Some Days Are Hard and Some Days Your Kids Actually Listen

 One morning, a couple days ago, when my alarm went off I wished that I could be someone else. Someone without a splitting headache. Someone without an appointment for a root canal. Cindy Lou Who (4 & 1/2 months) had woke me up four times because she had an ear infection. Thing 2 (4 years) peed the bed twice and woke us up one other time wanting chocolate milk. (Which we didn't give him.) Of course, the three times he woke us up didn't coincide with the four times that she woke up. Life working out the way it does, the root canal cost a lot more than they said it would and my mouth didn't start feeling numb until 10 minutes after the procedure. Fantastic.
 I was certain that considering Murphy's Law my children would bicker all day and be totally uncooperative. I have heard many times that the greatest influence that a woman can have on the world is through raising her own children to be good people. As I drove home from the endodontist I was considering if that is really true. I have a friend from nursing school who went on to be a nurse midwife. She has not had the opportunity to marry and have children and now volunteers in third world countries helping to deliver babies. Right now she's in the Philippines. (Did you know that in many countries girls are more likely to die in childbirth than go to school? On that topic, here is an awesome video if you have the time to watch it.) So I was thinking 'Am I really making more of a difference going through all that have been going through for my family, than if I were volunteering somewhere and saving lives all day every day?' The past five months have easily been the hardest of my life. I have been hit by one crisis after another.
 After I got home my husband looked at me in my pathetic state on the couch and said "If there was anyway that I could stay home from work today and help you out, I would." But he has a job to do and we need him to do it. I just prayed that I wouldn't snap and yell at my children. I was ready for the worst day ever.
 But that's not what happened. Soon after I got home Cindy Lou Who woke up and gave me an enormous smile like she was so excited to see me. My children have a tendency to not want to clean up after themselves. Yes, I know that is typical for their age, but they tend to be a little worse than average. But miraculously they actually cooperated. They each cleaned their rooms for ten minutes without a fight. They each picked up all of their things that were in the living room. Thing 1 (6 years) let me brush her hair without running and hiding. Thing 2 didn't put his pants on backwards.They ate a balanced lunch and Thing 1 got to school on time. Cindy Lou Who let me set her down long enough so that I could vacuum the living room and load the dishwasher while Thing 2 quietly played with Play Doh at the table. After school Thing 1 did her homework without threats. At dinner we had fresh veggies and dip and she tried one of every kind. Thing 2 wasn't so bold, but he ate a banana and the insides of his sandwich. It was like all of the lessons (battles) that I have been trying so hard lately to teach my kids were actually sinking in. I am actually making a difference. They may actually turn into healthy productive adults. Wahoo! Someday when my kids are older I may do my part to save the world, but I would not trade my time with them right now for anything.

What I've been up to

 I swear I have a dozen blog posts bouncing around in my head, but not enough time to write them. That is, time where I'm in the 'writing zone' plus had enough sleep plus have 2 hands free. I've written a couple in a state of sleep deprivation and come back to proofread them and I'm not quite sure what I was trying to say, so we'll get back to those. So I'll just summarize what I've been doing in list form, because Heather is all about the lists. :)

1. Feeding the baby- She gained 3 pounds in 4 weeks. I spend a lot of time feeding the baby.
2. Chipotle Roasted Vegetable Quesadillas- I found this recipe on Skinny Bovine's Kitchen. I left out the corn, and added 2 tomatoes, 1& 1/2 medium carrots, one Hatch chile and doubled the chipotle (and left in the seeds cause I'm lazy). It was so yummy. Unfortunately baby couldn't handle the spiciness, and the two times I ate it as soon as I fed her she projectile vomited on me. But if you aren't breast-feeding I highly recommend it.
3. Started reading How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. In the introduction he says that he tries to run his pantry dry at least once a year. I thought, I need to do that. So I have been trying to plan all meals around what I have in my pantry. In addition to rotating things, it just makes it easier to organize when I give myself a little space. And in the next few months I know there will be many sales on non-perishable items and I need to make room.
4. In my efforts to clean out the pantry I made Peaches and Cream Oven French Toast, using canned peaches, evaporated milk and powdered eggs. It was pretty yummy and all members of my family or at least those with teeth ate some (Cue angelic chorus). However, I'm pretty sure that I could come up with a healthier version that is just as yummy.
5. Dealing with reflux- A new development in just the past week. I've determined that baby can't handle it when I eat anything remotely spicy, but it seemed like cutting that out wasn't enough. No, no- there is a huge list of things that I have to cut out. And since I have it has made a huge difference. She's happier and sleeps longer through the night. The problem is when I got out beans, dairy and many fruits and vegetables, it makes it hard to find anything to eat, let alone anything vegetarian. (And I had gone weeks without eating meat and was feeling fine!) I may need to go back to being a carnivore for baby's benefit for awhile.
6. Enjoying my oh-so-adorable children who are probably the only people whom I would tolerate such shenanigans from.

She's Here!

