only dust in the wind

who needs instincts? i got google.

2011-11-17T11:23:00.001-08:00

My last post, Walking Away From the Learn'd, talked about the overwhelming abundance of information on the internet, all of it clamoring for our attention. I'm going to keep running with this theme here. You ready?

I love Google. Sometime I wonder what I did before it. Did I know anything back then?! (Relax. It's a joke.)

You know that saying, "It take a village to raise a child"? Well, Google is the new village. Seriously. "Piper has a goose egg on her head. Quick. Google it." ("Wait, does 'goose egg' need a hyphen? Google it.") "Clay is stuttering. Is that normal? Let's Google it." And I'm not even joking about this one: Kadie was begging for me to let her start wiping her butt all by herself and I told her, "I'm not sure if you're big enough, Buddy. Let me Google it first."

My husband and I have a running joke with the words, "Google it". It's pretty sad. And hilarious.

So, I was thinking about my last post and thought I'd do a little research. Okay, it's not really research. It's more like goofing around to avoid the things I should be doing. I wanted to see what kinds of rediculous things I could find through Google, and here's what I got:

I Googled, "how to breathe" and was bombarded by tons of articles because, apparently, I'm not doing a good enough job at it. Here's one of the results, and, I kid you not, the first sentence is "Believe it or not, most people don't know how to breath." It also goes on to say that with practice it can become second nature. Whew! Because I was starting to get worried.
Next, I typed in "how to chew food". Thank God, I found someone ready to give me step -by-step directions (helpfully numbered 1-6, in fact) along with tips and warning in the article How to Properly Chew Your Food.
Now I was starting to get creative. I typed in, "how to wipe after peeing" (please forgive me, you squeamish types). Oh yeah. People are talking about it here on the internet. Apparently it's a big debate. I'm barely sleeping at night while waiting for them to figure it out so I can be sure to do it the right way.
"When should I drink water?" Trusted.MD was there to tell me with their article When to Drink Water.
"How to peel a banana". Look! Nine different methods in the article How to Peel a Banana!
Then I typed "Should I" into my Google bar and noticed that popular searches dropped down to help me. I clicked on the search "should I text him?" and found an entire website and eBook titled Should I Text Him? which you can buy for an affordable $49.97! Her claim? "The way you text him will make or break your relationship!"
Then I tried, "who am I?" and Oprah was there to help me out with a quiz. I learned that I am an adventurer who is striving to be spontaneous. Then she gave me a list of jobs, none of which sounded fun enough, but, hey, if Oprah said it then I better get with it and pick one, right?

Apparently, we've gotten a little carried away with this whole internet thing. Julian Smith and his friend Johnny know exactly what I'm talking about here...

What crazy things can you find with Google? Have you seen Julian's Malk video? It's my favorite :)

walking away from the learn'd

2011-11-14T13:58:00.001-08:00

With the internet at my finger tips, I have access to monstrous amounts of information. Half of it is probably wrong (and maybe not the half we were expecting), but it's all there, begging me to read it and believe it. And I get a little sick of it.

Don't we all? Don't get me wrong. I LOVE having this incredible resource and am so thankful for it because it has helped to bring me and my family to some pretty amazing places, but it gets to be too much some times, and I have to look away.

I was on Facebook and saw that Dr. Mercola (who I love and have gleaned a lot from) was talking about exercise and the best way to exercise proven by these studies and something about intervals and blah, blah, blah. And my thought was, Really? I'm sure that there are better ways to exercise than others, and I'm sure his article is going to be a gold mine to some people and changes their lives for the better... but not me. Not today.

Today I'm not worried about the perfect way to exercise. I just want to do it, and I also want to have fun doing it which I don't think is too much to ask. Which is why I hoop. I don't want to make a science out of it right now. I don't want to hear all of the facts.

I love that people want to learn and explore and study so that we can better understand our world and how things work, but leaving some things as mysteries is good too.

Which brings me to one of my most favorite poems:

When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
by Walt Whitman

WHEN I heard the learn’d astronomer;
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me;
When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them;
When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick;	5
Till rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

What are you learning and what are you happy to leave as a mystery right now?
See mine in the comments!

inspire ME monday

2011-10-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

Inspire Me Monday has traditionally been a place where I spew out the things that have been inspiring me in different, mostly creative, ways in hopes that some inspiration may spark with you as well. But today... today it's all about me. Because NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow. And I need some serious inspiration.

Here that? It's that sound of my labored breathing as I try to hold back an anxiety attack. Okay, I'm being dramatic here, but really, I'm freaking out a bit.

It's like labor. When I was pregnant with my first child, Kadie, I was a little nervous but mostly excited for the end result: My sweet little baby being in my arms. Likewise, when I started NaNoWriMo last year, I was mostly just excited about writing a novel and having the whole thing look back at me. But this time around, I know what it's like. I've been there. I labored and birthed a novel last year and it was freakin' hard! A whole novel! In thirty days! While maintaining a family of five and a life!

Painful. Worth it, but painful none-the-less.

This time around, I'm freaking out a bit. And so is Clayton! Every time I mention it he cringes! It's a supportive cringe... maybe. I mean... is that possible?

Still, I'm going to write it, and I have a plan. I have been hashing out the whole story and, to make matters worse, I really like it. It carries an important message that I want to pass on and that adds pressure. That and... well... here is the book summed up into a sentence:

A modern day novel about a troubled marriage written for a mainstream/secular audience with God as the narrator.

Yeah... it should be interesting. And I'm a little bit nervous about putting words in God's mouth that He wouldn't even let touch His lips.

One sentence at a time. I can do this.

What are you doing this November? Ever wanted to write a book?

yes, even pink cupcakes feed cancer

2011-10-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

Truth be told, there are a lot of thing I have a hard time understanding. This is one of them: My local grocery store is partnering with National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. in "Supporting A Cure" by selling pink brownies, cookies, cakes, and cupcakes adorned with pink frosting and an eatable, pink, breast cancer ribbon.

Really? Like... really?

I'm all for finding a cure for breast cancer, but this has got to be the worst way to do it.

Sugar FEEDS cancer. Add in white flour and artificial food coloring, and you're heading down a slippery slope. Pink cupcakes do not support a cure for cancer; they support cancer.

(This also brings me to another source of frustration for me: Sending chocolates and other junk foods to someone who just discovered they have cancer. It says something along the lines of, "here's hoping you die sooner rather than later!" I have a better idea. Send an organic fruit basket instead.)

Hypocrates, the father of modern medicine said this...

"Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

Food MATTERS. Pink cupcakes are NOT the answer.

I've gotta ask it: Is the National Brest Cancer Foundation really interested in finding a cure for cancer or maintaining cancer and so maintaining their funding?

At any rate, WE can make a difference, and it starts with education.

Which brings me to some exciting news: This week only, you can watch the highly acclaimed documentary Food Matters for FREE! Just follow this link, enter your name and email address, and they will send you the link taking you to the site where you can watch documentary. But hurry! It ends at midnight October 8th!

Are you going to watch it? Have you seen it? Have you eaten any pink cupcakes lately? ;-)

confessions of a selfish blogger

2011-09-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me a hard time about my last post. She was totally confused. See, she gets my posts delivered to her email account which is nice if you just follow that straight to the site and read the post here on the site, but Blogger is blocked at her work and so she reads what I wrote from the email that was delivered.

That would be fine too, except that my last post went something like, "Hey, I'm blogging again! Goodbye." Reading it on her email, she thought she was missing something. She thought that maybe there was more on the actual website that she couldn't see from the email and, since her and my dad are my two most faithful readers, she called me up to figure out what exactly my post had been about. When I told her it was just an "I'm back!" announcment she responded, "So, you just jumped on to tell us your back to blogging, but then didn't actually blog about anything?"

"Um... yeah. Yeah, I guess that's about it."

Uh-oh. I see I have a little problem on my hands here. My readers actually want something WORTH READING. Darn.

It got me thinking. While I love writing things that people enjoy and love to read, it's not my primary goal in blogging.

I have two goals that bring me back to this platform:

1) To get me writing. Plain and simple. Writers need to write, and I have found that this blog keeps me going even if it is just "dust in the wind" and completely boring and unedited.

2) To help me express myself. I am not naturally good at this. It takes me YEARS to get people seeing me accurately, and I can also be pretty sloppy when it comes to getting out what I think or how I feel about things in conversation. I process ideas slowly and I need to mull things over quite a bit before I feel ready to form any kind of opinion. This blog give me a place to process at my speed, write things out (because that helps me immensely), and share it with an actual audience instead of keeping it to myself. And because I have taken the time to write things out here on the blog I find myself more confident and clear when talking with people later. I'm a work in progress, but I'm getting there :)

So, unfortunately, I don't write for my readers so much, although I love having people here reading. I write for myself. There. I said it. Take it or leave it!

let the blogging begin

2011-09-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

I took a long, much needed break from the blog and now feel ready to come back again. Maybe it's the change in the weather. Summer just doesn't make for good blogging. Anyway, I don't know how much I'll be able to post, but I'm not concerned about it. Whatever. Whenever :)

I gotta ask: Is anyone reading this?

