Family Command Center

So, the Bear has been taking an interest in doing chores and earning money lately.  I don't mind paying good money for the housework to actually get done (since I rarely get a chance with Bitty Bear still nursing 'round the clock at almost 13 months). But it was hard to keep track if I didn't want to go help him fill his piggy banks after every chore.  So...

The Family Command Center was born.  At first, I was just trying to find a chore chart...but then I remembered that I needed to replace the wall calendar...and that Hubby is always losing my keys because he forgets that I commandeered the hat hook he had before we were married...and that Hubby and I had never remembered to put the diaper bag in the same place twice...and that we all constantly forget to take our vitamins...and that the Bear frequently misplaces library books (we've only been late once, but I don't want to become that homeschool mom).

I'm just going to be real with you.  This got way more expensive than I planned.  I told Hubby that I'd seen other bloggers do stuff like this for about $50.  Those other bloggers obviously weren't at the end of their rope, needing to get organized yesterday, and had time to wait for everything to go on deep clearance.  But even though Hubs is usually the frugal one, and I was in tears over the price tags, he said we needed to do it right the first time, since we are planning to use it at least until we have an empty nest.  I love that I have finally gotten through to him that it is cheaper to buy quality the first time than to constantly replace.

Here is the Command Center in all it's glory.  No, we can't open the pantry door/back door all the way anymore.  What of it?

I got the big chalkboard at my local teacher supply store.  The parts that I wanted to have on there permanently (calendar grid, menu grid, family "established" sign, Bible verses) were done with oil based paint pens (black, white, silver, gold).  "Funny" story about the days of the week being black on white.  I had written them all in white, but I decided to decorate around the ones on the calendar with silver, and it ended up looking kinda stupid.  Then I put Monday first on the menu and basically had a meltdown. So I used Po-leesh Remover of Nai-eel to get some of the paint off, then painted over the damaged area white (because acetone does damage chalkboard). Then I re-wrote the days of the week in black. #problemsolving  Each member of the family has his/her own chalk color, so that we know if an event/shopping list item/memo is specific to someone (and so we know who is responsible for feeding us on any given night).

I got the hooks at my fave craft store Hobby Lobby.  They were closed when I came up with the bag idea, so I got the canvas bags, fabric markers, and stencils at Michaels.  "Apothecary" holds our daily vitamins, "Bon Appetit" has things like bibs, and "Al Fresco" contains reusable snack containers and other things we need for eating outside of our home.

I got these babies at Hobby Lobby, also.  I couldn't bear to use the oil based paint on them, in case I ever wanted to do something like this. I made those nice, straight grid lines with masking tape. All of the chores the Bear can earn money for are listed, and we can check them off as he does them each day of the week.  That way, we can wait until Saturday night to pay him.  His check marks are blue...presumably someday Bitty Bear will add pink check marks.  We had extra room on the second board, so Hubby came up with the idea of checking off if we remembered our vitamins.  We have spaces to mark for who gets to take what day as a Sabbath each week, and plenty of room leftover for prayer requests.

We keep our chalk markers in this little tin bucket (yay for no chalk dust in the kitchen, plus wet erase means the kids can't accidentally rub out important info), along with an envelope sponge and a scat and snot wipe for erasers.

I can pretty much guarantee that Hubs won't put his hat here, knocking my keys into his snow boots or behind the shoe bench.  Bonus, enough room for the far-off day when the kids need keys.  Command Picture Clips hold important mail that we need to see again (like this postcard from Sherlock's vet...although I *still* haven't remembered to call). I'm thinking about sticking the wedding invitations we have lying around up there, too.

Hubs has always kept his lunch box in this area.  It is now also the designated diaper bag spot (no more searching an entire floor--or 2--when running late) and I've added the basket I used to use for Bitty Bear's photoshoots as a place to keep library materials (and outgoing Mary Kay products that I need to remember to bring to my clients).  Sherlock seems to approve of the new arrangement.