Miss Cindy Lou Who arrived Monday afternoon weighing 7 pounds even. Everything went perfectly (I was pretty shocked). Now I'm at home recovering and enjoying some time off with my three sweet kids. :)

Getting Ready to be Outnumbered

With any luck by the time you are reading this I will no longer be pregnant. Hooray! Pregnancy itself is a generally an unpleasant experience, but being 9 months pregnant in August in St George, UT makes it worse.
 With Thing 1 I was sent into labor by being hit by an industrial flat-bed truck. With Thing 2 from the time I started having contractions to the time I was complete was twenty-five minutes, going into labor that fast put my body into shock. So let's hope that Miss Cindy Lou-Who arrives without a traumatic experience. My husband is pretty stressed about it. I figure being stressed isn't going to change the outcome, so why bother? I'm too excited to not be pregnant to worry much about what could possibly go wrong between here and there.
  In preparation for her debut I have been getting ready for quite awhile. Here's what I have been up to:

• Since about March, every time I saw a "stock-up worthy" deal on diapers I bought a few packages.
• I snagged numerous cute outfits from the clearance section. (Once I got several Disney themed onesies for 50 cents each at Walmart.)
• I thoroughly cleaned my house so I have less to worry about later.
• I made a few freezer meals to make life easier.
• I finished all of my back to school shopping in July.
• I packed my bag and arranged childcare.
• I ordered a new car seat and bassinet, which are ready and waiting.

And as Thing 1 observed, "Now all we need is a baby."

Book Review: Full of Life

It is my belief that just because this is my third baby and I have a BS in Nursing doesn't mean that I know everything there is to know about pregnancy and having babies. So I picked up Full of Life: Mom-to-Mom Tips I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was Pregnant by Nancy O'Dell, hoping for some new insights. This book is not an encycolpedia reference for pregnancy and motherhood, however it was more enjoyable to read than any of the other pregnancy books that I have read. It didn't tell me anything that I didn't know, but it does have some really good tips and is written in a style like you are talking to a friend. I would recommend it to first-time moms. Here are some the tips that I thought were most helpful.

• A typical fertile couple has a 20% chance of conceiving with each cycle and an 85% chance of becoming pregnant within one year.
• Your pregnancy is really 40 weeks, not just 9 months.
• Your cravings may be very specific and may change at a moments notice.
• When telling your boss the news, know your rights before hand. If you have worked for a company full-time for at least 12 months before your date of delivery the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles you to 12 weeks of maternity leave, during which time they have to hold your position for you. Whether or not you get paid during that time is another story.
• If you were exercising regularly before you were pregnant, it is safe to continue to do so while you are pregnant.
• It is not uncommon to have irrational, panic-inducing dreams while you are pregnant.
• If you are having constipation issues, try baking pureed prunes (yes, baby food will do just nicely) into a spice cake. It should take care of the problem without the taste and texture of actually eating prunes.
• When creating a baby registry, don't register for blankets, stuffed toys and smaller baby clothes. You will probably get enough of those anyway. Register for sizes 9 months and above, and items like a 2nd car seat base, strollers and baby socks.
• Sleeping on your left side is best for baby. It improves circulation. Sleeping on your back can cut off circulation (and oxygen) to your baby.
• Things that can prevent leg cramps: drink plenty of water, eat Potassium rich foods, take a warm shower and stretch your calves before bed.
• Things to relieve leg cramps: get you husband to massage your calves (yes, I realize these will probably occur at some ungodly hour, have him do it anyway), stretch and flex your calves repeatedly, get up and walk it off.
• Fetal hiccups show that baby's diaphragm is working.
• Your breasts can leak breast milk even before you have a baby.
• Bladder leakage can happen: wear a pad, do your kegels, limit bladder irritating beverages (those that are carbonated, acidic or contain caffeine), and cross your legs when you cough.
• Breast-feeding is not automatic. Take a class or read a book before you have your baby.
• Register at the hospital before the big day.
• In addition to comfy clothes, make sure that you pack your laptop, camera, extra batteries and camera card for your trip to the hospital.
• The most effective way to push a baby out is like you're pushing to have a bowel movement. Yes, it is true.
• Despite all of the discomforts and trials of pregnancy, it is all worth it in the end. :)

Food Storage Friday: Pregnancy

Last Saturday my husband and I were sitting in the shallow end of the pool watching our kids play in the water.
My husband patted his stomach and said "I need to exercise more."
I patted my stomach and said "I also need to exercise more."
"That's not fat. That's a baby." It's not that I think I am fat. It's just that since I became pregnant, exercise has dropped down to less than once a month. I need to do better, but growing a baby just makes me tired.
I grabbed a love handle and said "This is not a baby."
"No, that's food storage for the baby. You're just practicing what you preach."
That man never ceases to make me laugh.
Happy Mother's Day and have a great weekend.

Portraits of the Fallen

I found a link to this short video on my friends blog.  I love stories like this about people using their talents to help others. Take the five minutes to watch it, it's definitely worth your time. And I dare you not to cry.