Happy Fall!
It's good to be back.

taking a break

2011-03-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from the blog for a while.

Feel free to email me at clayanddust at gmail dot com

Happy Spring!

photographic evidence that kids these days are real butt heads

2011-03-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

Well, there you have it. Proof :)

Today I'll be keeping us busy by taking a trip to the library and then the store for some St. Patty's Day fun. The wait before moving to our new place has been like torture to me, so it's best I keep us up and out. Time is moving forward, and there is no need for me to hurry it, although it's in my nature to try!

"Slow down. Relax. Enjoy the moment. Don't let it get away from you."

Really, why would I want to rush through these moments, like the ones captured in the pictures above? I have to remind myself of this constantly. Constantly!

The weather has been warming up (Thank you, Jesus!), and the kids and I have been spending so much more time outside. We went out three times yesterday, and Kadie and Clay enjoyed splashing with their new rain boots each and every time. Piper has also loved walking around out there in the "open world" and cried each time we came back in, even though her little hands were getting cold.

I just love my kids.

By the way, when I say it's warming up I mean we got into the 50's the past two days. What's the weather like where you are?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

inspire me monday

2011-03-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Chai tea in my favorite mug :)

Ahh, Monday. You're back.

We actually enjoy Monday's around here. We fill our weekends with activities and special things to do with Dad, running all over and having a great time, but when Monday morning rolls around the kids and I take a deep breath and relax. I recover the house and get things back in order, the kids play, we make tea and popcorn, and we don't get into the car a single time. It's our home-body day :)

As far as my 6 Week Six-Pack goes, I missed one day last week and have 4 checks up on my chart instead of 5 which I am totally okay with. Seriously, 4 days is good too. And today I get to (get to?) start level 2! Half way there, Baby!

I want to get this book on running once it becomes available.

And I'm also getting ideas for our new place- Wait a minute. I think I failed to mention that we are moving again. Okay, here's the news: We are moving! Just a little further south, closer to Clayton's work. I'm very excited because A) We are upgrading to 3 bedrooms + a basement B) I LOVE the location and think we are going to have an absolute blast this summer and C) We can get a dog!!! Be still my heart. Seriously, you have no idea how excited that makes me!

Dog people should have dogs. It's just that simple :)

So, what I was going to say was that I've been getting ideas for our new place from Design*Sponge. I love this, and this, and this. And the before-and-after's and the DIY's are AWESOME.

The place we are moving into feels much more like "Home" and not so much "We're renting here until..." so I'm really wanting to make it a great place for us. Step it up a little bit. I'm also really wanting to have a place for everything and keep everything in it's place! Easier said than done, but if I can simplify and organize then we'll have a better shot at it, right? I'm not talking about messes. The kids toys will always be here and there, and dirty dishes will daily fill my sink, but a house can still be organized under all of that and that is what I'm after.

Thoughts?

Enjoy and Happy Monday, Friends.

inspire me monday

2011-03-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I'd have taken a picture of my 6 weeks to a 6 pack chart and put it up here so you could see all the red check marks I've been putting up on that bad boy, but my camera is not working at the moment (I'm praying it's an easy fix), so you're just going to have to picture it in your head. Week two is complete!

And I had to share the little prayer Kadie prayed at lunch time the other day...

"Jesus, thank you for this food, and thank you that we get to live on this earth with you, and help us not to be afraid. Amen!"

I just love that.

Happy Monday, friends. May you be grateful and not afraid :)

you look like you could use a laugh...

2011-03-01T07:17:00.000-08:00

Here is the deal - Research shows that children up to preschool age laugh around 300 times a day. Adults? 15.

We can do better than that. We need to do better than that.

So lighten up, get your laughs in today, and let this video kick you off. The descrition with the video was this: "8-month-old boy laughing hysterically while at-home daddy rips up a job rejection letter. It was so fun that they moved on to credit card solicitations!"

Now, that's the spirit :) Don't miss this one...

inspire me monday

2011-02-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

Last week I started a 6 weeks to a 6-pack program, and I've decided to post how I did the previous week to keep me accountable and maybe even to inspire a few others. Swimsuit seasons is coming, and I want a 6-pack, dang it!

So, in typical Dustin fashion, I made myself a little something fun to inspire me and help me keep with it...

*Images taken from the always amazing Athleta catalog.

Week one: Check!

And guess what... It's working. I can't recommend this DVD enough. Plus Jillian makes it fun, which is a big plus :) I've added the DVD to my Amazon widget on the right side of my blog here, so if you are interested in buying the DVD check there or follow this link.

Now on to week 2 for me...

Happy sweating :)

happy birthday, kadie!

2011-02-22T05:41:00.000-08:00

She turned four today. FOUR! So quickly it happens... and I am reminded that she will never be three again, and I wish I had savored it a little more, and I wonder what four will bring. What will she look like in another year? What will she be drawing then, and what will she be talking about? And will I be wishing I had savored her year of being four a little more?

Live in the moment. Savor today.

Happy Birthday, Miss Kadie. I love you :)

inspire me monday

2011-02-14T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a run-down on my inspiration this week:

This book inspired me (Okay, 'inspired' may be an understatement) as did this article on how to be a patient mom.

Inspiring quote:

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
— John Lennon

And Bible verse:

1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Ooo, and the Athleta catalog which you should request a copy of and the Bluestone Perennials catalog which is AWESOME to pour over.

And I have not forgotten... HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

the truth about keeping a home...

2011-02-09T12:39:00.000-08:00

The friendly little sign on my fridge.

This sign reminds me that it is ME and MY HIGH STANDARDS that can drive me crazy when it comes to keeping my house in order. When I'm feeling ready to freak about the condition of my home I have the opportunity to adjust my standards and be happy.

A clean home is great. A happy home is even better.

Do you have any little sayings like this one?

a book is like a garden carried in the pocket

2011-01-31T05:51:00.000-08:00

~ Chinese Proverb

A good book is precious. It enriches your life. It adds depth and breathe that wasn't there before, leaving you better and more whole.

Who doesn't love a good book?

Right now I'm reading One Thousand Gifts, and it is just incredible. I cannot praise this book enough. As one of it's reviewers said, "If you want a book that will challenge you and mess with you in the most beautiful of ways, this is it." (Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 Ministries)

And my kids! The books they are reading are priceless! Jennifer's Rabbit, The Magic Hat, How Groundhog's Garden Grew... I get excited just thinking about them!

What a treasure we have in good books.

And in an effort to share my favorite books with you, I have added two Amazon.com widgets to my right side bar! One features all my best-read, and the second features my kid's. Every book listed is an absolute treasure. Check them out, and when you hover your mouse over one you can even read my personal comments. How fun is that?

Click on one, follow it to Amazon, and buy it there at the regular price only some of the profit get redirected back to me. Pretty nice, huh? And I'll be sure to add more and more books as time goes on.

Happy reading!

I find television to be very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go in the other room and read a book. ~Groucho Marx

The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. ~Mark Twain, attributed

The stories of childhood leave an indelible impression, and their author always has a niche in the temple of memory from which the image is never cast out to be thrown on the rubbish heap of things that are outgrown and outlived. ~Howard Pyle

No man can be called friendless who has God and the companionship of good books. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A house without books is like a room without windows. ~Heinrich Mann

soul food: six great quotes on kids

2011-01-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

"There's nothing that can help you understand your beliefs more than trying to explain them to an inquisitive child." ~Frank A. Clark

"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." ~Robert Fulghum

"When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice, safe playpen. When they're finished, I climb out." ~Erma Bombeck

"Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn't have anything to do with it." ~Haim Ginott

"Children are our most valuable natural resource." -Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President

And my favorite...

"You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back." ~William D. Tammeus

Which is your favorite? Have any others to share?

welcome to our place

2011-01-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

I just finished up some little things to make our home more "homey" and thought I'd give you a tour. I want my decorating to suit me and my family, be comfortable, easy to manage, easy to change when the mood strikes, and CHEAP since Clayton is the only one bringing in any income while also finishing school. This post will lead you around and show you how I did that.

Would you like to come in?

Here is our entry way. The wall is barren over there since decorating on a budget takes time. Not really on the top of my 'to-do' list. Also, the walls are white because we are renting, another challenge for someone who likes color....

And in case you were wondering, Yes. We hula hoop indoors during the winter. I only broke 2 Christmas ornaments this way ;-) The blue box is a diaper box that I painted blue with some left over wall paint from our last place. It holds our gloves, hats, etc. The chair is standing in for a table or dresser until one happens upon me for a price I'm happy with (read: free - less than $10). On it sits my amazing silk purse form Thailand and a framed print of a pineapple that Clayton made in an art class.

Here is the bigger couch in our living room (a hand-me-down from the in-laws) and a shawl I picked up for a few bucks in India hanging over it...

I just love our nice big window. Then there is the smaller couch across from it...