Keep it Kute!

The swing is the thing!

We have a great playground across the street.  My only complaint is that they took the swings down before the Bear was even old enough to use them.  So, if we won this, we wouldn't have to walk halfway across town to get to a swing set.

http://giveawaytools.com/share.php?giveaway=672011465

Another contest

http://giveawaytools.com/share.php?giveaway=94871272

Contest!

http://momandmore.com/2014/03/supercool-art-review.html

I would really love to win one of these for the Bear.  He would probably get a big kick out of the dinosaurs, and maybe space, but what I really want is the zoo.  It would be great for home-school lessons, and to incorporate with our trip to Fort Wayne zoo this spring!

Dance in Your Undies

And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Mark 7:9

A little context here: The scribes and Pharisees were looking for dirt on Jesus, and they thought they literally found it on His disciples' hands.  See, the disciples hadn't washed their hands exactly the right [ceremonial] way before eating. The Pharisees had added TONS of laws to God's Law, oral tradition passed down (supposedly from Moses), which was given the same weight as the actual Word of God.

Does that sound at all familiar?

"If you were a real Christian, you wouldn't watch that TV show."

"If you were really godly, you would serve in xyz capacity."

"You aren't a wife of noble character because you work outside the home."

"It's a sin to play cards."

"Dancing is of the devil."

Oooh, let's tackle that last one, shall we?

2 Samuel 6:

12Now it was told King David, saying, “The Lord has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, on account of the ark of God.” David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. 13 And so it was, that when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. 14 And David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, and David was [h]wearing a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

16 Then it happened as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart.

17 So they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 18 When David had finished offering the burnt offering and the peace offering, he blessed the people in the name of theLord of hosts. 19 Further, he distributed to all the people, to all the multitude of Israel, both to men and women, a cake of bread and one of dates and one of raisins to each one. Then all the people departed each to his house.

²⁰ But when David returned to bless his household, Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, “How the king of Israel distinguished himself today! He uncovered himself today in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the foolish ones shamelessly uncovers himself!” ²¹ So David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord, over Israel; therefore I will celebrate before the Lord.²² I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them I will be distinguished.” ²³ Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day of her death.

What if all those other "ought tos" and "not good enoughs" had just as little biblical basis?

Now, sometimes we are sinning, and our siblings in Christ need to call us on it.  But often, the "rules" we impose upon each other either have nothing to do with Scripture, or are someone's interpretation/extrapolation of Scripture.  

Maybe they are being hypocrites like the Pharisees.  Or maybe they've just found something that works for them in their relationship with God, and they want to share.

So next time someone tells you what you should or shouldn't be doing as a Christian, don't get mad and defensive...and don't start beating yourself up.  Simply say, "Thank you for your concern."  Then, weigh their "advice" against the Scriptures.  If the Bible says the same thing, then it's time to start living it.  But if the Bible says something different, or is silent...well, just dance to the tune God is playing for you.

Stubborn Sticker Removal!

If you're like me, you loathe those stubborn brand label stickers on plastic totes, etc. I've never found a good way to get them off without leaving a residue--until now! Saturate the sticker with regular baby oil, then peel it off.  Wash off the baby oil with whatever soap and water you would normally use to clean such an item.  Done!

Keep it Klean and Kute!

Fruit Salsa

I got this idea from a couple of recipe websites, and tweaked it to make it my own.  This makes a little more than 4 cups.  I didn't really measure anything, but I eyeballed the measurements.

Ingredients:
1 12oz jar of preserves (I used strawberry)
~1 tbsp white sugar
~1 tsp brown sugar
~1 tbsp cinnamon
~1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch cardamom
dash allspice
1 honeycrisp apple, finely chopped
1/2 lb strawberries, finely chopped
1 banana, finely chopped
3 nectarines, finely chopped
5 kiwi, finely chopped

I really wanted mango as well, but they looked pretty nasty at the store--way over-ripe.