Lessons from Three Funerals

In about six weeks we had three funerals. The travel and tears were pretty stressful, but I learned a few things that I wanted to remember and I thought I would share. The first funeral was for my best friend's mother. She died after a ten year battle with malignant melanoma as well as several other health problems. It was a really nice funeral. I hope that someday my funeral is half as peaceful and well-organized. I went in expecting to cry, my best friend had lost her mother and I didn't have the words to make it better, but I didn't expect to bawl as hard as I did through the whole thing. I was really sad that I had not had the opportunity to know her better and know her before her illness. She was really an amazing woman. Her are some things about her that stood out to me.

• She didn't complain about her misfortunes. If someone had good reason to complain I think she would, but she didn't. She was optimistic and made the best of the days she had.
• She loved her five children and they all knew it. She spent lots of time talking and laughing with them. And I laughed so hard I started crying again when one of her sons told a story about her farting and laughing.
• She was so grateful for her children and cherished the time that she had with them. Since then I have really been trying to do the same with my own children. If that means that I neglect my blog and my housework a little, so be it.
• She was always busy. Anytime that she was watching tv or a movie she was also working on a project. She showed people that she loved them through the gifts that she made. It made me think although she didn't know me that well she took the time to make a gift for my wedding and a beautiful blanket when Thing 1 was born. I feel honored that she would take some of her precious time to do that for me.

While sitting at her funeral I was thinking, perhaps I should give up this blog. Although it's fun, it's very time consuming and I do have many other things to do. But as I thought about it, if for no one else I am writing this for my daughter. If something were to happen to me (and I hope that it doesn't) I want her to able to know where to find our favorite family recipes. I want her to know the tricks I used to keep the house clean and stretch a budget. I want her to know the secrets her mom used to make life a little easier. If When, nothing ever happens to take me from her this may be a good place for her to refer to when she takes her first stabs at running her own household. And if the things I write here are helpful to anyone else along the way, all the better.

A few weeks after this funeral my husband's grandfather died. He had had health problems for a few years and had been on hospice for a few days, so we were expecting him to go some time, but not quite that fast. The day before he died his wife went into the hospital with pneumonia and two weeks after he died she passed also. Now it was very hard on my husband and all of his family to lose both grandparents (or parents as the case my be) so close together, but you worry a little less about them. You don't have one left behind in their loneliness. They have each other. And when I get to the point that my grandchildren are grown, that might be nice to just naturally go with the one I love.

 We had been waiting for Super Grandma (as she is affectionately known by my children) to get out of the hospital before we made any firm plans for the funeral. We had decided to just go and have a memorial service for Super Grandpa and were literally getting ready to go when we received the news that Super Grandma had died too. So we had a double funeral the following weekend.
 It was the first non-LDS funeral that I have ever attended and I really liked how after the minister said his part and we sung a few hymns, they let those in attendance get up and say a few words. It was cool to hear the stories that other people shared about them.
  A few things about Super Grandma:

• One of her former high school students called her "a force of nature". I thought that was pretty awesome.
• Her house felt so completely empty without her.
• She had a reputation for being dependable and for reaching out to others.

A few things about Super Grandpa:

• He was stubborn, but in a good way. If he decided that he was going to do something, you could consider it done.
• He built his own house as well as many other things (he was a shop teacher by profession).
• He read many books and encouraged others to read also.

With driving back and forth to California twice, my husband and I had lots of time to talk about this while the kids were napping. We decided that someday when we have more money in savings, we'd like to buy a piece of land, slightly removed from society (but not so removed that things to do aren't within an easy distance) build our own house, raise a garden and a few chickens, like his grandparents did, and be mostly self-sufficient. That's the dream.

I Dare You To Eat It Presentation

I have had several friends who were unable to attend Liesa Card's presentation last Thursday ask me for handouts. Here's the thing, she doesn't really do handouts. She feels that they are usually a waste of paper and just get thrown away. Instead she provides everyone in attendance with a half sheet of paper and a pencil so they can write down points that they feel are important (plus she handed out bookmarks with her website address so you can check out some of the recipes that she has up there for free, but I already put the link above). So I thought that I would write down the things that I thought were important here on my blog. Of course what I write here doesn't do justice to her entire presentation, but here we go.

• Using your food storage should consist of 3 things: A one year supply of staples (grains, beans, etc.), a 3 month supply of items that you regularly use in your cooking (sauces, canned vegetables, etc) and fresh ingredients (meat, dairy, produce). Meals that are a mix of these three are far more likely to be eaten by your family.
• Thomas S. Monson has asked us to live in the present. At the moment the present includes the grocery store. The First Presidency has never asked us to stop going to the grocery store.
• Food storage doesn't have to be weird, in fact it's best if it's not. Some examples she gave of food storage meals that her family eats on a regular basis include white bean chicken chili, tuna noodles, sloppy joes, beef borgie and shepherd's pie.
• If you have your ingredients on hand, you can use your food storage to put together meals faster than you can pick up take-out, but they're healthier and cheaper too.
• You can get a year supply of food storage for a family of five for about $1200. Yes, that is not pocket change, but with some planning and some effort it is doable. Find a way to save $100 a month and put that towards food storage. As you use it, it will save you money.
• Food storage can make you a better mother. There is an peace and assurance that come with knowing that whatever the world has to throw at us, at least I have the means to feed my family. "I won't fail them when it comes to food."
• Food storage is not about fear, it is about peace. We have been asked to store food, not in a spirit of fear, but because of the blessings that will come from having it.
• Food storage is almost like a secret blessing from the First Presidency and people don't realize how it can make their lives so much easier.
• If we ever come to a point where we have to use our food storage, we will wish that we had kept the furniture in the garage and food storage in our house.
• If the 'what if' happens, we make adjustments. If a disaster happens we're still having white bean chicken chili. It may or may not have chicken, it probably won't have cheese or sour cream or tortilla chips, but it is close enough to what they are used to that the family will still be comfortable eating it.
• There are three tricks to using your food storage: 

