I think that it is clear that I love the ideas of vlogger HeyKali. I love her newest idea of making Shadow box piggy banks. Especially as I begin my Dave Ramsey financial classes, I am reminded of the importance of saving for what I want rather than buying on credit. DOWN WITH CREDIT CARDS! This is a great way to pass on the ideas of saving and goal setting for youngsters. I would like to do this craft the next time I am together with all my girls and their miniature girls.
A Bone to Pick: Children's Toy Packaging
The holiday hangover is long gone but my aggravation with children's toy packaging won't budge. Why on Earth do these toy manufacturers feel the need to reinforce a cheap toy with Fort Knox-like securities? Why does a gadget need a cardboard box twice its size, 4 impossible-to-cut zip ties, twist ties, a plastic screen, and cellophane wrapping?!? I mean, seriously!!! Its like, here you go kid, here's a really cool toy, but you can't play with it until Daddy gets the chainsaw, vice grips, and industrial strength wire cutters out.
Since becoming a parent, I've been paying attention to toy packaging. We recycle everything that can be recycled so if I have a choice between two toys, one with recyclable packing and one without, guess which one I'm buying? This is yet another reason why I love getting hand-me-down toys - they come with no packaging! One of my favorite line of toys has eco-friendly packaging, unusual colors, and a sense of humor. There are plenty of companies out there making an effort to be mindful of the Earth and I like that. Check out The Earth Friends, Etsy, and Green Toys. I also find local consignment shops and Craigslist good sources for kid's toys. Your kid doesn't care about the packaging so save some cash and the environment by buying eco-friendly or used.
Random Question: Reality TV - Why do I watch what I watch?
Well friends, I would like to talk honestly about something - something that has taken a hold of me and I am not sure why. I would like to talk about The Jersey Shore. Yes, the reality show. I am not sure why, but I watch the show. I can not say that I like it, but I can say that I have watched every episode (I spent a weekend "involved" with a marathon of it). And now I find myself continuing to watch the new season and actually felt bad last week when Vinnie (my favorite, yes I have a favorite, male character) was homesick (I too, have experienced homesickness and can feel his pain).
I don't understand this. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't like watching people fight, or argue on television - It makes me uncomfortable, and my stomach acids boil. Yet I watch the Situation start fights in bars like it is my new part time weekend job. What is even more interesting to me is the fact that I CAN NOT stand, and refuse to watch the show That Shall Not Be Named (I refuse to mention the name of the show because it gives them power, but I can tell you that the Show That Shall Not Be Named is on E! and is about some overly indulged, under talented sisters and the money grubbing mother).
Now, at one time I also refused to watch The Jersey Shore thinking that it was just plain bad TV, but the more that I watch the more that I watch. I won't watch any of the Housewives of ? I have not watched The Real World since the 7th grade, and 16 and Pregnant makes me doubt that I EVER want children? So therefore, how can I watch the Jersey Show without feeling physically ill like when I hear about the Show That Shall Not Be Named? What is it about Snookie, JWOW and Paulie D that I find interesting? Why do I EVEN know the names of these people? Is it that I have sworn off The Bachelor franchise and crave this genre of television? Is it that I secretly want to have bigger hair, party more, and go tanning? Is it that I find it interesting from a Pastoral Care point of view? What is it?
Please shed some light on this. I feel better now that I have gotten this off my chest!
New Year Reading List
For Christmas I got some new reading material and I can't wait to get reading!
This is all part of my New Year's resolution to be a better steward. I want to be a good steward of my money, relationships, and personal well being. So I am beginning my resolution by starting the 13 week long Dave Ramsey course this January, and I will begin reading the classic 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
I have always enjoyed writing little notes to people and very much value a hand written note as a way of telling someone they they are important to me, and that I am thankful for them. I think that this extra little book, entitled The Art of a Handwritten Note will bring new ideas for my notes. I am setting a goal of at least one note a week to someone in my community.
What are some of the ways you are working towards your New Year's resolutions?
New Year's Resolution
Last year, my New Year's Resolution was to find balance. For me, that meant balancing my responsibilities as a mommy with the responsibilities as an employee. I never wanted to put myself in the position of deciding whether in any certain moment, I had to choose between being an all-star mommy or an all-star employee. This is easier said than done because sometimes, your kid gets sick on a day when you really can't afford to be away from work. All in all, I did a good job finding balance. I starting saying no to some "extras" and started saying yes to simplifying my life. None of this would have happened without the support of my husband. He can tell when I'm overwhelmed and swoops in to give me a break. I hope to keep up this balance heading into 2012, with a few added goals.