Mix all together.  Serve with cinnamon flavored chips (pita or tortilla?  I made a Pillsbury pie crust flat on a pizza pan, sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled liberally with cinnamon sugar).

You could probably eliminate the sugar from the salsa if you wanted it to be healthier.  Feel free to substitute your favorite fruits or flavors of preserves for those listed.  Let me know if you make a variation that turns out amazing!

Keep it Kute (and tasty)!

Some Things I've Made Lately.

Iron-on t-shirts for my cousin's little boys

The bestest birthday card in the history of ever:

Painted, sponged, and hot-glued letters.

Crocheted sweaters, mittens, legwarmers, and booties for Bitty Bear to ward off air-conditioning chill at the hospital.

Keep it Kute!

Quick and Dirty: Scat and Snot Swipes Tutorial (and Simple Scat Swipe Solution)

I've been promising some folks on Facebook this tutorial for a while.  This is an easy way to make your own cloth wipes at home.  We use these in the wipe warmer for diaper changes, and keep some dry ones on the Bear's nightstand, since he can't be trusted not to rip up a whole box of facial tissue.  They are so soft for little bums and noses, plus they can be any fun color you or your kids like.

I start with soft flannel in fun prints.  I like to buy 1 yd of each print.  Then, I cut each yard into ~8 inch strips.

Next, I cut each strip into ~8 inch squares.

 After that, I pair the squares and match them up corner-to-corner, wrong sides facing.  Some of them I mixed and matched fabric; others I did the same fabric on both sides.

 I sew them together on the machine.  I use a ziggy-zaggy, over-lappy stitch (like my technical terms?).  Here's a picture of the settings I used on my machine, but of course, ever machine is different.  I think if you have a serger, that would work really well.

 Finally, I trim any loose threads and ragged edges.  This time around, I decided to use pinking shears.

And that's all, folks!

The solution I use in my wipe warmer is easy to make, too.  Just a ratio of 1 c tap water, to 2 tbsp baby shampoo and 2 tbsp baby oil.  Shake it in an old bottle or jar and pour over wipes in your warmer.  This solution doesn't work very well for moistening dry wipes on the go, so we keep disposable wipes in the diaper bag, but it really gets the job done at home.

Happy wiping, and Keep it Kute!

Newborn Gown Tutorial and Link to Matching Mommy Hospital Gown

So, I don't enjoy wearing hospital gowns...not that anyone does.  I just wore the standard gown the whole time I was in the hospital with the Bear, but I really didn't feel good about how I looked when the family came to meet him, or in our first pictures together (my hair was also nasty, which is why I got it cut this time around).  Anyway, my SIL (who is due 3 days before me) sent me this link http://www.craftycupboard.net/2011/11/hospital-gown-tutorial.html and we went fabric shopping together, and it was all kinds of fun.  I've already made one gown for after I get a shower; planning to make a second one to wear home, because it will be more comfy than ill-fitting maternity pants.

Then I found out that Bitty Bear was a girl (yay, one of each!), and I thought it would be fun to make her some matching gowns--yes, I am going to be that Mom ( I made a matching necktie t-shirt for the gowns that I just made, so the Bear can match us when he comes to the hospital to meet baby sister...Hubby says the fabric for our coming home gowns is too girly for the Bear, though). I thought one of those newborn wrap shirts with a skirt added would be perfect, but I couldn't find any patterns I liked on the interwebs, so I designed my own.  Here is a tutorial in case you want to make one for your little girl.

Materials:
1 newborn size wrap t-shirt (or larger size if desired)
1 yard of desired fabric print
coordinating ribbon (I'd make sure to have at least half a yard, just in case)
coordinating thread
white thread
iron/board
needles
scissors
pinking shears
rotary cutter (optional, but useful)
straight pins
tailor's chalk
large fabric ruler
sewing machine (optional, but useful)

1. Hem the selvage sides of the fabric (no need to cut off selvage as it won't show) with ~1/4" seam and finish the inside edge. I like to iron my hems before sewing.  Pink the edge you will use for the top of the skirt.
   