The rug was $7 on sale at WalMart. The end table was free. Across from the big window sits my desk...

Clayton made it for me :) That pretty black and white box holds the babies toys and diapers. I made it out of an old diaper box and some fabric I got for $2 at a fabric outlet store. The board over the desk is a cork board covered in more cheap fabric. And it's the only thing in my house not hung by tacks. Seriously. On the wall between the garage door and the desk is hemp strung from one clear tack to another with clothes pins holding art and other random things that I like. I change them out often.

A closer look at my desk...

And my wall at the moment...

And on the other side of the desk I have...

a map that I got Clayton for Christmas. It was $12 from National Geographic. And the chair, as you can imagine, we got for free :)

Next to the living room is our dining area...

The table and chairs came from my in-laws again. And on the table...

A $10 tray form WalMart, a potted Christmas cactus and salt and pepper shakers from my mother-in-law, and a beautiful Ball pitcher (I should have turned it to you could see the spout and handle) with a blown glass plant-watering-thingy from my mom, and a card from India put in an old picture frame.

And then there is my kitchen...

I have so much room in there that I don't know what to do with myself! Just look at all those cabinets! And I was so happy to get a metal trash can because I love them. So much more personality than a white plastic one. That's right. My trash can has personality :)

Now for one of my favorite things...

Over my sink! It was bare for 3 months before I decided I'd had enough. I resolved to put something up THAT DAY. I thought, 'I wish I could swing by WalMart and pick up some of those cork squares they have for $5' but we hadn't put it in the budget, and I was determined to not spend more than we had allotted, even if it was only $5. That's when it hit me. I fell back on my old tricks: A diaper box, leftover fabric, and tacks.

Two layer of cardboard glued together with a glue gun, fabric pulled across and glued down in the back, and the market issue of Saveur Magazine pieced up with... tacks! Which also hold the boards up...

Aww, the mighty tack!

Don't you just love the above photograph? Then we have...

the pantry door next to the fridge and the laundry closet doors next to that.

So, my budget-decorating in a nutshell: Time (We sat on the floor at a coffee table for a month before getting our kitchen table and, in our last place, sat on the floor in the living room for at least a month before getting couches), free stuff, homemade things, art (especially kids art!), creativity, HOUSE PLANTS (especially ones you can take cuttings off of and multiply), diaper boxes, cheap fabric, and clear tacks! Also, find things that you use that can double as art like the pallet on my desk, books, a pitcher, paint brushes, etc.

In the next couple of weeks I will take you down the hall and show you our bedrooms :)

So, what are your tips? Have any related websites to share that you just love?

absoulutly amazing

2011-01-20T06:34:00.000-08:00

Life is absolutely amazing, if only we let it be...

setting records straight

2011-01-19T05:01:00.000-08:00

I was planning on writing a big long post correcting everyone's misconceptions about dreadlocks (because there are so many, and it really gets tiring telling people "Well, actually...") but I saved myself the trouble. I'm not going to tell you that I CAN and DO wash my hair, even with dreads, and I'm not going to explain that lots of people have great smelling dreads... No. Today I am only going to bust one myth...

Myth : The only way to get rid of dreadlocks is to shave your head.

Want proof?

*

*

*

*

*

Yes, I did.

They were unraveling like crazy, and I could twist and rip and backcomb 'till I was blue in the face, and they would still unravel most of the way up. Then those loose hairs would start knotting up together as my 30 dreads fought to become one dread, and I was having a very hard time keeping them separated.

So I brushed them out. It was an impulsive thing, but I'm happy I did it. I'm also happy that I got the dreads in the first place. It was fun, and I'm so glad that I tried it like I have always wanted to. It's just a lot of work for a girl with fine and slippery hair.

I think I'll let my hair be long for a while and see how it goes, but I don't have very good success with long hair. It starts looking thin and stringy, so if it doesn't work out I'll fall back on the best hair cut I have ever had...

Hair seems to offer up endless possibilities, doesn't it?

inspire me monday

2011-01-10T06:48:00.000-08:00

Because Monday could use a little inspiration.

I know I've shared about Harriet Anderson before. Maybe you'll remember the 74 year old triathlete...

Amazing. A perfect example of, 'Use it, or lose it!'

Here is a great little article on her that is well worth the read, and I'd also like to mention that she is a dressage enthusiast which makes me love her all the more :)

My Thoughts::

If you move out of your 2 story home at the age of 60 because you anticipate the day when you can no longer make it up that flight of stairs, then you will find that day a lot sooner. Follow me? It's once we stop using our bodies that we start losing them.

Example: In India they don't sit on toilets but instead squat over holes or squatty-potties. Because they are squatting everyday, their elderly can easily squat. In the western world you can find people in their 40's (and 20's and 30's for that matter) who are incapable of squatting because they haven't tried to squat in year and years.

You get what you use. What you put into it is what you get out of it.

So, the question is, What do you want?

I know people will argue that I over simplify, and I do.

'Use it or lose it.'

'Eat good, feel good.'

Obviously there are other factors that go into these issues for people, but these underlying truths are they and quite powerful.

So, what do you want?

Me first: I want to compete in a triathlon with Clayton. First step? A 5k this summer, and move up from there. I also want to do things like this...

First step? Practice yoga more. Sign up for a class.

Remember...

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." - Zechariah 4:10 NLT

You?

yellow wellies adorned with chickens

2011-01-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

What a perfectly wonderful thing.

Mmm, I must make a random and shallow post right now because that is exactly how I'm feeling: All over the place in a cozy kind of way. That makes no sense - I know.

First off, just look at these Wellies. I am utterly in love with them...

I love chickens. I am determined to have my own egg-laying flock someday. We tried this past summer, but a wild cat got 4 of them one night, and the neighbors dog kindly did in the other two who were acting pretty much retarded by themselves. At any rate, I hope to one day have chickens and these boots to go with them.

********************

Our detox this past weekend went well. I read up on detoxing a little bit and decided that I should not do it with Clayton since I'm nursing, and when those toxins are released they can go right into mom's milk. So, instead I cut dairy, wheat products, and sugar for the three days.

FACT: I get grumpy when I can't have chocolate when I want it.

FACT: Juicing is awesome and so yummy!

********************

One more thing: Have you read this book?

I just got it from the library, and it is so wonderful. Definitely going on my list of books to buy. I think you will love it too.

Happy Wednesday, friends :)

oh, the possibilities...

2010-12-28T10:25:00.000-08:00

Clayton and I have been making goals. You know. That little tradition people are compelled to take on this time of year?

So, here are mine...

Goals for 2011

Get ripped
Run a 5k
Eat well so that I feel well
Memorize Mark

Pretty standard, I think.

I have smaller goals set to help me achieve those bigger ones like different exercise videos picked out to complete, a detox planned for next weekend (we are doing this one, but any one will do), and I'm going to try making 51% of my diet raw veggies and fruits to see how it suits me. I have been loving all the raw recipes I have been trying. It's not just chomping on a carrot. Trust me. But so far I have only been dabbling with it here and there.

By 'memorize Mark' I mean the whole book of Mark in the Bible. I am pretty crummy at memorizing scripture, okay, really crummy, but people do it, and I'm determined to do it myself. So far I have the first 3 sentences down.

"Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin." - Zechariah 4:10 NLT

Those are mine. What are yours?

Storytime:: This Is The Stable

2010-12-22T09:54:00.000-08:00

{Storytime on the blog:: This is when the kids and I share one of our favorite books with you. When was the last time someone read you a story? We'll curl up and enjoy because we would love to read you...}

This Is The Stable // Written by Cynthia Cotten // Illustrated by Delana Bettoli

The words are wonderful, but this story's real treasure is it's pictures.

This Is The Stable from dustin burns on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas, friends!

a look back at the seasons on the darkest day of the year

2010-12-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

Oh, the summer months,

filled with warmth and love


and flowers,

and swings,


and sweet days at the lake,

which gave way to the cool Autumn breeze

with color and magic all around.

There was a harvest,

and lot's of good, warm food,

as we soaked in all the rays we could...

before Old Man Winter chased us back inside to bask in the glow of our families

(Though, we are sure to make our way out from time to time to tease the old grump).

Here is to a wonderful Winter Solstice. I hope you enjoy your family tonight.

this and that

2010-12-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

Time for a this-and-that post. Here we go...

First of all, my baby grew up. See...

Standing. I can't believe how quickly it goes.

I was interviewed. It's really fun, if you want to take a peek, and be sure to have a look around Anita's blog. I love it, and you will too!

And, encase you haven't noticed, my parents read my blog which is both dangerous and really fun. Check out the comments on this last post. I laughed... lots :)

These pillow cases are WAY TOO FUN. What do you think?

