikki - yours is on the way. I hope you get it soon! :)

Getting To Know Gallery

Gallery Church

It's been quite a while since I've posted. I have really missed blogging, but have just been too busy to stop to post anything. I think the perfect way to get back into the swing of things is to show off my friends Ellis, Ginger, Lauren and Caleb. This past weekend Paul and I were both invited to come to their church plant in Baltimore, MD. We were able to witness the impact they have had in the past 3 years. This family has sacrificed so much. And they are reaching an area that would scare most people away. Their love for God and for people outweighs everything else, even their own comfort at times. They are true servants and we were so blessed to hang out with them and Gallery Church for a weekend. Thanks guys!

Worship Center. 

 Ellis, Caleb, Ginger and Lauren.

 After church, we walked a few blocks to Inner Harbor to have some lunch. It was soooo cold, but BEAUTIFUL!

Here's a quick pic of all the snow we got in Georgia. Me, Paul and the boys had a blast! The boys missed school for an entire week! 

Clipsy Chicks at Chick-fil-a

Today was our 29th Save-inar and we were so honored to be invited to Chick-fil-a corporate office! We had a blast sharing with the executive office administrators. Dana  and I have been looking forward to this for quite some time. We are HUGE chick-fil-a fans. They are awesome about accepting coupons! :) This morning it was a monsoon outside and Dana and I got DRENCHED right before we had to go set up. We both hated our hair and just felt gross, cold and wet. But, God had some blessings in store for us in spite of the weather.  Here are a few pictures from our day:

 The "Sky Box" conference room where we set up.

Me and Dana with all the ladies.

And...the man himself, Mr. Truett Cathy. He was SO SWEET! He gave us some autographed copies of his book "It's Better To Build Boys Than Mend Men". His office looks like a treehouse! This man will be 90 years old in March, and he's still working. On our way out he asked us if we would help him with something...we said, "Sure! What can we do?" He said...eat more chicken.  :)

This is Melinda. She was our little cheerleader today and gave us some insight and encouragement at lunch. Thank you Melinda! 

Thank you Carol for making arrangements for us to come! We look forward to more save-inars at Chick-fil-a! 

8 on the 8th

My sweet William Franklin turns 8 years old today. What does Will want for his birthday? A bee bee gun and a Boston Cream Cake. Do you think a cap gun would suffice? Oh dear. We'll see...Happy Birthday Will!

13 Years Ago Today

I married my highschool sweetheart. I was thinking this morning..."What was I doing the day of my wedding 13 years ago?" I was 19 years old. A week away from turning 20. My mom and dad were so supportive of me marrying Paul. They gave me a beautiful wedding. My aunt Corrinne and her girls were in town for the big day and she went to Chic-fil-a and bought biscuits for the whole family. GREAT way to start my day! :) My bedroom was almost empty because I had already packed to move to Georgia. The house was buzzing with family and phone calls. One of the phone calls was Patty Hiner yelling at me because I didn't have a sound tech scheduled for the day. Boy, was my dad upset that she called and spoke to me like that on my WEDDING DAY! I didn't even know I need a sound tech - sooooo, I called a high school friend, John Kail and he came to run sound. My aunt Corrine took me to lunch at Rally's (just like Checkers) for lunch. I didn't eat very healthy the day of my wedding! In my dressing room that evening at the church, I realized I only had ONE of my leggings (you know the hose that are separate and have grippy things at the top to hold them up - I don't know what they're called) I was SOOOO UPSET about that because I spent my own money on this $40 pair of stockings and now, I couldn't even use them! I called my brother to look around the house for my other stocking and all the girls in my bridal room were laughing at me trying to describe what he should be looking for! So, my aunt Corrine, again to the rescue, took off her OWN panty hose and gave them to me!!! Just as I got everything on, zipped and buttoned... I had to go to the bathroom. (Just a side note, if you have to go the bathroom and your wedding party - especially your RING BEARER is in the room, wait to take off your dress until he is excused. Poor kid. :) By the time I walked down the aisle at around 7:45 pm, I was exhausted. What usually happens when I get exhausted, is I get the giggles. And boy, did I ever! It started when I walked up the stairs to meet Paul and I stepped on my dress. I got shorter and shorter as I reached the top step. I looked to see my maid of honor's shoulders shaking from laughing so hard. Once Collyn and I got laughing, it was so hard to stop. Our prayer during the service...I giggled.

