My Grown Up Christmas List

Gosh, I have been soo busy I have barely had time to sit down and blog.My plan is to write a Christmas one every day next week, we shall see how that goes.Being that it is Christmas, I thought it would be fun to write a blog on what has been catching my eye this year. Chances are I wont be getting any of it,but I thought it would be fun to dream a bit. I always try to keep in mind that the true gifts we receive are the ones which cannot be wrapped, the gifts of friends and family,the gift of Gods son. These are all gifts that keep on giving.I dont have a materialistic bone in my body,so this post is a little strange for me. You know how we moms tend to be, its usually about the kids, and then whatever is left over, that is what we get =)  . I much prefer it that way.  So, here we go:
Number 1: Toms Shoes
I have always admired these shoes from afar,and I like the concept. Every pair you purchase,they will send a child a pair. It is a good thing he is doing.I really want the burlap classics or the silver glitters.

Number 2:Amazon Kindle

My friend Jamie, who is a very sweet devout Christian lady came up with the term Book Whore.....lol.I think it is funny. Well, I am not a book whore, but I would consider myself a book hoarder.I have a ton, I am especially a Christian fiction junkie of the amish persuasion.I dont think actual books could ever be replaced, but  I think of all the room it would save in my house,and the thought makes me happy.Maybe someday, but then again by the time I get one, they will have probably already invented holographic readers(If they havent already done so).

Number 3:Harajuku Lovers

I cannot help it, I may be thirty, but I am still in love with cutsey type things. Is that wrong? I feel kindve guilty ,because I dont know if "motherly" types should enjoy stuff like this,but then again, its not like Im an 80 year old grandpa wearing ninja turtle pajama pants....lol. Heres a pic, so you will get the just mentioned visual out of your mind: 

I love Gwen Stefanis line, especially the purses and the fragrance.If I get nothing else this year,I am hoping a purse like this will be in my stocking(some toms wouldnt hurt eiether).

Number 4:Wii Games

I was blessed to have received a wii a couple of years back for my birthday, and a wii fit for Christmas last year. I am very much into the active games, never been much into maRIO,etc. Here are a few games that have caught my eye recently(the first one for my daughter)    (or any game by Golds gym, and pretty much any active wii game that doesnt stink.....lol)

Number 5:Fashion Bible Cover

Welp, thats about it =) Whats on your Christmas wish list this year?

Life a life with no regrets

Where did November go? Where did this year go? Is it just me or the older you get, the quicker the years fly by..........December is always a tough month for me. I love Christmas, but I often find myself reflecting the moments of the past year. What I did wrong, what I did right, focusing more on the wrongs than rights. I cant help it. I am soo hard on myself, I am my own worst critic.Last year was a good year for me. I have a bucket list of things I want to accomplish in my lifetime, and I accomplished like 5 of them. This year I havent accomplished any.I had a sweet friend point out to me this morning that I should just take two of them from last year and apply them to this year....lol. I just might have to do that. I want to live a life of no regrets.Some opportunities came my way this year,and i felt like, due to my current circumstances financially and our current situation that I shouldnt follow through with it. As the famous Mark Twain once said" I seldom realized opportunity until it ceased to be one". Here is my kindergarten like illustration,please dont laugh

As this picture illustrates, the things going on around can often seem soo big and consuming,that we cant see the opportunities just on the other side. That is why we have to step out of the realm of our circumstance, and grab ahold of what is there, because if we dont it will go away.I want to encourage you to live a life of no regrets for the rest of this year and the coming year. You'll be glad you did.

Gobblle Gobble

Wow, where did this month go?Did someone say it was December? You would think it was with all of the Christmas trees put up, lights strung,etc.Oh, its not? What?!?! Its still November? Well, you could have fooled me...........
I find myself in the same situation every year. I spend most of November agravated.People are too worried about December and Christmas, that they forget what Thanksgiving is all about.It truly doesnt get the credit it deserves.I am not putting Christmas down by any means,it is one of my favorite holidays. I just wish people paid more attention to Thanksgiving, thats all. Next year I am determined to put up a thanksgiving tree in my house, complete with Turkey lights, or something to that effect.To me, Thanksgiving is the foundation for the Christmas season.Well, actually Christ is the foundation for Christmas, but you get what I am saying.
       Anyway, so here I am tryin to plan a low fat thanksgiving. should be fun.So far apple cider brussel sprouts, crustless pumpkin pie, and a green salad are on the menu. and of course turkey.I think I just gained 5 pounds typing that....lol..Maybe I will just have turkey salad.
  Whatever you eat, wherever you spend this turkey day, I hope you have a blessed one. And please take the time  to be thankful.Make a list.Count your blessings

Its Turkey Butt Kicking Time!!!!!!

*Sigh* Its November. The busyness is over. For the time being that is. I have only one goal this month: To kick Thanksgiving in the boo-tay......lol.