Also, let me get real and tell you that I am fighting a serious case of the winter blues right now. It's cold. It's dark. My 7 month old is not a fan of freezing her face off outside no matter how much I bundle her up and so I am forced inside. My skin is begging the question: Where is the sun?! My great grandparents were from Italy and Sicily, I have a much darker complexion then all the blue-eyed, fair skinned Scandinavians I share this state with, and I need way more sunlight than what I am getting right now. I am in a slump. Depressed. It's not uncommon for me to not want to do anything. Since direct sunlight is not an option for me right now, I have to move on to the next best things to help me: check out this post. She has it all there. The only thing I would add to her list is St. John's Wort. I have been taking it, and it has been helping a lot! And vitamin D supplements are totally going in my Christmas stocking :) Now, excuse me while I get my butt in gear with a little exercise...

How are these winter days treating you?

my dreadlocks:: one month old

2010-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

My little dreads. They are one month old now.

They sure are fun.

And beautiful.

And wild.

They're babies still, so don't be too hard on them.

They have a lot of maturing to do over the next year... two years... three years...

But I won't rush them.

I'll let them be fuzzy.

And I'll let their ends unravel.

And I'll let them go where ever they please.

Because I just love them.

And I love seeing how they change.

And how I change with them.

Plus, my kids think they're pretty cool.

And they should know.

Because they're pretty cool.

It's been one month since Clayton made my dreads. We had been talking about them for a long time and decided to take the time to make them one night. He ran off to the store to pick up a metal dog comb (ironic, right?) and some rubber bands, and when he returned he got to work sectioning off my hair and then back combing like a mad man. We stayed up into the wee hours of the morning listening to Matisyahu and Jack Johnson, and he cracked jokes like, "No wonder only hippies have dreads. They're the only ones with the time to even put them in!" Six hours later, he was done, and I was a dread head.

It seems like forever ago. Only one month?

They have changed so much in one months time. That first week they were so thick, but as they tighten they get thinner. My end are also unraveling, and one rebellious little dread underneath is almost completely unraveled, but from what I hear, it's okay.

This is what I love about dreads. They do what they want. On their own time. They work themselves out, and find a balance all their own. Everyone's dreads are different. Everyone's dreads do different things.

Relax.
Dreads happen.
I love it.

Now, I need to get some beads and fun things to put in them. I am loving this beautiful look right here. Awesome, right?

More to come later... I hope you're having a sweet holiday season!

for the thrill seekers...

2010-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Want adventure? Real hardcore adventure?

Forget bungee jumping. Forget jumping out of planes or swimming with sharks. Those things only dare you to survive for a few moments, minutes at best. They are nothing more than a challenge for the weak.

If you want the adventure to top all adventures then you can't beat this...

Have kids. You may not survive (sometimes the odds feel similar to that of climbing K2), but you'll be in for one wild ride, that's for sure.

confessions of junk drawers

2010-12-06T07:49:00.000-08:00

I am unorganized by nature. I don't think there is an administrative bone in my body. Paper work baffles me and my junk drawer is a crazy mess that has to be rummaged through daily.

I look at those organized moms and wish I could get my act together, even just a little bit. You know those moms. I have two sister-in-laws who are like this. I watch them and marvel. One has the most incredible and complete diaper bag I have ever seen, and the other keeps her spices in alphabetical order and her library arranged by the dewy decimal system. I don't even know what the dewy decimal system is! Oh, and both of them run TWO businesses.

I told my hubby that if he ever started a business and expected me to do the paperwork for it, I would run him into the ground within two months. His eyes got wide and his brows went up while he confirmed me with a resounding, "Trust me, I know!"

We're lucky if I can keep track of the mail that's delivered before he gets home. He does the taxes. He works out all of our insurance information for our vehicles. He figures out what-the-heck the important paperwork is trying to tell us. I HATE that kind of stuff.

And then there is organizing our home. I like our house to be clean. I don't like clutter. I don't like messes out where I can see them. That's not to say that we don't often have messes out where I can see them (Hello, life), but I don't like them. So, we put away the things that have a place, and for all the random stuff we have left over (paperwork that needs to be taken care of, seasonal or momentary objects, new things that I'm not sure what to do with yet, etc.) I have developed an effective method. I call it, the Hide-The-Junk method.

My hubby hates this. Poor guy. I shove things in the junk drawer, in the game cabinet, and in our bedroom. Then I close the doors, and take in a deep breath of satisfaction because my house looks great. Organize those areas???

"Hmm, should I rearrange the junk drawer or go outside and take photographs of the new leaf buds on the trees?"

Now, I may have just lost some of you administrative types who hate trying to do artsy-fartsy things and would much rather do something productive like bring order to that hectic drawer (I'm choking on my words saying that), but the answer to me rings loud and clear! Go outside! Take pictures! Write something or look into the next crazy idea you're gonna pour over!

I love to feel inspired when I do things, and it's interesting for me to realize that organizing inspires some people.

To you organized types, I salute you. I also hope you can teach me a thing or two before I die. I plan to get my hand on a copy of this book as well, but in the mean time I'm going to ignore my disheveled junk drawer and try to make my own blush out of beet roots with the kids.

How about you?

an exerpt

2010-12-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I do believe I promised an excerpt from the story I just wrote, so here it is, vaguely edited...

Confusion filled her mind. She tried to open her eyes. It was too bright. She was crouched down, head buried in her sleeve, jaw clenched, and terrified. Her eyes tried to adjust to blinding light that encompassed her, but could not. It was like no amount of brightness she had ever known. And there, in her confusion, came a mighty wind which carried the perspiration off her brow.

“Open your eyes. The light will hurt you no longer,” spoke a voice in the chaos.

She beard down and clenched her eyes tighter at its sound. Her heart raced inside her chest.

“Please” said the voice, “Don’t fear. Open your eyes, Rivalaide.”

At that, her eyes flashed opened. That name. How did he know that name?

The light no longer hurt, as he had told her. She looked and in a moment her heart jumped. She was... in the clouds?

Huge mountains of clouds shot up to the skies above on all sides of her. She was like a flea at their giant feet. There were clouds below her too which somehow held her weight, though she feared they may give way at any moment. There was something else incredible about the clouds, like nothing she had ever seen.

“Rivalaide, do you know where you are?” The voice asked.

She flinched at it’s sound and searched for the maker of the voice, but it was to no avail. She could see no one.

“Do you know where you are?” he asked again.

“The- the heavens?” she called out timidly.

There was the sound of a small laugh.

“Rivalaide, listen to me. You must run for the woods.”

Her heart quickened. She glanced from side to side. She saw no woods.

“Run for the woods, Rivalaide. It is important. You must run for the woods!”

There was great urgency in the voice, and she began to tremble at the sound of it. She looked around franticly, trying to find an escape, a way out, but the clouds provided little in the way of exits. Panic seemed as though it may carry her away...

The sound of footsteeps in the hall ripped her from her sleep. She blinked. She tried to gather her bearings...

Want another piece? One more...

She broke from her frozen state. She didn’t know where she was going, but she knew she had to run. Her feet flew underneath of her. Her ribs cried out in pain. She ran past the barn and into the field. Suddenly she caught sight of another man running to the right of her. While she could outrun the fat man, this man she feared she could not. He was much leaner and quicker on his feet. He was closing in from the side quickly.

‘Run for the woods’ she heard in her head.

No! That was crazy! But maybe. Maybe if she ran straight across the field she could make it to the woods before the lean man reached her. There was a moment of hesitation that she was not sure she could afford. Her mind raced with questions she could not answer, fears she could not quite.

“We’ll hang you by your skin, we will!” the man cried after her, and at that, she committed her course. She ran with all her might straight for the forest.

“Not the woods, you idiot! The creatures! The creatures!”

Tears began to stream from her eyes, but it didn’t slow her down or swerve her from her course. The lean man slowed up and watched in disbelief as she ran up to the woods that no one had ever dared to cross. The massive row of trees dwarfed her, threatening her to come closer...

Alright, that's all you get. Look for it in paperback... sometime in the next 100 years :)

drum roll, please...

2010-11-29T07:15:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I did it. The insane task I picked up at the beginning of the month to write a novel in 30 days I have now fulfilled. CELEBRATION! Later this week I plan on putting up a little exert to try and make up for all the neglect this blog has had to endured, but for now I wanted to share some of what this month has taught me...

I can make myself do all kinds of crazy crap that I don’t want to do. Believe it or not, this information is helpful.

Stories have a way of writing themselves. In my case, I started with nothing more than an idea for a beginning. No plot. No direction. No ending in mind. And the story wrote it’s self. There were times when I felt like my story was racing as it dragged me behind it, struggling to type everything that was unfolding before me. My characters took me by surprise and did things I absolutely wasn’t expecting. Then there were times that I felt like I was fighting my story tooth-and-nail. Like a mule with it’s butt in the dirt, I had to drag it along, inch by lousy inch. And when I thought I could take no more, it was like that butt picked up a nasty burr and off that mule went, dragging me behind it again. And I can now tell you from experience that being dragged behind a quickly unfolding story is tremendously exciting. And worth the pulling you may have to do yourself.