This year, I want to:
1) remove clutter - if I haven't used in the the past two years, its gotta go
2) run a half marathon - I almost made it this year until I found out I was preggers
3) be more selfless, especially when it comes to my kids - really, updating my Facebook status is NOT more important than the kid wrapped around my ankles begging for my attention
4) continue to live with intention - this might mean a career change, or moving somewhere, or something BIG...we are due for a meaningful change in my house
Do you have a New Year's Resolution?
Theme?
My baby girl is going to turn 1 in about 5 weeks.
I need a theme for her birthday party. I learned from A that parties need a theme. E is a pro at designing invitations that go with the themes.
Here's the thing. E's birthday is right before Valentine's Day. I don't want to do pink and red and hearts and lace and stuff. I don't want to do princesses, see T's post from a few weeks ago. And really, she won't remember the party, right? And it's not like SHE has friends, the friends are just mine and Rob's... and partly it's a celebration of Hubs and I surviving the last year, right?
I want to make pretty invitations. I want to cook fun things like these, and I want to decorate and make favors around a theme. I need something that will be fun and enjoyable for grown-ups and yet be sweet and nice and fun for her. I need something that our guy friends and our gal friends will find equally charming... A, E, T, readers, any ideas?
J
I need a theme for her birthday party. I learned from A that parties need a theme. E is a pro at designing invitations that go with the themes.
Here's the thing. E's birthday is right before Valentine's Day. I don't want to do pink and red and hearts and lace and stuff. I don't want to do princesses, see T's post from a few weeks ago. And really, she won't remember the party, right? And it's not like SHE has friends, the friends are just mine and Rob's... and partly it's a celebration of Hubs and I surviving the last year, right?
I want to make pretty invitations. I want to cook fun things like these, and I want to decorate and make favors around a theme. I need something that will be fun and enjoyable for grown-ups and yet be sweet and nice and fun for her. I need something that our guy friends and our gal friends will find equally charming... A, E, T, readers, any ideas?
J
20 Questions
As you might have guessed from my late post, school started today. This quarter 18 credit hours and my first online class will be the challenge. But at the end of it all in March, I will have Little E's birthday celebration to look forward to.
When I first met A, I was greeted with 43 Questions (her version of 20 Questions). I am looking forward to passing along this ritual to my daughter. Nicole at Reaves, Party of Four, shared her version of the question and answer session. Starting this March, I want to make one for my daughter. Picture books are always something we enjoy looking through together, but this will add another layer of laughs to our memories!
When I first met A, I was greeted with 43 Questions (her version of 20 Questions). I am looking forward to passing along this ritual to my daughter. Nicole at Reaves, Party of Four, shared her version of the question and answer session. Starting this March, I want to make one for my daughter. Picture books are always something we enjoy looking through together, but this will add another layer of laughs to our memories!
image c/o Reaves, Party of Four
Reframing Stewardship: What is your view of the New Year when looking through the lenses of Faith, Hope and Love?
Happy New Year! It is that time of year when people reflect on the previous year and begin to make resolutions for the coming New Year. How often do you make and then keep your resolutions? I have not been very good at it in the past. I can usually get to March and then I lose steam. I wonder if it is because my approach or my attitude could have been different? So, this year I am taking a new perspective, and I have a new attitude. I am approaching the New Year from the perspective of being a Steward. I know, I know...when people, especially people in a church, first hear “Steward” they think Stewardship, and then they think money, and then they get uncomfortable. It is not my goal to make you uncomfortable, but I can’t help it if you are excited about my idea by the time you are done reading this article. So I would like to provide some rationale behind my attitude - mostly because I am going to invite you to be a part this 2012 Stewardship perspective.