 I am participating in a weight loss challenge with a group of friends at church,and so far I am doing fairly well. I have been drinking a ton of water, which is a miracle in itself, because normally it makes me terribly sick. My goal is to lose 42-45 pounds in 42 days. we will see. I realize a pound a day isnt really healthy, but I am pretty big and........The winner gets alot of money. I am hoping I win because i really want a pea coat......lol. Among other things.Ive long come to realize there are alot of things i cannot change but there are some things I can and its high time I start to change the things I can. This is one of those things.So, I am going to try to post weekly updates. There is one thing I know. eating healthy is soooooooooo expensive.I am most definately going to try to grow my own garden in the spring.Should be interesting, I tend to look at plants and they die , so we will see how that goes.....lol.Here is a horrifying before picture for all to see:

me at 260 pounds(obviously I am being very goofy in this pic) Thats all for now, will write more soon.............

Blogs I Love

Ok, so here recently I have really gotten into blog reading. I love checking out other blogs,especially crafty type ones.I am also noticing more and more on various blogs the whole button thing I may have mentioned it before, but I am a member of<3Swap-Bot<3 ,a swapping community that swaps pretty much everything from postcards(which is actually how I got started),crafty type items, to emails, to pretty much whatever(I recall even seeing a swap for underwear on there once....lol.Not of the used variety though, that would be nasty). In comes the I heart your blog swap, hosted by Jex ,where you review fellow swappers blogs and then put their buttons on your page. Some of their buttons I have on the side, and then there are a few on the bottom(I like to call this my button burough),but I encourage you to check them all out:

Memories Through Quilting

I have really enjoyed Vicki's blog. I am a "closet quilter",and have come to find I really dont have the time or patience to make them.But she makes me want to try.You really ought to check out her grandmothers old sewing machine that has been passed down for three generations..........

 The Sweet Maple Life

First, I wanted to thank Mary for her sweet comments about me. As  a homeschooling parent, I dont often get told"I admire you, or I have alot of respect for parents that do that", so its always nice to hear.Mary talks about her life,shes an american in the process of becoming a canadian so she can move to canada to be with her hubby.Seems like an interesting but annoying process.....lol.and she is crafty,which is always a plus.I will definately be keeping up........you should too.
PS she also has a digiscrapping blog

What oh What
If im a sucker for anything, its a blog with a ton of crafty ideas, and cassandras blog definately has that. Lots of ideas to get the creative juices flowing........love the clothespins!
MissMuffCake
I really enjoyed this site. What intrigued me the most is that she is a vegan, and she frequently posts vegan recipes.I have been thinking about going vegan(or at least partially vegan....lol)She also loves cupcakes, and that gets points in my book =).She also has a compassionate heart towards the homeless and unsheltered animals,which I found to be very inspiring........
Shes Crafty,shes just my type.....
This blog is about Amber, a 30 something single mom who is using crafting to help cope with her RSD and help support herself. I admire anyone who can take hardship and turn it into something beautiful.She makes some awesome things.......
Sanitys Overated
Ok Amber, I tried to add your button, and this was the best I could do........lol. Amber is a stay at home mom who writes about her everyday musings.Really quite entertaining. She has the cutest two little boys. She also reviews books she has read which I think is pretty cool(I need to do that myself).Insanity is more fun when shared with others.....lolJexyland
and last but certainly not least is Jex. Her blog is soo cute, it has the cutest buttons(scroll down to the bottom)like little kimono girls, cupcakes,etc. it is just full of cuteness, and has some really cool craft projects. Check out her pin cushion tutorial!

Well, thats it, I hope you enjoy, and many thanks to these girls for sharing their blogs with me =)

Who let the cats out.............

Wow, what a crazy past couple of weeks this has been.I think I have coined a new term.Instead of using the words  "Im busy" I am going to start saying "Im October" to replace it."Can you come today". "No, sorry, Im October"It never ever fails, this 10th month of the year is always the busiest time for us as a family.Every year we participate in a production called hell house at our church(google it), so I have also coined the terms BHH and AHH. Before Hell HOuse and after Hell House,after HH meaning some time in November and BHH meaning SEptember."Ill let you know AHH" is a phrase which is very common for me.
***********WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG POST SO RACHEL CAN GO MAKE SOME BEEF STEW FOR DINNER************
ok, Im back,30 minutes later....lol. That was some good stew. I hate how the meat shrivels up when you cook it though. =(
  So anyway, yeah, Ive been busy.Between school and church it just doesnt end. But I wouldnt have it any other way.
This week has been an interesting one,my daughter came down with "cat scratch disease" also know as cat scratch fever. I didnt know such a thing actually existed but yup.Its more common in kittens whose immune systems arent fully developed yet, you can get the bacteria.So, in honor of her, I have put together this blog of psycho cat photos, I hope you enjoy =)




Kitty Yawns....................

Have a great day =)

Looky What I Made!

So, I mentioned recently that I have got back into crafting. My sewing machine is very happy right now! I got this cute little pumpkin pattern over atAlison's (also known as Oopsey Daisy) Blog  and I cant stop making them! Hope you enjoy. I think Ive been bit by the holiday crafting bug, so look out for more projects in the next few weeks...........