People are vastly creative and incredibly unique with all kinds of different stories brewing around inside of them. On NaNoWriMo’s website you can keep track of your writing buddies and see their current word count. You can also see a summery and excerpt from their novel if they chose to put something up. I would occasionally go and see what my writing buddies were up to, and that would lead me to look at their writing buddies, and their writing buddies writing buddies, until i had weaved my way through so many different writers and summaries and excepts that I was thorouly lost and incredibly inspired. Every story was vastly different, and it seemed as though the possibilities were endless.

Our neighbor, who we happen to share a wall with, suffers from insomnia. I heard them running the water in their bath room at two in the morning almost every day. Or maybe they were writing for NaNoWriMo too...

If you have a story in you, let it out. Blurt it onto paper in the form of a rough draft and let it be exactly that, rough. The rough draft I just wrote is messy beyond belief. I have so much work to do trying to clean it up, but the story is there, like a diamond in the... rough. And I would never have completed that rough draft if I had tried to make it a long term project. One month was the perfect amount of time to rush me through the process, trampling my writers block, and leaving me with the makings of a real novel.

It can be ugly. At the moment, my novel is pretty hideous. There are mistakes galore. My character development is shabby. It is lacking in its ability to grip a reader. Oh and, honest to God, I realized after writing some 40,000 words that I have no idea if my main supporting character has long hair or short. Seriously?! But that’s okay. I’ll figure it out now that I’m not obsessing over my word count and whether or not I’m staying on schedule. I got a lot more important things figured out during November than hair.

One more thing, Lemony Snicket writes the best pep talks. If you're a writer or think you may like to be one then read this.

Now, please excuse me while I go and celebrate some more...

inspire me monday

2010-11-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

You are dying. Live like it.

a better christmas, a better world

2010-11-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

It is exactly one week until Black Friday. Shoppers will soon be hitting the stores like packs of wild and ravenous beasts searching out the best deals, greatest finds, and biggest toys. And while that's all well and good, take a moment to listen to this little birdie who is about to chirp something in your ear...

Gifts can make the world a better place.

As we stand at the door of the holiday season, I wanted to share with you (or remind you of) World Vision's Christmas gift catalog. It's easy. You buy a soccer ball, or a goat, or a Bible for someone in need and you do that in honor of your friend or family member. Then at Christmas time you present them with a beautiful card that explains to them the details of just how special that gift was in someones life.

It's simple, it gets us back to the heart of Christmas, and it makes the world a better place.

Check it out here. They have everything from school supplies, to sewing machines, farming supplies, to wells for clean drinking water, livestock, help for sexually exploited girls, medicines, and the list goes on.

Get you loved ones something different this year... like a goat :)

it was a wild and reckless november...

2010-11-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

November has been insane. My only hope at a post right now is to throw some things out here and elaborate more later, probably come December.

NaNoWriMo. It's been awesome. Really, I am so happy that I signed up for it even though this poor blog has been neglected. I made it to the half way point in my novel just in time, and it's all down hill from here... I hope! Hold out, little blog. December is right around the corner!

Dreads. On November 13th, my dreads were born. I love them. Absolutely love them. More on that later, but here is a picture for you...

Quote of the week. Check it out. You will love it :)

Oh, and a question for you... is anyone else ready to pull out all the Christmas totes or is it just me?

and her middle name is joy

2010-11-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Piper Joy Burns - 6 months old

Psalm 97:11-12 - "Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name."

i'd rather be clean than dirty

2010-11-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

I love it when people take something hard and make it easier. Example: all the information I had swirlling around in my head about pesticides, organics, health, and my budget were hard thing to manage.

So imagine my joy when I come across this...

The Environmental Working Group did the research and came up with a guide of 12 fruits and veggies that are worth buy organic, cutting your pesticide intake by around 80%. They also came up with a list of 15 fruits and veggies that are relatively "clean" and you can feel good about buying conventional. You can download and print the list to tuck in your wallet, or you can get the App for your iPhone. Either way, it will be with you where ever you go. Find it all at their website, free of charge.

At the moment, our budget makes it VERY hard to buy organic, so it's nice to know where to focus the attention when we can.

Are you wondering why any of this matters? Then read this and get your hand on some great information with this. And remember that buying local is better than buying organic.

Happy eating, friends!

why i pledged away november

2010-10-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

After I signed up for NaNoWriMo they sent me a great email with three and a half pieces of advice. I wanted to share their second tip...

2) Do not edit as you go. Editing is for December. Think of November as an experiment in pure output. Even if it's hard at first, leave ugly prose and poorly written passages on the page to be cleaned up later. Your inner editor will be very grumpy about this, but your inner editor is a nitpicky jerk who foolishly believes that it is possible to write a brilliant first draft if you write it slowly enough. It isn't. Every book you've ever loved started out as a beautifully flawed first draft. In November, embrace imperfection and see where it takes you.

Not only is this hilarious, but so true and the reason why I want to participate in NaNoWriMo. I have tried writing novels before. I get it from my dad. He has a love for books and for writing, and he shared that love with me while I was growing up. We read books, wrote poetry and short stories, and dreamed of the day we would both write our own novel. I have been inspired and dived into novel writing many times in the past only to abandon my story just a few pages in. Why? Because of the editor in me. Because I couldn't move on to page 3 until page 2 was perfect.

Now, I have a confession. The other night I decided to back out of NaNoWriMo. I didn't think I'd have the time. I quit before it even started. The next day my dad called me to let me know he had signed up to do it with me. At that point, everything in my mind changed. I was no longer a busy mom of three jumping into a ridiculous task unprepared. I was a capable young woman taking up a great task with her father.

Please, don't get me wrong. I don't think my finished product is going to be anything great. In fact, I'm sure it will more closely resemble a load of crap, but here's more on that from NaNoWriMo's very funny guidelines page...

If I'm just writing 50,000 words of crap, why bother? Why not just write a real novel later, when I have more time?

There are three reasons.

1) If you don't do it now, you probably never will. Novel writing is mostly a "one day" event. As in "One day, I'd like to write a novel." Here's the truth: 99% of us, if left to our own devices, would never make the time to write a novel. It's just so far outside our normal lives that it constantly slips down to the bottom of our to-do lists. The structure of NaNoWriMo forces you to put away all those self-defeating worries and START. Once you have the first five chapters under your belt, the rest will come easily. Or painfully. But it will come. And you'll have friends to help you see it through to 50k.

2) Aiming low is the best way to succeed. With entry-level novel writing, shooting for the moon is the surest way to get nowhere. With high expectations, everything you write will sound cheesy and awkward. Once you start evaluating your story in terms of word count, you take that pressure off yourself. And you'll start surprising yourself with a great bit of dialogue here and a ingenious plot twist there. Characters will start doing things you never expected, taking the story places you'd never imagined. There will be much execrable prose, yes. But amidst the crap, there will be beauty. A lot of it.

3) Art for art's sake does wonderful things to you. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It makes you want to take naps and go places wearing funny pants. Doing something just for the hell of it is a wonderful antidote to all the chores and "must-dos" of daily life. Writing a novel in a month is both exhilarating and stupid, and we would all do well to invite a little more spontaneous stupidity into our lives.

Happy writing, everyone!

i did it...

2010-10-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm signed up and am officially a NaNoWriMo 2010 participant!

I mentioned NaNoWriMo last week. If you didn't catch that, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month where those who sign up work to write an entire novel, 55, 000 words, in the month of November.

Here is what they say...

"Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. The kamikaze approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly."

Read all about it here.

Then sign up.

Then search for me (username: clayanddust) and we can be writing buddies :)

Here's to the great frantic novels that we're all going to write! Now what in the world am I going to write about?

a feast of splendid photos

2010-10-22T07:16:00.000-07:00

I've been taking photographs for my 100 Splendid Photos project but haven't been posting them, so I have quite the handful to put up today. There is quite the variety here...

YUM. They were good :)

You may not think that a photo of a cow with his tongue up his nose is splendid, but I do so up it goes.

She is so much bigger now...

Breakfast.

All fresh from the garden :)

Chamomile tea.

Us.

My happy boy.

Sweet cousins.

I just love capturing moments with my camera. It's the only thing I have to make up for my total lack of baby book making. That and home videos which we do now and then. How about you?

get ready, get set...

2010-10-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

Time for a "this and that" post where I dump the contents of my brain out here and let you wade through it. Come on, it will be fun :) And there is a real treat at the end!

For starters, I've made some minor changes here on the blog. I added a search box on the left, made commenting easier for you by getting rid of that annoying code you had to enter before, and did you know that you can get new posts sent to your email inbox so you don't miss a thing? That's been up for a while, but I wanted to make sure you knew. It's also to the left.

Also, my food blog got a new name and a serious face lift. What was once The Color of Spice is now Eat Mighty. Have a look over there, and feel free to leave your feedback!

Two more things...

I wanted to share Paige Padgett's website with you. She is the "Green Beauty Expert" and makeup artist to stars like Jillian Michaels. Stars who want their makeup to look good AND be non-toxic. You can have both, and Paige shows you how. I love it.