Once we were pronounced husband and wife, I was calm. The pressure was over. I married a man who is the "calm" in my life. He loves me for all the crazy, unpredictable, mishaps that I get myself into. I love you Paul Andrew!

What did Paul do on our wedding day? He played golf. :)

This is the only picture I have of those borrowed panty hose. 

A dum dum a day

It's OCTOBER!! Tonight it's about 60 degrees and we just came in from looking at stars with the boys. My nose and ears are just a tad bit cold! Fall is so invigorating! 

I copied this idea from my dear friend Cyndi. I bought a fake pumpkin, drilled 60 holes in it and filled it with dum dums. The idea is that on the 1st day of October, the boys get to have a "dum dum a day" until Halloween. The dum dum people have gotten really creative with the flavors. My favorite is always the mystery flavor. Does anyone know what that one is???

Paul really wants me to call this a "Dumpkin".  :)

This is sitting on top of my fridge. I just noticed something...if you look really close right underneath the pumpkin (or "dumpkin") you will see a teensy tiny pair of gray glasses. So...THAT'S where they've been! They go to a lego guy. ha!

Second Chance Supper

This week our leftovers were a lot more fun due to a few changes:

I decided to name it something different - mainly because I have an obsession with naming things. But I also thought it would take the hum drum-ness out of leftover night. So, I came up with "Second Chance Supper".  The boys thought it was funny. And, because the table looked completely different, it didn't really feel like we were eating the same things. 

At Michael's craft store this week, all of their last season's paper party dinnerware was on clearance - 50 cents for a pckg of 8 paper plates! And they're CUTE! I also got matching napkins. They had a few different styles so I stocked up. I spent about $8.00 and I have enough to last a long time.

The BEST part, is that when we're done with dinner, we can toss it all in the trash! (Or recycling bin)

Now, who wouldn't want to eat dinner at this pretty and inexpensive table?! :)

Chew The Fat

I made a roast tonight for dinner. I always cut the fat off the meat for my boys. They've never had a hunk of fat attached to their meat, so they don't really know what it tastes or feels like. This is because of my preference, not theirs. They probably don't know the fat exists. However, I missed some of the fat on Wesley's roast tonight. I watched him as he put a fatty (ugh...I'm about to heave even typing it) piece in his mouth and his entire body shivered. His nose flared and he clinched down his teeth and whined. Without hesitating, I grabbed a napkin and let him spit it out! (something we don't normally allow at the table). 

When I was a little girl, my dad taught me to eat every last bite of food on my plate. If I did (and my brother too), then we could be members of the "Clean Plate Club". This is a tradition I have adopted for my boys and have added the luxury of giving them a sticker! Whoohoo! 

On my very first date, with my very first and ONLY boyfriend, I ordered steak. Paul took me to a fancy restaurant in the 'burg called "Crown Sterling". I ordered the same thing he did - Ribeye steak, cooked medium, with the salad bar. (Now that I'm comfy in my skin, I would have ordered a filet, medium well). I was trying to be so polite and proper and felt totally out of my element. When my steak was presented before me, I could see it everywhere,

Fat. Fat. Fat. 

In fact, I don't think there were more than 2 bites of actual steak on my plate! I was too embarrassed to say anything, so.... I ate. every. bite. I can still taste it. YUCK! I wanted to cry. I wanted to hurl. But, I chewed it and swallowed it because I didn't want Paul to think I was high maintenance. (Boy, has that veil been torn over the years! ha ha!:) 

I thought about that date tonight as I watched Wesley. I thought about how many things we are taught out of preference. My boys might have grown up liking fat if I did. They will like certain people if I do. They will form opinions, based on my opinions - wow, that's a scary thought. I am encouraged/convicted tonight, to make sure I am teaching my boys truth - God's truth, not just preference. However, if they start "preferring" to chew the fat of the steak...we might have issues. :)

Boy, do they grow up fast!

Today my baby, my little Wesley, turns 5. I can't believe how fast 5 years has gone. Wesley is the spunk of our family. I love so many things about him. I love that he goes after life with everything he's got. I thank God every day for my boys and what each one brings to our family.

This was his 1st birthday. We were on vacation at the beach. I am laughing at this picture! I wish I had a smile-y picture. The point of it though, is that his first cake was funfetti with rainbow chip icing. 

4 years later, it's still his favorite cake!

Wesley's birthday buddies at his party.