Christian Stewardship is given a bad reputation because it all too often means "we [the church] need more money now.” It has even become like a bad word in the “commitee world” of churches. While, money is an important part of stewardship, it goes much further than that. As Stewardship committees pull ideas together for their annual Stewardship drives they often talk about Christian stewardship with the phrase, “time, talents, and treasures.” While time, talents, and treasures are valuable aspects to Stewardship, I think it still goes much further. Therefore, it is the hope and goal of the remainder of my internship in Emerson that I work toward expanding or reframing the understanding of Stewardship to mean so much more for myself and for the people in our community - taking the meaning from Stewardship as “something we do” to “who we are.” Afterall, we ARE Stewards, and we can be excited about this. We are loved and cared for by God, and we are freed to love and care for others. It is a part of the very essence of who we are, and therefore we can’t help but live it daily. It is expressed in faith-filled lives of gratitude, joy, hope, and love.
What does this mean?
Stewardship means “belonging to God" - all that we are and all that we have comes from God - All the gifts, abilities, resources, and opportunities we possess are from the Lord. Whether our work is in the sciences, helping the poor, preaching the Gospel, teaching, farming, or managing a business and/or a household, we are all stewards of the abundant gifts of God. Stewardship entails accepting all aspects of our lives as gift and inviting God into each aspect. God loves us and God cares deeply about how we take care of our bodies, emotions, relationships, environment, work, play, etc. God wants to use everything we have to bring about the Kingdom in our lives and the world around us. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians. 10:31).
When stewardship is understood as the faithful lifestyle of being a disciple of Christ, emcompassing every piece of our life: What does that look like for you? How does it change the way you view your future? How does it change the way you view the world and Christ’s call to a love based mission in the world? What stories of joy does it bring about? What stories of hope does it bring about?
(Photo by Guest Blogger S)
Road Trip!
Husband, Baby, and I have made a road trip to FL from TN for the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. We have spent some days relaxing, but mostly we've been doing a lot of driving between the homes of Husband's parents, extended family members and a few friends, including T!
I've done a lot of road trips in my life. In college, I'd ride between FL and PA over holiday breaks and summer vacations. In grad school, I drove back and forth from Atlanta to both PA and FL to see family and friends, respectively. I don't do the crazy 18-hour trips any more... once I started making a reasonably steady paycheck, I gave myself an 8-hour limit. Still, after all those long ones in college, the 5-hr trek to or from Asheville seems like a breeze.
Road trips with a baby are a new experience, though. Babies don't know to wait till the gas tank gets close to empty before they cry because they are hungry. Babies don't know that there are 9 miles till the next exit, and that it's impossible to play peek-a-boo when they're in a rear-facing car seat. They can't help it when they poop in the confined space of the car--when they gotta go, they gotta go! Our baby is still too young to appreciate one of those car DVD players, as a movie is only entertaining for ten minutes or so, max. We read stories and pulled out a bunch of toys which were generally fun for a few minutes each. I sat in the back for most of the trip (thank you God, for Dramamine!) and entertained and/or soothed as needed. (This is also b/c the new car seat is so big that the passenger seat is practically up in the dashboard.)
So the drive that should have taken 9 hours took 11, which is still worth it to see Nana and Pappy, and to watch them experience her for the first time in six months.
Any advice on road trips with babies?
How 'bout teething babies?
T- good to see you, an hour wasn't enough!
I've done a lot of road trips in my life. In college, I'd ride between FL and PA over holiday breaks and summer vacations. In grad school, I drove back and forth from Atlanta to both PA and FL to see family and friends, respectively. I don't do the crazy 18-hour trips any more... once I started making a reasonably steady paycheck, I gave myself an 8-hour limit. Still, after all those long ones in college, the 5-hr trek to or from Asheville seems like a breeze.
Road trips with a baby are a new experience, though. Babies don't know to wait till the gas tank gets close to empty before they cry because they are hungry. Babies don't know that there are 9 miles till the next exit, and that it's impossible to play peek-a-boo when they're in a rear-facing car seat. They can't help it when they poop in the confined space of the car--when they gotta go, they gotta go! Our baby is still too young to appreciate one of those car DVD players, as a movie is only entertaining for ten minutes or so, max. We read stories and pulled out a bunch of toys which were generally fun for a few minutes each. I sat in the back for most of the trip (thank you God, for Dramamine!) and entertained and/or soothed as needed. (This is also b/c the new car seat is so big that the passenger seat is practically up in the dashboard.)
So the drive that should have taken 9 hours took 11, which is still worth it to see Nana and Pappy, and to watch them experience her for the first time in six months.
Any advice on road trips with babies?
How 'bout teething babies?
T- good to see you, an hour wasn't enough!
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