2. Cut fabric to desired length--you will use the full yard for the width of the skirt, but you probably won't want all the length.  I tried to make my gown ~24" from shoulder to hem, so I pinned it where I wanted it on the t-shirt, and then added a 2" seam allowance and marked that for cutting.  (That leaves enough fabric for me to try making a short skirt for a onesie when she is older, so she can still match the Bear).  I ironed and sewed a 1" doubled over hem to give the bottom of the skirt some weight.
   
3. Make a gathering stitch along the pinked edge, gathering it to just slightly wider than the part of the t-shirt you want to sew it to.  I choose to have mine reach from one set of snaps to the other without overlap to make fastening the snaps easier.
   
4. Using the white thread, sew the gathered edge at the desired height on the t-shirt.  Don't worry about your stitches being pretty, as they will be hidden; just make the gathers as even as possible and try to keep the skirt in a straight line.  I found it helpful to draw a chalk line on the t-shirt where I wanted the skirt to go, and to pin the skirt at the edges and in the center.  I chose to attach the skirt half-way between the top and bottom snaps.
   
5.  Cover your seam and your pinked edge with coordinating ribbon trim--you'll want to make sure your stitches are even this time. You'll want to sew both the top and bottom edges of the ribbon.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. I sewed a little bow to a beanie to go with it. All done!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   I plan to crochet some scratch mittens, booties, leg warmers, and a cardigan in coordinating shades of purple.  That way, diaper changes are easy, and so is adjusting the outfit depending on her body temp (it will be July, but the Bear had trouble staying warm for the first 48 hours when he was born in August).
   
   

   

   The Bear's matching shirt

   

   Bitty Bear's homecoming gown--Hubby says this fabric is too girly for the Bear.

   
   
   Keep it Kute!
   
   
   
   

Because Girls Aren't the Only Nurturing Ones...

My little boy is a nurturer.  He's *usually* gentle with the younger babies at church (although once in a while we think he is in danger of hugging and kissing them to death).  He likes to take care of Mommy when she is sick.  He's been praying for a baby sister for over a year (about the time he was articulate enough to pray on his own...looks like God will be answering that prayer in the affirmative come July, yay!).  He *gasp* likes to play with baby dolls.

Don't get me wrong, he is a man's man when it comes to building blocks, cars, trains, tools, more cars, running, balls, being loud, more cars, superheroes, and more cars.  But he has a baby doll that he loves.

If you've been reading my sporadic blog over here, you probably know I crochet...and that I like to crochet baby clothes as gifts.  Well, I have some of my old baby dolls in the attic, hoping to pass them on to Bitty Bear when she, you know, is born and grows big enough to play with them.  Sometimes I bring them down to model the clothes I'm crocheting, to make sure I got them right, you know.  Well, about a year ago, the Bear found one of my baby dolls and claimed it for his own.  It is a beautiful, big doll that looks like a real newborn (I used it for my Baby Boot Camp and breastfeeding classes when I was pregnant with the Bear, too).  When the Bear found the doll, we were trying to grant his wish for a baby sister, and we wanted him to know how to act around babies, so we let him keep it.  I found a doll bottle, and we dressed it in some of his old clothes with ducks (because he also loves ducks).  He named it Kit (came up with that on his own; we don't know anyone named Kit, and I've never read him any American Girl books...we might have watched an episode or two of TailSpin...).  Anyway, Kit changed genders a few times, but I think it's finally been established that Kit is a boy, and the Bear is Kit's Daddy, and I am Kit's Gannyma.

For a while, Kit alternated between sleeping in the Bear's old infant car seat and in the Bear's Lightning McQueen bed.  But we're going to need the car seat for Bitty Bear, so Kit needed a new bed.  Mommy searched Walmart and Toy's R Us, and guess what?  All doll beds are pink.