1. Keep 6 open cans of food storage IN YOUR KITCHEN. (wheat, pasta, beans, oats, rice and potatoes)
2. Gather a three month supply of ingredients and keep them in your kitchen. (She uses 30 recipes and buys the shelf ingredients in groups of three. i.e. 3 bottles of spaghetti sauce.)
3. Get a binder and start collecting food storage recipes that your family is actually willing to eat. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a place where you have them together.

 If you want more information I Dare You To Eat It can be found at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Deseret Book. Anyone who reads my blog on a regular basis knows that I mention this book a lot. Liesa does not compensate me in anyway to promote her book. I promote it because it has changed my life, makes my job as a mother so much easier and I believe that it can make the lives of many other families easier too. And if you live near me I do have a few copies that Liesa gave me to sell at a discounted price. I am not getting a cut, I'm just trying to share the good information.

The Doing and Not Doing Lists of Christmas

I have recently decided that December is not long enough. I believe that it should be at least 6 weeks long. Would anyone really miss it if January and March were a little shorter? I know that I wouldn't. But as it stands I am not capable of doing all of the Christmasy things that I would like to do. As much as I would love it, the "perfect Christmas" is not going to happen. I concede, I can't get it all done and I don't want to drive myself crazy trying. So I made a list of things that I am doing and things that I have decided not to worry about.  I just have to remember that it's OK if I don't get these things done. If I magically have more time, maybe I may do a few from the "not do list".

The December Do List

1. Read Christmas stories to my kids every night
2. Put up the tree
3. Make cookies for my brother-in-law serving in the Phillipines.
4. Take the kids to see Christmas lights in ours and surrounding neighborhoods
5. Take the kids to see Christmas lights at the temple.
6. Team up with some friends to take dinner and gifts to a friend in need
7. Visiting teaching. I think this is the first time ever that I am done before the 15th of the month.
8. Maintain a semi-state of order in my home. Much easier said than done.
9. Healthy meals between the sweets.
10. Birthday stuff for Thing 2
11. Read the Christmas story from the Bible
12. Spend time playing with my kids
13. Shoe gifts for the 12 days of Christmas
14. Online Christmas shopping including gifts for siblings and in-laws, stocking stuffers and probably more toys than my kids actually need (but it's just so much fun to snag a deal on something fun for them).
15. Visit friends and family that live several counties away.
16. Movie/Game night with extended family.
17. Teach my children to serve someone in need. Still trying to think of the perfect idea.
18. Pressing Home and Car Repairs
19. At least one date with the love of my life.
20. Oh yeah, and did I mention I'm working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, along with many other 12 hour shifts throughout the month?

The Not Do List

1. Christmas cards- not that we didn't have pictures taken, just the actual designing, stamping and mailing of Christmas cards is not going to happen. Sorry friends if you had your hopes up. If I am really on top of thing you may get an email. Save a tree.
2. Making cookies for my neighbors. My neighbors are awesome. I am really lucky, and I feel kind of bad that we aren't doing things for them at the moment, but we're probably going make cookies in January. Maybe I'm really doing them a favor. Sweets in Moderation.
3. Have perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree. Do you know what is under my Christmas tree? 3 nativity playsets (not set up mind you, but jumbled into several piles) and a few dozen Christmas books. No actual presents yet. We go for function here.
4. Gifts for my coworkers. Again I love each of them and think they are awesome, but I can only do so much.
5. Paper chains and other various crafts with the kids. Just not happening.
6. Put up the outdoor Christmas lights.
7. Put up the greater part of my Christmas decorations.
8. Make my own Christmas ornaments. When there are too many other things to get done, say no to craft!
9. Attend more than half of the parties we've been invited to.
10. Host our own Christmas party. I guess we're just party poopers.
11. Attend local festivals, concerts and programs.
12. Decorate my blog for Christmas 
13. Christmas caroling.
14. Ice-skating
15. Vast quantities of baking.
16. Build a snowman, unless there is some very drastic change in the St. George weather.
17. Gingerbread houses
18. Put money into savings this month. Oops.
19. Make gifts for my own kids. Thought about it, but no.
20. Have an elaborate Christmas dinner (see #20 above) Today I am going to make enchiladas and freeze them. So on Christmas Eve we'll have those with Cafe Rio Style Rice which is also in the freezer. Not fancy, but it will work. And it's not like my kids ever eat elaborate meals when I fix them anyway.
21. All of those other things that I wanted to do this season that I can't even think of right now.
22. Save the world.

