Change is Good

I decided to change things up here on the old blog.  Make it look a little simpler.  Change the banner a little more often for the seasons, holidays.  Hope you like it.

Fall is in the Air

Today the temp when I got up was 45 degrees.  Yay for fall!

Things have been a tad bit crazy - so blogging hasn't been my top priority!  Today I am the queen of laundry since my daughter leaves for 5th grade camp in the morning and some of her favorite clothes were shoved under the bed  are dirty. 

I do plan on baking this delicious apple cake for my Tuesday morning Bible study.  I love finding new apple recipes this time of year - especially since we picked 25 pounds of apples a week ago and the kids are "appled out".

I still haven't decorated for fall, but that will happen this week, inside and out!

Hope you have a delightful fall day!

A Reminder

We all need this reminder once in a while!  Hope you enjoy!

Encourage One Another

Encouraging others has been on my mind lately.  Our world seems to put so much emphasis on independence, but there are time we just NEED one another!

There are many ways we can encourage one another:  a phone call, a note dropped in the mail, a visit, even an email message or an online card can do the trick.  How about that mom in the store with the screaming kid - instead of giving her "a look", why not a word of encouragement or a smile?  (Hmmm - I have been that mom more than once - I would have loved a word of encouragement)

I have decided that this week I will try to find someone to encourage each day - even if it is someone in my own house!  I like that "warm fuzzy" feeling I get when someone encourages me - I am sure others feel the same way.  I challenge you to do the same - and if you want, share some of the ways you encouraged others!

Links to online cards:
Dayspring
123Greetings
American Greetings
Hallmark

Thursday - How I Love You

Thursdays, from September to May, are my favorite day of the week.  It is the day that I can be totally selfish with my time.  Well from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm anyway!  I can make lunch plans somewhere other than McDonald's and I do not have to worry about dirty diapers or naps.  I have freedom to make plans for whatever I want, even if it is laundry and cleaning.

Don't get me wrong, I love my kids but sometimes a mom needs that time alone to refresh and recharge herself.

That is what my Thursdays do for me.

Today started the Moms Day Out program that our two little boys go to.  This is a wonderful ministry that a church close to us has.  We have been participating on Thursdays since Fall 2006 and love it.  Sure, getting everyone out of the house by 8:40 am is crazy.  You bet my house looks like a tornado went through it by the time we are leaving.  But it is so worth it!

Here is a peek into my time today:

9:00 am - drop the two little boys off at MDO, shed a tear in the car - it is Carson's first day.

First stop - my favorite thrift shop - browsing without little hands touching everything!
Next, pick up my mom for a little "girl" time.
Errands - Dierberg's, GNC, Lunch at Bandana's, Once Upon A Child, Trader Joe's
Drop mom off and head back to the thrift shop to pick up my bag, hoping their debit system is working now!

2:45 pm - pick up the two little boys and head home!

Whew - busy - but fun and refreshing!  It has been a long summer!

Thursday - How I Love You!

Recovering from the Weekend

Whew - everyone is back to school and work today and we can relax a bit and I can finish recovering from the cold I came down with on Friday!

We had a wonderful three day weekend that began when the hubby ordered pizza for dinner Friday night (yay to not having to cook)!  Saturday was beautiful so we thought we would visit the St. Louis Zoo.  Well, it seemed that pretty much everyone else had the same idea, so we changed plans and went to the St. Louis Science Center instead!  What a great time we had - the crowd was light and the kids had a blast interacting with the exhibits.  But the coolest thing was the Navy Week expo outside in the planetarium's parking lot.  There were 5-6 booths set up with everything Navy, including a dive tank and a flight simulator that Rick and the kids got to ride.  Way cool!

Saturday afternoon the kids and Rick went outside so I could get some rest.  The girls had an impromptu play date that evening with a family from school, and the house was so peaceful.  Actually, the house could have fallen in and I wouldn't have known.  I was feeling so awful by that time that I didn't even know that Rick had gotten all the kids to bed!

Sunday evening we had a friend over for dinner and we had the most awesome pork steaks, grilled to perfection by the hubby!  Topped off by a berry cobbler and ice cream.  Delish!

Monday started with a movie Despicable Me, which we loved, a quick trip around the mall and ended with my parents over for barbecue and homemade ice cream.

It was a wonderful weekend - what did you do?

The Big Purge

We are gearing up for our annual yard sale on September 11th.  This year two of our neighbors will be having sales on the same day.  I am hoping for a gorgeous day and lots of buyers.

So, the Big Purge at our house has begun.  We simply have too much stuff - too many things that no one uses, no one watches, no one wears or no one plays with.  No closet, drawer or cabinet is safe!  I am looking forward to this even though it is more work for me than anyone else.  I mean come on, my kids are blissfully unaware that they have too many things.  They are completely happy to pile things on top of their dressers or desks because they won't fit in the drawers or closets.

How do you control the "stuff"?  Do you have a yearly purge like us or do you do it more often?  What do you do with the things you no longer need - do you sell them either at a garage sale or through Craigslist, or do you donate to a charity?

The Similac Go Scoopless Sweepstakes

What mama (who uses formula) wouldn't like to win some for free?!  Enter below for a chance to win Similac Concentrated Formula.*  Good luck!

Similace Go Scoopless Sweepstakes

*I get nothing by posting this here - no extra entries, etc.  Just wanted to share with others who like to save money or get things for free!