We've never told the Bear he can't like pink because he's a boy, but he came up with that idea on his own (he really likes purple, though, after blue and yellow).  Plus, pink would totally clash with the Bear's red race car bed.  So Mommy and Daddy painted it.

Now it looks like this!

We just used some primary colored acrylics on the pink part (ok, they chip quite a bit, even after applying a spray-on sealer).  Then we glued leftover McQueen and Mater fabric from the Bear's valances to the cardboard mattress. Yay for a boy doll cradle!

I post this, not because I'm proud of what a great job we did, because I'm seriously disappointed with the paint flaking off onto the carpet and Kit's poor little head...and the bed is slightly too small for the doll, so sometimes it falls apart if we're not careful.  I post this because I hope someone in the toy manufacturing biz will see it and think to make at the very least, some gender neutral doll beds.  I mean, even if my boy is the only one who is Daddy to a life-size newborn doll, I know there are little girls out there who pretend to have doll sons as well as doll daughters.  Or maybe not anymore, but there were boy baby dolls when I was growing up.  And some girls just don't like pink as much as others.

There's going to be some pink in Bitty Bear's room.  We painted her closet pink tonight.  But I've never, not even as a kid, liked the mindset that everything for girls had to be pink.  And as the mom of a very well-rounded little boy, I don't like the mindset that every toy that is about nurturing or parenting has to be marketed to girls and be pink. Please tell me I'm not alone?  Someone, please make some toys for future big brothers and future daddies, too!

Flu Season

First of all, let me apologize for neglecting y'all.  Life is hectic when you're raising a toddler...even more so when you are raising a toddler and are building a whole new human being inside your belly...yes, if you didn't know, I'm pregnant again!  Someday we'll talk more about that, I hope.

I'm lazy. I got motivated to make this blog entry because doing so enters me in a contest for $1,000.  Let's just be honest about that from the start.  I probably won't win, but I'll be glad that the contest motivated me, because this topic is important.

It's flu season.  Especially being pregnant this year, people keep asking me if I've had my flu shot.  Well, no I haven't, because I'm not sure what I'm allergic to in flu shots, but I've had very strong negative physical reactions to every flu shot I've ever had in my life.  And because I don't know what in my biology causes those reactions, I don't know whether I've passed that trait on to the Bear.  So he doesn't get flu shots either.   I know, I'm a terrible mom, and a terrible human being who is destroying herd immunity.  But seriously, with no flu shots for us, we have to take other measures to prevent from getting the flu.

This winter we are concentrating on hand-washing.  It's a big deal right now anyway, with the Bear potty-training.

Also, I am a fan of disinfectant.  The contest for $1,000 is sponsored in part by Clorox, but even if it weren't, I'd pick Clorox as my go-to product when I need something with bleach.  Clorox makes good bleach, and I will stand by that statement even if I never win prize money or get any other reimbursement from them.  Hopefully, plugging another brand won't disqualify me from the Clorox contest (and I am in no way reimbursed for this statement), but when I need not-bleach, I like Babyganics.  They smell good, and it probably wouldn't even hurt the Bear if he drank a bottle of it. Oh, I like Clorox disinfecting wipes, too. So those are my disinfecting go-tos: Clorox and Babyganics.

The Bear is still struggling with the elbow cough and the tissue cough (although he is getting good at the less-effective hand cough).  If I'm wearing the right kind of shirt, another trick I like is lifting the collar of my shirt over my face when I cough or sneeze.  Of course, it doesn't work if your shirt is too short, too tight, or too low-cut (nursing shirts, anyone, on the low-cut?).  But it's another option.

We're doing a pretty poor job of exercising and eating right since I got pregnant.  Morning sickness will do that (although I praise God I don't have hyperemesis gravidarum like I did with the Bear!).