I'm sure at some point I'm going to learn something from this.

 This morning I was supposed to work, but there weren't enough sick children, so I was put on-call. Hooray! I love being put on-call, it's my favorite. Especially on the weekends, because then my whole family is home. Yes, being on-call I make less than $3 an hour, but I get to be with my family, so it's worth it.

 Today I had marvelous plans. I did some small grocery shopping and rented a carpet cleaner. (Earlier this week when I tried to rent one there weren't any available, even though I called to verify beforehand. :S) Then I took my turkey carcass from the fridge, and threw it into the crock pot to make stock. Thing 2, who generally doesn't take much interest in my housekeeping activities found this to be very interesting. As I was chopping vegetables to put in it, he pulled up a chair and kept trying to convince me that we needed to put some purple grapes in the mix. :)

  Then I cleaned my house like some kind of crazy person. There is probably something wrong with me that I find it magical when my house is clean. I love it. But really it is fairly magical that I happened to have both the time and the energy to thoroughly clean my house. And looking at my carpets really makes me feel like singing. They really, really needed to be cleaned. Renting the carpet cleaner and buying solution came to $41, whereas paying someone to clean my carpets would cost at least $150. Hooray! Thing 2 also found carpet cleaning to be very interesting, for most of the cleaning he crawled along on the floor next to me watching the brushes. Silly boy.
  So my house is smelling like yumminess and my carpets were clean. When I was done I had more magical plans of pulling out all the Christmas decorations and bake cookies, maybe even do a little bit of shopping. The only thing left was my closet. Now for the past few weeks something has been amiss with my closet. There has been a musty odor, and it appeared about a week after I cleaned out and organized it. I had not the foggiest idea what it was. So my husband and I pulled everything out of our closet. Near the door we found a very moldy crayon. Thing 2 has a terrible habit of pouring water on the carpet. Why he enjoys this so much, I don't know, but we thought this was the cause of the problem. Then we kept pulling stuff out. Against the back wall sits our suitcase, and underneath it was more mold. (Shows how often we travel.) This had spread to 3 of my shoes (from 3 separate pairs) and my non-washable purse that I bought for $1 in Argentina. (I'm pretty sad about the bag, it was awesome.) When we pulled that away we discovered that there was about an inch of water damage along most of the baseboard. (Also of note my closet is inside my bathroom.) An inside wall mind you, which can only mean one thing. Plumbing issues. Murg. That totally puts a damper on the Christmas spirit and definitely no shopping.
  I cleaned everything with hydrogen peroxide and called a plumber. If he comes out today (Saturday), it will cost $130 per hour. If I wait until Monday it will only be $60 per hour. I can wait until Monday. Yes, this is a big pain in the neck that I need to address soon, but it totally can wait til Monday. I'm also thinking that putting my husband through school would have been a lot easier if I had been a plumber instead of a nurse. I'm sure that I will learn something useful from this experience and probably be able to get a blog post out of it with some helpful information to save someone else some hassle. And as I write this Thing 2 is shredding Styrofoam on my freshly cleaned carpet. That's my cue.

Great blogs I've been reading

Here are some useful blogs that I have discovered recently in my journeys through the blogosphere.

Simple. Healthy. Tasty. Finding ways to get your family to eat healthy foods. I particularly like her recent post on picky eaters. It's one a coworker recommended.

Basket 411 Suggestions and recipes for those less than familiar vegetables that you may find in your Bountiful Basket, plus some great new ideas for the more familiar ones.

Pioneer Woman- Basket 411 references her a few times so I made her BBQ Pineapple Quesadillas. They were delicious.

Momza's House- Momza is a mother of seven and shares some great wisdom she has learned caring for her brood. This month she is having a countdown to Thanksgiving. Everyday she shares something she is grateful for and is hosting a bloghop for holiday recipes. Plus this week she's having a CSN giftcard giveaway!

How To Hair Dos- Step by step instructions for creating princess hair, because I will admit it is not one of my strong points.

The Morris Tribe- Mother of 10 who has lots of great ideas on making things work without losing your sanity.
Women In The Scriptures I love this blog. She discusses in detail women throughout the scriptures and points out many great insights about motherhood.

Book Review: I Hate It When Exercise Is The Answer

I picked up this book because it was convenient and I needed something to read while I was waiting for my car to be repaired. (Murg.) I Hate It When Exercise Is The Answer: A Fitness Program for the Soul by Emily Watts was not exactly what I was expecting, but I still enjoyed it. At first glance I thought I was going to be getting a book with "fitness hacks" or some other plan to improve your health with minimal effort. (Ok, if I had looked at the subtitle with that first glance I would have realized that's not what this book is about. Let's chalk it up to stress.) The author starts with the idea that just as it is important to strengthen your core muscles, it's important build your emotional and spiritual core, because "when the core is strong, everything works as it should." Building on that she came up with 31 exercises to do this and gave related stories from her own experience. It's a quick uplifting read. (Note it is very much geared towards and LDS audience, although many of her suggestions can apply to everyone.) Here are my favorite exercises that she suggested:

• Find Your Mission- Make a list of things that you are good at. that you like to do and times in your life when you've felt particularly pleased with your successes. Ask the Lord what He needs you to do with the interests and talents you've been given. Act on any inspiration received.
• Appreciating Moms- Write down five things your mom has done to help you become the person you are. Share the list with her if possible.
• Shining- Pick a day when you're out and about and make a diligent effort to smile and make eye contact with as many strangers as you can. Notice how many smile back.
• Recognizing Incremental Progress-Think of a negative behavior that you (or your children)  used to engage in that you don't anymore. When did you change? Was the transformation immediate or gradual? Consider how you can make little changes to add up to big progress in some area of your life.
• Cultivating Humility-The next time you are arguing with someone and are ready to shoot down all of their ideas, ask first "Help me understand why you feel the way you do". If it turns out that you were right you can preserve the relationship, if you were wrong you avoid looking like a total jerk!

Time Saving Secrets for Moms plus Linky & Giveaway

I have two full-time jobs. I take care of sick kids and then I take care of my kids. Since I have gone back to work full-time in recent months I'm finding that sometimes my time is more valuable than money. My job as a mom is so important. My kids will never be 2 & 4 again. Now is the time that I need to be with them, to let them know that they are loved and help them to learn so they can grow into strong and productive people. Now is the time to enjoy their discoveries. However, this doesn't change the fact that my husband is currently going to school more than full-time and somebody has to pay the bills. (This is a short-term situation, only 2 semesters and then we're back to part-time working mommy. :D) So I thought I would share a few ways that I have found to cut corners without cutting out what is important.

1. I buy my diapers from Amazon. I hate buying diapers. I hate that they are so expensive, they're just going in the garbage. I hate that whenever there's a really good deal on them if I am not at the store within the first 3 hours there aren't any left in the size I need. However, if you buy them by the case from Amazon they are delivered to your house within 2 days (free shipping, baby) and are a significantly better deal than your average Walmart/Target prices, even without coupons. And you can have them shipped to you on a regular basis so you don't even have to think about it. I love that.
2. Bountiful Baskets I know lots of people have been talking about how wonderful this produce co-op is for awhile, and I finally jumped on the bandwagon. (I was somewhat afraid that if I bought one most of it would go to waste before we could use it. I hate wasting food.) I split a basket with a friend and got a lot of fresh produce, for less money and less time than if I had gone to the store/farmer's market myself. Plus I love the randomness. It forces me to add variety to our diet. 
3. I hired a cleaning service. This one was a little painful at first, and made me feel somewhat guilty paying someone to do something I can do myself. I just wanted someone to help me with the deep cleaning, which I really just don't have time to get to. It is kind of expensive to have someone else come and clean my house, but they can clean at least twice as fast as I can and more thoroughly (probably at an even faster rate if you take into account they are not distracted by small munchkins.) After they were done, I was so happy. I love it when my house is clean. It removes so much stress. And the next day I had off instead of worrying about cleaning my house I played with my kids. It was great.
4. I've stopped clipping coupons. Well sort of. I only clip the ones I need. Here's the system I use.
5. I use my food storage. (Usually with the aid of my crock pot) I know that I talk about food storage a lot, but since I've been working more I have been using it more than usual. When I plan my meals around what I have, not only am I saving money I also spend far less time grocery shopping. It may sound a little crazy, but give it a try and see if using your food storage doesn't make your life easier.

Now for the very first linky on my blog! Share what brilliant time saving hacks you have found that give you more time for the things that really matter. And of course a giveaway. This month I'm giving away a $20 Amazon giftcard. So here's how you can win it.

1. Be a follower. New or old, it doesn't matter. Just leave a comment telling me that you are interested in the giveaway. And if you don't follow through Google Friend Connect, just mention how you do follow.
2. Link up a time saving secret. Or you can just leave one in the comments.
3. Become my friend on Facebook. (FB is where I talk about any great deals that I am snagging, and if you're my friend and I find a great FB offer I will pass it on to you.)

 This giveaway runs from now until September 28, 2010 at 2359 MST. The winner will be announced September 29, 2010.

Word of Encouragement for Mothers

Do you ever have those days when you are totally exhausted and are frustrated with having to pick up the same messes for the umpteenth time? I know I do. Here are some reminders I have found for those times when you questioning why you do the things that you do. And if you have a favorite encouraging quote on the topic of motherhood please share.