Last thing... NaNoWriMo! Have any idea what I'm talking about? NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Here's how it works: One novel, 55,000 words, 175 pages... in one month.

"National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30."

You have to go and read What is NaNoWriMo? Their site is so funny and so inspiring. Here is another excerpt...

"In 2009, we had over 165,000 participants. More than 30,000 of them crossed the 50K finish line by the midnight deadline, entering into the annals of NaNoWriMo superstardom forever. They started the month as auto mechanics, out-of-work actors, and middle school English teachers. They walked away novelists. "

I think it's awesome. And I REALLY want to do it. But I'm hesitating. Do I have the time? How much time would I have to put into writing a 175 page novel? That would be 6 pages a day...

What about you?

free art to feed your soul

2010-10-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

I've shared about The Free Art Project before, and now it's time I share about it again. They have new art up, and you really should take a peek. It's free, you know! Just download, print, and frame :)

Here are my favorites. Ignore the blue borders. When you go to their downloads page and download the art yourself you wont have the borders.

Now go and feed your soul! Did you see any on the site that you loved?

health thoughts

2010-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

This past year I really dove into a topic that has always held my interest: Health. It was not easy for me, I found myself getting overwhelmed easily, but over time I discovered some truths that have helped me along my journey.

Here is a somewhat randomn collection of thoughts:

Good health is important and worth the effort. When I first started looking into a healthier lifestyle I got carried away. I tried to make too many changes too fast and burned out. I felt defeated and concluded that it wasn't worth the effort. Untrue. Good health is very much worth the effort. I just needed to learn patience and how to look at things with a sound mind. I had to find my own pace and not worry about where everyone else was.

And speaking of everyone else... once I started exploring what it was to be healthy I realized this: everyone has an opinion, and all those opinions are different. My head was starting to spin, so I gave myself some helpful tools to use when trying to wade my way through:

1. Don't take advice on heath from unhealthy people; it's risky business. This may seem like a given, and it is, but it sure did cut down on the confusion for me. There were a lot of unhealthy people telling me "how it is". No thanks. Instead I look for vibrant and alert people. Energetic people who are happy and active. That is where you'll find the truth about health. Are you nervous because your doctor isn't ranking so high? :)

2. Find some good sources that you feel have sound information and stick with them. When I have a question about health I usually don't just Google it. Talk about information overload and a whole bunch of people who don't know what they're talking about doing a lot of talking! There is good stuff in there, but it would be like a full time job trying to find it. Mercola.com is my favorite, and I may check out places like WebMD and the Mayo Clinic too, depending on the topic. Sometimes I Google.

3. Listen to your body. It will tell you if what you are doing is bad or good. Trust it.

I also learned that there's a lot more to health then just food. True, food is a big part of it, but let's not forget exercise, sleep, relationships, stress, and attitude. These are all a big part of health too. If I'm stressing into the wee hours of the morning searching the internet for more information on dairy then I am hurting my heath, not helping it. If I am hurting my relationships with others because of my arrogance about all the things I now know and believe about food then I am also hurting my health.

Never stop learning. Health is a journey. As in life, never think you are done.

What have you learned about health? Can you get overwhelmed easily like me?

inspire me monday

2010-10-11T05:09:00.000-07:00

Another one of my favorite songs. Absolutely beautiful...

what we've been up to...

2010-09-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Good news: We are getting internet at our new place next week! Then this blog wont be so empty and neglected :)

In the mean time, we have been taking many beautiful drives around beautiful Minnesota. Autumn here is gorgeous. See for yourself...

Happy autumn :)

this and that

2010-09-21T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello, little blog and anyone who bothers to read it. I have been neglecting you because we don't have the internet hooked up at our new house. I'm hoping we'll get it pretty soon...

Anyway, check out this picture we took the other day. I'm going to put it up in our new place somewhere. I just love it :)

I got the idea from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine only that family had written their last name in the sand and only had their kids feet in the picture. If you got creative you could do this all kinds of ways.

And can I just share this video one more time? Because every time I need a napkin I break out in this...

Apearently they do this a lot...

Hope you all are doing well :)

curlin' up with books

2010-09-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love to see what others are reading? I could spend so much time snooping around in others library's. Here are the two books I am working my way through at the moment...

I'm a good ways into Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, and it was been an incredible read. Quite possibly one of my favorite books. More on it when I finish!

I have only gotten to skim a little of Gardening Eden by Abbate, and it looks like it will be a good read too.

What are you reading?

inspire me monday

2010-09-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Leave it to kids to find fun where ever they go. That inspires me.

trading messes for toes

2010-08-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

As I was cleaning off my kitchen table for the ump-teenth time, growling quietly to myself about how 'When my kids are older maybe they will be able to keep their food on their plates and in their bowls!', I suddenly realized that they may not want to snuggle me so much then, their feet wont be so cute and kissable, and the sweet giggles they squeal out when wrestling dad will have changed into something else, and so I finished wiping down the table, happily.

It's a small price we parents have to pay, considering all we gain.

detour

2010-08-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

My food blog is a slow work in progress. I want to do more with it, but I work with the little time I have to give to it. I'm in no rush.

BUT I did just put up my fourth post over there, and you don't want to miss it!

The Chocolate Milkshake of Your Dreams

Enjoy!!!

on my way to 100 splendid photos

2010-08-12T12:43:00.000-07:00

A while back I started my 100 Splendid Photos challenge. Since then I have taken a ton of pics, but not updated my blog with them, so here is a little update for you. This will be photos 8 - 10.

These are cosmos and California poppys that I grew from seed in front of my house...

inspire me monday - my very own manifesto

2010-08-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Main Entry: ¹man·i·fes·to

Pronunciation: \ˌma-nə-ˈfes-(ˌ)tō\

Function: noun

: a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.

This is my manifesto:

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. Kiss slowly and forgive quickly. Sleep under the stars at least once a year. Be flexible on and off the yoga mat. Send someone a card often. Question what has been told to you. Love your body and remember that models love Photoshop. Be like Jesus. Kiss in front of the kids; it's good for them. Avoid soda like the plague. Learn another language. Remember that stress is related to 99% of all illness and strive to remove it from your life. Be a playful parent. Have a green smoothie daily when possible. Know the difference between righteous anger and loosing your temper. Don't waste time staring at a screen when loved ones are around. Always kiss goodnight. Be content. Recycle. Drink as much water as you can. Sweat often. Max out your passport. Take vitamins, avoid medicine. Care for the earth the way God intended. Tell others what God has done for you. Be good to your spouse. Practice self-care and teach it to your children. Run your feet, not your mouth. Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food. Pray without ceasing. Compost. Save money for the future. Try new foods. Tell others the Good News. Do ridiculous things with your kids that they'll never forget. Listen when others talk to you. De-clutter. Run from mediocrity. Grow things like tomatoes, melons, hope, peace, and love.

i'm workin' on it

2010-08-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

This blog is officially under construction as issued by the blog-writer herself :)

inspire me, caribou

2010-08-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

The other day I picked up a decaf iced mocha from Caribou Coffee and, not only was it delicious, it inspired me. Go grab one, and I think you'll be inspired too. I am planning on sharing all the inspiration with you here, so don't run off for that reason, but I can't share the flavor. And somehow I'm thinking the flavor helps. Sorry.

The inspiration is on the cup...

Do more cannon balls. Max out your passport. Go home early and play with your kids. Read poetry. Build Communities, not empires. Give a kid some crayons. Surprise your B.F.F. with a cup of coffee. Hold hands, not grudges. Sleep under the stars. Question authority. Take the stairs. Kiss slowly, and forgive quickly. Remember where you came from. Say 5 nice things about the person sitting across from you. You are as wonderful as your dog thinks you are. Send your grandma a card. Stir emotions. Teach a child to fish. Do the hokey pokey. Take a 7 day weekend. Roll down the hill. Run your feet, not your mouth. Re-read your favorite book. Pick up the check. Sip it, sip it good. Get there on two wheels.

Guidelines to life, according to Caribou. I like it.

And I think it's time I send Grandma a card.

run mama run

2010-07-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

I shared last week about how I would be starting the Couch to 5k running program, and I wanted to tell you... I love it. And hate it. But mostly love it!

Running is one of those odd things that feels quite a bit like torture and quite a bit like I-love-this-and-want-to-do-it-all-the-time. It's bitter/sweet. It hurts and feels good.

When I first stared running I thought to myself, 'Oh no. What have I started?' My legs felt like weights, my breathing was labored, and my muscles were tightening as if to say "What in the world are we doing?!" But by the end of my run something clicked. I felt so good. Tired and beat, but good.

Week one of the program starts with running for one minute and walking for a minute and a half for a total of twenty minutes. I thought it sounded easy, but it turned out I was in crummy shape. Running for one minute was hard.

Now I'm into week two, and running for a minute and a half then walking for two minutes for twenty minutes. It's still totally kicking my butt, but that's the point, right?