So, that's what our family is doing.  For a slightly different perspective, you can check out http://www.howdoesshe.com/to-clean-or-not-to-clean/comment-page-1/#comment-150659 (and I guess you could enter the sweepstakes, too).

How does your family keep healthy during flu season, or the rest of the year for that matter?

The Most Important Election of Our Lives

Every 4 years, at least since I've reached the age of majority, we're told that "this is the most important election of our lives". The first 2 times, I believed it.

I was very proud that my first time voting in a presidential election was "the most important election". I always wanted to be a part of history; to tell my grandchildren "I was there when..."

My second time around, I got caught up in the hype the extremist wack-a-doodles were spouting and let myself think for a few *insert time frame here*s that my vote could help determine America's role in "the END TIMES, dun dun dun"...then I read some more of my Bible.

What if, this time, I choose not to believe the hype? What if I choose remember that God is in control no matter who wins the election? What if I choose to believe that every presidential election is an equally important opportunity to obey God and serve my country by voting my conscience? What if I choose to acknowledge that this world is broken beyond repair, and that the best thing I can do for my countrymen is work to prepare myself and them for the next world?

Because in the end, it doesn't matter who sits in the White House. In the end, it doesn't matter if my ballot is marked for Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney, or a 3rd party candidate, or a write-in, or even *gasp* not at all. What matters is that my heart is marked "Jesus Christ" for President of my life!

Ka-Chow!

Keep it Kute!

My Heart for Lent

I am not Catholic, but I celebrate Lent.  Nobody else in my family (with the possible exception of the Catholic relatives) makes a big deal out of Lent.  In fact, my husband is dead set against it, for the same reason he hates New Year's resolutions.  Cody believes if you need to change something in your life, you just do it right away.  However, the season leading up to Resurrection Sunday has become very meaningful to me since I started college almost a decade ago.  Some years I give something up; other years I add a discipline to my life.

 I am careful to choose something that will help me to walk more closely with Christ, but not something that needs to be a permanent change.  So I will never give up something I know to be sinful for Lent--that is something I will work to eliminate from my life no matter the time of year.  I also will not give up something that I cannot realistically do without--for instance, chocolate--for a whole month or more.  I don't want to set myself up for failure.  Finally, I won't add something I should be doing all the time (such as prayer or Bible study) because I don't want the end of the season to be an excuse to stop doing that discipline.

My freshman year of college was the first time I celebrated Lent. I am thankful to my prayer partner at the time (Rachel) who helped me to see that a Protestant could indeed observe the season. It was also the most difficult logistically.  I had to amend my promise to God because I could not completely avoid the thing I gave up.  I chose to give up secular music (including songs that were not explicitly Christian even if sung by Christian artists, e.g. no Steven Curtis Chapman love songs).  Obviously, it was impossible to cut all secular music from my life, as I realized as I waited in the student lounge to meet some friends later that evening.  BET music videos definitely don't count as Christian music!  So I told God, "Well, you know I meant well.  I promise not to listen to secular songs on my own."  Now I don't think there is anything sinful about listening to secular music.  I quite enjoy it.  I don't want to give it up permanently.  But that year as I prepared my heart for Resurrection Sunday, my personal playlist was focusing my mind on the risen Lord.  It was very powerful!

The following year, I gave up watching TV by myself.  This was another one that had to have a caveat, and only partially due to the inevitablity of walking into a room where someone was watching TV.  That Lenten season was less powerful; less of a sacrifice, as I did not have to give up my favorite shows.  I watched all my faves with my mom; and I would not give that up because it was important to her that we spend that time together.  However, it was still a good discipline for me, because I was wasting less time watching random shows alone.  I spent the extra time reading, planying board games with my parents, praying, listening to music, and studying.  I think maybe I even cleaned my room (I know I cleaned it at least once that year).

I honestly don't remember what I gave up the next year.  I think maybe I forgot to celebrate Lent.  Whoops!  Thankfully, we are "saved by grace through faith, not by works lest any man should boast."