 

If you're going through hell, keep going. -Winston Churchill

 

Homemaking is surely in reality the most important work in the world. What do
ships, railways, mine cars and government, etc., exist for except that people may be warmed and safe in their own home? ... [The homemaker's] is the job for which all others exist. - C.S. Lewis

 

 There are no adequate substitutes for father, mother, and children bound together in a loving commitment to nurture and protect. No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can take the place of the family in the scheme of things.- Gerald Ford

 

The way that mothers nurture their children may make babies smarter, healthier and better able to deal with stress. These are qualities that will carry through their lives and into the lives of their own children. -Louann Brizendine, M.D. and neuropsychologist

 

There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one - Jill Churchill

 

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.- Abraham Lincoln

 

Children keep us in check. Their laughter prevents our hearts from hardening. Their dreams ensure we never lose our drive to make ours a better world. They are the greatest disciplinarians known to mankind. - Queen Rania of Jordan 

 

Mothers reflect God's loving presence on earth. - William R. Webb

 

I believe our problems, almost every one, arise out of the homes of the people. If there is to be reformation, if there is to be a change, if there is to be a return to old and sacred values, it must begin in the home. It is here that truth is learned, that integrity is cultivated, that self-discipline is instilled, and that love is nurtured. - Gordon B. Hinckley

Something so funny it just has to be shared

A few weeks ago I came across the blog "Hyperbole and a Half". It's pretty hilarious. Last night I read "The Party" It was so blasted funny that I was laughing/crying/sobbing uncontrollably. (Maybe part of that was because I was really tired after 2 very long shifts at work.) My husband sat across the table looking at me like I had lost my mind. I think it is an incident that many mothers can at least sympathize with. And then I dreamed about it and was woken up by my own laughter. So that's why I'm up in the middle of the night letting you know about this. Warning: Don't read that web comic when someone is watching you, they will probably think you are insane.

Favorite Things About Being A Mother

1. Everyday my kids say something that makes me laugh out loud.
2. I am often endowed with super powers. Not only can I do all the things that are part of being Mom, last week my daughter told me that if I touched the sides of the trampoline I would get wet powers so I "can save the earf".
3. My kids are always ready to give me kisses on the cheek.
4. I get to and am expected to play with toys on a regular basis.
5. When my kids are sad, they still like to snuggle and I love it.
6. I can and must purchase fruit snacks.
7. Every day holds a new discovery, something to learn or share.
8. My kisses have magical healing powers.
9. If the laundry doesn't get folded, I'm the only one who even remotely cares.
10. My kids have such soft kissable cheeks.
11. I totally have an excuse to buy all my favorite movies and cartoons from when I was a kid. Ducktales Whoo-ooh!
12. When I'm looking less than fabulous (which is the vast majority of the time) the people who really matter, really don't care. And it makes me smile when my daughter compliments an outfit that may be embellished with boogers and/or ketchup because it happens to be her favorite color.
13. My Heavenly Father has trusted me with this great responsibility and blessing because He loves me and my little family.

13 Simple Secrets for Mommy

It seems like as a mom there are always more things to do than there is time to do them. And it's very easy for "me-time" to dissipate, especially when your kids are small. Here are a list of little things that you can do that make yourself feel better, even when "me-time" is scarce. (Confession: This is list is a reminder for myself as much as anything.)

• Exercise- Normally I am of the camp who doesn't pay for gym memberships, they are over-priced and I can exercise on my own for free. The problem is I usually don't. However I had a coupon for free membership at a local gym for a month and I may be hooked. The kids love to play with "new" toys and other kids for an hour and I get to exercise and sometimes read a book at the same time. I have more energy, I feel better, and it's good for me. Even if you don't want to pay for a membership try to squeeze some exercise somewhere. Running around with your kids at the park is a way that is fun and free.
• Use lotion- It's a simple thing, takes 30 seconds, but when I don't, I notice. If you wash your hands a lot (like myself) and don't lotion you can get cracks in your skin that can lead to infection, not to mention they are uncomfortable even if they don't get that bad. Plus it smells good.
• Eat healthy foods- I know when you're tired it's easier to open a box of instant whatever, however it's so much healthier to prepare things from scratch. And if you plan ahead of time it doesn't have to be very time consuming.
• Pray- "And all things, ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive" Matt 21:22 I think this is especially true if we pray for strength to fulfill our responsibilities.
• Drink water- My husband makes fun of me because it doesn't matter what his complaint is I ask him if he has been drinking enough water. Being dehydrated can make you tired, cause headaches and make any other problem you have worse. (Unless you're on dialysis.) Your body needs water to facilitate all processes in your body. However, when you're busy it's easy to forget your 8 glasses a day.
• Take time for your friends- Your friends can help brainstorm solutions, give encouragement, new ideas and they need you as much as you need them!
• Swap kids- I have a neighbor with kids of the same age and corresponding gender as my own. Every so often either her kids come over here or mine go over there. It is a great win-win situation. The kids have a great time and each of us get an hour and a half of quiet "me-time".
• Listen to music- Listening to music can give you energy and it makes mundane chores so much more bearable.
• Prioritize- Decide what is really important to get done and take things one at a time.
• Be grateful- I know that I've said this before, but it's worth repeating. You don't have to look far to remember that things could be worse.
• Don't compare yourself to others.- Focus on what you are accomplishing, not on what you haven't. Yes, the ironing never gets done, but my kids are happy, healthy and read to. And really that's far more important to me.
• Take a cold shower.- Or at least turn the water to cold for the last 10 seconds of your shower. It's great for your skin and can give you a quick boost of energy without caffeine.
• Get enough sleep- I know this is easier said than done, but as one who has put in her time on the night shift, I can say from experience that you will be a better mom and get more done if you are not sleep deprived.