A little something that has helped me... Clayton picked up this magazine, and we are both eating it up. And for 12 bucks for 12 issues we are definitely getting a subscription.

Happy moving :)

inspire me monday

2010-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Running. Do you like to run? Clayton loves to run and has been going out every chance he can get lately. Whenever I see him heading out the door with his running shoes on I swell with pride. It feels so good to see him taking care of himself.

I dream of being a runner, but ~~it has never stuck with me~~ I have never stuck with it.

I'm hoping to change that.

It's been more than two months since Piper was born, and I have been hula hooping, walking, and slowly working my way up to running. I feel ready. I think it's time for me to get my butt out there.

But a girl needs some inspiration and a plan. My inspiration I pull from my hubby, my flabby belly, and this amazing women. Read her story, and you cannot help but be inspired. What a lady.

For my plan, I'll be following the Couch to 5k running program. It's made to take out-of-shape-people like me and ease them into running so they don't burn out before they ever get going. Sound familiar?

And here is what I wish I were running in. If you are a critic of these shoes watch this. And if you're curious, I'd go for the purple ones :) I'm hoping to get them soon, and when I do I'll share some pictures with you.

I'm starting today. Wish me luck! Better yet, wish me perseverance.

moments to cherish

2010-06-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just love it when my babies start flashing me these. Melts my heart every time...

being mom

2010-06-23T22:11:00.000-07:00

Cleaning and scrubbing will wait ’till tomorrow, but children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs! Dust go to sleep! I’m rocking my baby. Babies don’t keep. – Ruth Hamilton

Thank you for this little rhyme, Ruth Hamilton, whoever you are. I think of it often, and it helps me to remember what is important in my life.

Yesterday, I ignored the dirty dishes that piled up in the sink. I also ignored all the toys scattered on the floor and the bits of rice going cold on the counter top. I didn't listen when my bed told me it needed to be made and laughed when the floor cried that it needed to be vacuumed. Instead I ran out the door to be with my kids.

We played with chickens, we ate good food, we made hula hoops with dad, and we hooped until the sun went down on us. We went to bed far too late, and we fell asleep happy, in love with each other, life, and God.

The house got cleaned up... eventually, and I wouldn't take back one minute of it all.

Because I don't have to be a good housekeeper. I just have to be a good mom.

Remember that next time you stop by ;o)

meet my mug

2010-06-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Mugs are funny things. Sure, they're not much more than a cup when you think about it, but, if you use mugs often enough, it's hard not to make a bond to one or two of them. Hot drinks are comforting somehow and so our mugs are comforting also.

I'm not speaking for everyone, of course. I'm sure there are those who grab whichever mug is closest without giving it a thought, but I think that most of us look on the shelf and let our eyes move back and forth a bit, if only for a moment, before making a decision.

And look at the massive variety of mugs because of it.

Here is "My Mug"...

Elvis. The King of Rock 'n' Roll.

Now, I'm not really a big Elvis fan. I think I have a Christmas CD with a song of his on it, but other than that I'm Elvis-less. My dad is a fan though, and I think that may be why I like the mug so much. I remember listening to Elvis on the radio while in the truck with my dad as a kid. Oldies 100 was his station.

That, and it's just fun to sit and look at this mug. I love seeing the girls faces, swooning and screaming over their heartthrob mere feet away from them. What were they thinking?!

I once knew an elderly woman who had owned a fancy hotel in California way back when. She said that Elvis was the nicest young man she had stay there. He was always saying "thank you". Imagine that.

She also said that the Beatles were rude and arrogant. Ha. Imagine that.

So, what about you? What is your favorite mug? And what's your favorite thing to drink out of it?

sorry...

2010-06-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

I've been busy.

one day

2010-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Am I a dork to love this song? I think not :)

As you can see my little space here isn't wide enough to house this video very well. Just click on the video itself and it will take you to YouTube where you can see the whole picture...

getting back and sharin' a link

2010-06-02T14:17:00.000-07:00

After quite a bit of silence on this blog I am finally getting back to writing. Our family is getting into the swing of things since Piper's arrival last month, and I have more posts swimming around in my head than I can count. How nice it is to have a place where I can get all my thoughts and ideas out!

In the mean time, did you catch the latest post over at Passionate Homemaking? Vina Barham reminded me that Clayton and I can still have a wonderful time with each other even when we are on a tight budget. I loved a lot of her date ideas, and it even sparked in me some ideas of my own. So much so that I'm going to print up her post and put it with my socks so I'll be sure to see it often.

Her list is simple, real, and sweet. It feels so much more natural than "traditional" dates, and is flexible which means do-able for me having 3 kids ages 3 and under.

5 and 7 are definitely going to happen. 9 is so simple and easy! 8 is too fun :) And I love how she words 17.

What do you think?

look what we got...

2010-05-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

As if a brand new baby isn't enough work, we went and added 6 baby chicks to our family. 2 buff orpingtons, 2 australorps, and 2 barred rocks. So far, the barred rocks are winning my heart with their friendly and spunky personalities...

Did I mention I love Spring?

A Very Happy Mothers Day

2010-05-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

On May 3rd, we welcomed our precious daughter, Piper Joy, into the world. (More details coming soon!)

We all adore her.

And we now have three incredible kids that I love more than I ever imagined I could. Mothers Day was sweet this morning.

I hope your Mothers Day is just as sweet!

happy 100

2010-04-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post.

Crazy.

And here I am announcing it after a week of silence and with not much to say. Oh well. I've seen some bloggers do some pretty fun things for their big 100, but I'm not going to sweat it. I'm busy getting ready...

for a baby who is due to arrive on Monday, although we all know how those due dates go. And as you can tell by the picture, I'm not the only one getting ready! Kadie and Clay are both excited and waiting in anticipation. Kadie is always asking, "Mom, can your baby come NOW?!"

The two of them are also staying busy freaking me out with their newly found past time of squabbling with each other. Kadie has picked up a nasty habit of doing exactly what it takes for Clay to hit her, and Clay has picked up a nasty habit of hitting her. What is a mom to do? Really. Tell me. Please!

Meanwhile, I feel like a ticking time bomb with a broken timer. I'm going to go into labor sooner or later, but I don't get to know when. It could happen in two minutes; it could happen in two weeks! I can make myself crazy thinking about it. Just ask my hubby.

All I can do to calm my heart is remind myself that soon I will have another one of these...

Or these...

Incredible. And so worth feeling like a time bomb.

What did you do to stay sane in the last days of your pregnancy?

the ninth month

2010-04-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

I am nearing the end of this pregnancy, and my due date is a mere 11 days away. Wow, that's not long! Part of me is excited and feeling ready, and the other part of me is totally freaking out feeling anything but ready. Labor? Again? Can't we just skip that part this time?

Ahh, but there is nothing for me to do except relax and accept everything that is coming my way. Yes, parts will be hard, but it is so worth it. I have learned that twice now already :)

And while I try to relax, I try to prepare. I have been keeping myself busy checking off a little list of things to do before the baby come, and it is now almost complete. One of the latest things was to get some pictures of my 9-months-pregnant-self...

Moms, don't try this last one. I pulled something.

So, with that checked off the list I'm feeling a little more ready.

Just think - Another entirely unique little person to add to this already amazing family of mine. It blows my mind...

comparison in parenting

2010-04-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a little something to add to all this talk about parenting. It is SO true. And I needed it today.

little things that aren't so little

2010-04-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

I had a busy morning. There was lots to pick up and much to get done before I could head to town with the kids to pick up groceries. As I hustled and bustled back and forth Kadie and Clay played together on the couch. Soon I heard Kadie's sweet voice beckoning me to join them. They were pretending to eat peanut butter balls (a family favorite) and hot chocolate.

MMM.

I didn't feel like I had the time to stop, but I so badly wanted to take a little break with them. Even if it was just for a few minutes.

So, I sat down to "eat" a snack and was quickly scolded as I pretended to take a bite out of my food.

"Mom, hold our hands first!" Kadie said.

Her and Clay were already holding hands and reaching out for mine. I took them both, completing the circle, and listened as Kadie talked to Jesus...

"Jesus, thank you for this food, and thank you for saving us from a bad man named Satan. Amen!"

Clay echoed an enthusiastic "Amen!", and I did the same, amazed.

Then we ate peanut butter balls and drank hot chocolate together.

Why can't we be more like children?

20 things you didn't know about me

2010-04-15T07:49:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this to add to an "About Me" page here on the blog. It's a little on the random side (okay, it's really random), but that makes it all the more interesting (read: bearable).