 2006 was another powerful Lenten season.  I love to write, but I do not discipline myself to spend the time writing...really, anything.  Also, I had a brand new boyfriend who tried to convince me that it was legalistic and hypocritical to celebrate Lent.  I think he's mellowed out some over the years ;-).  So I decided to ADD a discipline.  For each week of Lent, I was going to write a letter to someone in my life whom I wanted to encourage.  The first letter was to my Czech penpal/spiritual daughter, Susie.  I wrote a letter to a former crush, thanking him for his friendship and for realizing that we were not meant to be together (and telling him all about the new man in my life, because he was the type to actually be happy for me and give me godly advice).  I wrote a letter to said boyfriend...it was rather sappy, and as we'd only been together for a few weeks, I think it terrified him.  I wrote a letter to my best friend, who was away at college.  I wrote a letter to a little girl at church whom I was mentoring.  I wrote a letter to a young woman in my campus ministry who was going through a difficult time.  It was neat to reach out to others from the heart and gifts the Holy Spirit gave to me.

The next year I gave up reading novels--something I spend a lot of time doing-- and read only textbooks, theology books, biographies, and the Bible.  This was a stretching time for me; I learned a lot of new things about God and about the world around me because I didn't waste time with fiction.

The first Lent that I was married, I gave up caffienated beverages.  I do not say caffiene, because I still ate chocolate in its solid form.  But I did not drink hot chocolate, soda, or tea unless it was caffiene free.  That was probably the most painful Lent ever; for more reasons than one.  To begin with, I was something of a caffiene addict.  I could not get through the day without a caffeinated soda or a cuppa for breakfast.  I had to learn to depend on God, sleep at a decent time, and cope with headaches.  But I am sooo thankful the Lord led me to give up caffiene, for if I hadn't, I would to this day be wondering if caffeine was the cause of the greater pain I faced that Lenten season.  On Maundy Thursday of 2008, I lost my first child to miscarriage.  As it was, I blamed myself for his (her?) death.  As it was, I dropped out of school.  As it was, I became suicidal.  If I had been addicted to caffeine at the time, I would still believe that I had murdered my baby.  However, Beans' brief life and death made that Lent the most meaningful of my entire life.  For the day after my miscarriage, my husband and I attended the Good Friday service at our church. I understood, perhaps for the first time "how great the pain of searing loss" our Father faced as He watched the death of His Only Begotten Son.

I can't remember for sure, but I think 2009 was the year I gave up Facebook.  My timeline seems to support that theory.

I think I was too sick in 2010 to remember to do anything for Lent.  I was just puking my guts out and praying to still be preggo by Good Friday, considering that I'd lost a baby during each Lent I had been married.

Last year, I added something.  I know I did.  I just can't remember what.  Did I write letters again?  I think maybe...or I did something around the house that is normally Cody's responsibility.  Or both.  I'm not sure.  I had mommy brain.  But I know I did something...I think.

This year I am giving up fanfiction.  Because I love fanfiction, but I spend entirely too much time reading it when I should be reading my Bible, doing chores, or hanging out with my hubby.  And because I spend entirely too much time writing it when I should be writing original novels that I could actually, I don't know, maybe publish?

Do you celebrate Lent?  Why or why not?  If you do, how do you do so?

Keep it Kute!

Stuff and Things (Kim hasn't been on here enough)

Well, I wanted to show you some of the projects I've been working on lately.

Got sidetracked from my crocheting by remodeling Barbie's kitchen.

Would you believe those all used to be Pepto-Bismol pink?  I have some more Barbie furniture that I painted that I have yet to photograph.

As the wife of the Commish, I feel obligated to make some cool dessert for the church Superbowl party each year.  This year's contribution:

And, I threw my mom a surprise b-day party--her first in 10 years.

It was a "Stampin' Up" party.

Keep it Kute!