Someone Who Inspires Me

Whether or not you are LDS, it's hard not to feel inspired by Stephanie Nielson and her story. Every mother should watch this video. It will remind you of what's really important. If you're interested her blog is http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com

Book Review: Fascinating Womanhood

My mother-in-law gave a copy of Fascinating Womanhood: How the Ideal Woman Awakens a Man's Deepest Love and Tenderness by Helen Andelin to myself and two of my sisters-in-law for Christmas. (Probably because not a one of us is a shining example of femininity.) I have a love-hate relationship with this book. There are some great insights and wisdom found in these pages. There are also some things that if a person said this to me they would have unleashed some wicked fury.
 This book was originally written in the 1970's, when the feminist movement was really becoming big in America. When the media was saying that women needed to be liberated, Andelin glorified the beauty of and embraced the traditional role of wife and mother. (And it really infuriated the feminists.)
 I think the thing that I love most about this book is the quote from the author on the back. "A loving marriage is the foundation of a happy family, and a happy family the foundation of a stable society. Most of the problems in this world stem from troubled homes. If we are to have peace in the world, we must begin at home." Yes! Now that is sound advice.
 According to the author, the ideal woman (from a man's point of view) has the following qualities: she understands men, has inner happiness, has a worthy character, is a domestic goddess, is feminine, radiates happiness, has radiant health and is childlike (not childish). I can more or less buy that, and through the book she explains how to gain these qualities.
 I found the part about understanding men very interesting. She explains why you can't change a man and trying to do so is futile. A man needs to feel accepted by the woman he loves, his home a place where he can feel secure. If this happens he will love her more. Sure, a man has faults, but so does every woman, he doesn't want you to point them out. If you try to change him, he will only get defensive. Appreciate what is good in him and you are more likely to bring out his better qualities. In this section I also read many things that made me realize so that's exactly why Mr. & Mrs. X are so very unhappy. And there were a couple things that I have been doing right and it explained why they work. Good to know.
 I liked that she strongly encourages women to improve themselves, and not just in ways that are obviously for pleasing  their men. Women need to have self-control, unselfishness, charity, humility, diligence, patience, moral courage, and honesty. They need to get enough sleep, exercise, eat properly, drink lots of water, take time to relax and have a healthy mental attitude. They should keep up on current events and spend time reading good books. They should find joy in the small and simple things in life. However, these things do aid to make a woman fascinating to a man. Every woman can improve in at least one of these areas.
 Now for the things I didn't like about this book. In fact these quotes made me so angry that I highlighted them in my book. I never do that. "If chivalry is dead, women have killed it. They have killed it by becoming capable, efficient and independent..." Ok, I think that I could rant for a long time about why I have issues with that statement, but I'll sum it up in two points. 1) A man should be chivalrous because it is a reflection of his own character, not because of any quality or lack thereof in a woman that he should be courteous to. 2)What in the world is wrong with being capable and efficient? Is it better to be incapable and inefficient? 'Oh help, I am a woman and can do nothing in a satisfactory manner. As I am now so crippled in all facets of my being you should now love me and put me on a pedestal.' Um, no.
 "A man's feeling of worth can be undermined when he sees women in the workforce doing a better job than he, advancing to a higher position, or earning more pay." If he were a real man, he'd grow a back bone and get over it. Does a man really feel less about himself when he sees someone else doing well? He should either be content with his efforts or try to improve. There are lots of men and women out there who are better at or have more of a lot of things than myself, but that is not a reflection of me, my abilities or my worth as a person. Comparing yourself to other people will only make you unhappy.
 Throughout the book she also talks about the importance of a woman staying at home with her children. That is a woman's place and not elsewhere.  And she gives many arguments that we've all heard before. Now I agree that it is important for a woman to be at home with her kids, especially when they are young. And I do believe that the job of mother is the most important that a woman can have, however that doesn't mean that other jobs that she may have are so unimportant that they can be ignored. What would happen if I and every other mother that I worked with stopped working in the hospital? On the unit that I work on there would be a few single secretaries, one single nurse on days and a couple of men who work nights. Many units would have to shut down entirely. Who would be there to care for sick children? Who would be there to assist women in labor, or care for them after delivery? Who would care for every other person who is in the hospital? Not nearly enough people I can promise you that. Yes, my job as a mother is priority, but that doesn't mean that my other job lacks value and importance. And there are many other jobs that are also of great importance.
 I also detested many of the testimonials that are given throughout the book. If my husband started kissing my feet and saying silly sappy things, I would think he had hit his head or been possessed by aliens or something. It gives numerous examples of husbands who did things that a woman shouldn't put up with, but they just started applying the principles of FW and now everything is bliss. Really? Gag. Some women need to grow some back bones too, or tune into reality. And the book is very much in love with itself. 'Fascinating Womanhood can save any marriage'. Hardly.
 Having said all of that, I still think that it was worth the read. There are many principles here that if applied can improve your marriage and your life in general. However, some of the advice must be taken with a grain of salt.