I'm a wanna-be dark chocolate lover, but milk chocolate wins my heart every time.
I LOVE when singers have a little "gruff" in their voice (think Louis Armstrong, Macy Gray, and Joe Cocker), and would take that over a Josh Groban any day.
I got to study classical dressage with this guy.
I miss horseback riding terribly.
I feel like super mom when I make a green smoothie.
I'm so bad at keeping up with my dishes, it's not even funny.
For the life of me, I cannot chose my favorite color, and it drives me crazy.
I've eaten grasshoppers, grubs, and a pigs uterus. Not to mention, ant larva, coagulated pigs blood, and cows tongue.
I enjoyed the cows tongue.
I have a lame music collection.
I think acoustic guitars are better than electric.
I LOVE bacon.
I am fluent in two languages: English and Pig Latin.
I've lived in India for six months and Thiland for three.
My son has a Thai birth certificate that says he was born in the year 2551 (they have a different calender than we do), on the third day of the waxing moon, during the year of the rat.
I was in high school before I realized New England and New Mexico were both part of the US.
I am such an animal lover that I decided to go vegetarian at age 7 and continued for the next 11 years... only to later marry a man who loves hunting everything from ducks to deer. It's okay. He's an animal lover too, and balance is beautiful :)
I HATE politics.
Reading fiction feels like a waste of time to me.
I'm not hooked up to t.v.... and I love it.

inspire me moday

2010-04-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

From Revelation 21...

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
⁵He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Sweet.

a must-see

2010-04-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

I'm dropping in for a quicky that I just had to share. This report sheds so much light on education in America. Definitely as must-see...

What do you think?

uninspired monday

2010-04-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a little inspiration this Monday, you are going to have to look somewhere else. Inspire Me Monday is canceled for today due, not to my lack of inspiration, but to my lack of time. When my babies are finally in bed, my hubby steals my computer hence my little blogging.

But if I could inspire you to do one thing it would be to get your hands on this book. It has been inspiring me a lot this past week. I have been devouring it. It is so good. Knowledge is power.

Have you read it yet?

hijacked

2010-04-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

My husband has hijacked my computer. Really.

For the past week, he has been on it every night and into the wee hours of the morning working on assignment after assignment for school. He is taking 18 credits this semester at the university in town, learning all about geography, map making, and GIS. All of that on top of work and family.

But don't feel bad for him; feel bad for me. (Just kidding)

I have the computer here during the days, but kids running under foot does not mix well with blogging. They'll let me on the computer for 10 or 20 minutes, but after that they insist I get off. Smart kids. It's really better for all of us.

So my normal writing time is gone, and post have been slow-coming this week. I know you'll understand.

There is one thing that I can quickly share, though, that you may be interested in: Natural Easter egg dyes! The kids and I will be having fun with this tomorrow. My mom used to color the most beautiful eggs using onion peels which isn't included here, but we'll be trying that one too!

Enjoy :)

parenting in a world that loves extremes

2010-03-31T06:48:00.000-07:00

We have been talking a little about parenting, the challenges that come with the job, and how it can be hard to know what to do when every "expert" seems to be pointing us in new direction. Issues from how to handle misbehavior to whether or not to vaccinate our kids all require us to make a decision sooner or later. And there is pressure coming from all sides.

My favorite thing that has come out of these talks is what Elaine said in the comments section of one of the posts...

"I'm just trying to find Godly moderation in a parenting world that loves extremes."

This one, little, simple sentence reminds me of my task when deciding how to raise my kids. It also helps me to relax and not feel quite so crazy when listening to what everyone else has to say about an issue I'm still trying to figure out.

The truth is, every parent is different, every child is different, and every situation is different. While there are definite "truths" that span every family (like children should know that they are loved by their parents), we can not expect everyone to adhere to the same ways in other areas (like children should be in charge of cleaning up their toys by age 3). It might work great for some, but others may have a much better time taking a different route.

Recently, Clayton and I had a little show-down with one very controversial method used in parenting: Spanking. Oh, what a hard thing this was for us to navigate.

But it looks as though I'm going to have to save that story for tomorrow...

Sorry for the pause, but what can I say? Mom duties are calling, and there is no hope of me finishing this until my kids are back in bed!

to the one i love

2010-03-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

I'm interrupting this Inspire Me Monday to wish the very best guy in this whole wide world a very happy 25th birthday!

We love you, Babe :)

all i know about vaccines

2010-03-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

While we are on the topic of parenting with the help of "experts" who claim to have it all figured out, family and friends who think they have the answers, and the extremes of all spectrum's flying at us daily, lets talk about vaccines.

I am starting to despise the whole vaccination debate. It's an ugly thing and here's why:

Bad politics and unharnessed passion.

What is a parent to do?

Expert A says, "Vaccinations are safe and good, and here are the sound studies to prove it!"

Expert B says, "Vaccinations are dangerous and bad, and here are the sound studies to prove it!"

That's when the scare tactics start. Both sides overwhelm parents with the terrible consequences of not adhering to their advice, and fear and confusion is all the parent is left with. And to make matters worse, there are two things swirling around in the whole mess: money and politics. Let's face it. People are getting rich and powerful by pushing their vaccine agenda. With so much contrasting information out there, who should we trust?

Should you vaccinate your child? I have no idea.

But here is what I do know: We need to be nicer to each other.

The person who vaccinates their child is choosing to do so because they love their child and want the best for them. The person who does not vaccinate their child is choosing to do so because they love their child and want the best for them.

Really.

cast your vote!

2010-03-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

Will you do me a favor? Tell me which one you like the best. If there are others around, throw their vote in the comments section along with yours. The more the better!

These 3 are being added to my 100 Splendid Photos collection I've been working on. That means I'm at 7 and counting!

Hmm... How to label them? A, B, C? 1, 2, 3? How about Hog, Pig, and Swine. This will make for an interesting comments section!

Hog

Pig

Swine

Thanks for voting!

welcome to parenting. try not to pull your hair out all at once.

2010-03-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

There are so many theories on parenting. It seems like they are coming from all directions.

"Don't call it a 'time-out'; call it a 'time-in'", "Never use the word 'no' with your kids", "Spanking is essential for raising your children in a biblical manner", "Spanking is physical abuse". Makes your head spin, right?

And I hear "experts" say "Never do ____" and yet they give no sound alternative. Sure, it's easy to say that time-out's are ineffective, but tell me, what do you think I should do instead? And how long has it been since your kid was 3?!

It seems everyone wants to tell us young parents what NOT to do, and yet give little help on what TO do.

A few months ago I saw that my family needed a change. The way we were handling our kids bad behavior wasn't getting good results, and I knew there must be a better way. We needed an overhaul, and I had no idea where to start.

It's hard realizing something like that. It's easy to keep doing what you were doing even when it's getting you no where. At least no where you want to go. But to stop and evaluate and put everything out there on the table, rethink, relearn, reteach.... that's hard... mostly because, for a little while, everything seems unclear and you feel totally out of control.

I started searching, wading my way through theory after theory, and style after style, and just about everything I read was discouraging. "How is that going to work?" "Yeah, but what happens when..." "Ha! Tried that one!"

Isn't parenting fun? Sometimes it feels like we have the BIGGEST job in the world and little to no idea of how to do the job well. What's at stake? The ones we love the most!

So, lets talk about it. Is there a particular parenting style or method that you would call your own?

Have you read a book or leaned some things about parenting that made you revolutionize the way you parent? Feel good about the way you parent? Question the way you parent?

What are you sick of hearing?

More on our "journey" to come...

inspire me monday

2010-03-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

Inertia - An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest.

What a great reason to start the day off well. Unfortunately for people like me, good mornings don't come naturally. My normal routine is to stay in bed until the kids force me out and then putter through the mornings as I have to. When the kids are hungry we eat breakfast. When Clay's diaper is soggy I change it. Mornings happen to me. I don't happen to them.

Until this morning.

This is the morning I started Kat's program, Maximize Your Mornings. I loved it.

It's made for moms but could be easily used by others as well, and it gives you a simple approach to making the most out of the morning time. Download her eBook to find out what it's all about. It's a quick read - about 15 minutes - and includes a workbook and some great printable resources.

Here is what she says about her eBook:

Here are the things that I’ll cover in this ebook:

- Learn why getting up early is so important.

- How to get out of bed.

- Tips to make it easier to crawl out of your cozy bed.

- How to develop a doable Prayer and Bible Study plan.

- How to find an exercise plan that works for you.

- How to plan your day so that you actually get things done.

- Learn the key to developing a great morning routine.

- Download forms and charts to help you plan and stay on track.

I love her simple approach and find it doable for me. And I love the things she says like when she talks about the simple yet hard task of getting out of bed...

"Never underestimate the power of a low goal. Our purpose here is to develop a habit - to practice faithfulness.

Success is most often a by-product of faithfulness."

Download her free eBook for the whole program and check out her website Inspired To Action for more tips and tools.

Here's to a better morning!

to my few and faithful...

2010-03-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 1st Day of Spring! And guess what showed up at my bird feeder on this most celebrated day... A purple finch. I'd post a photo of one here, but I don't want to be that person who gets in trouble for stealing photos since I'm not really sure how all that works. Guess I should find out...

It's been a few days since my last post. Here is what I have been up to the later part of the week:

I've been working on budgeting with help from here and here.

For 3 beautiful days I spent most of my time outside with the kids cleaning up the yard, the patio, and around the shed. It felt so good to be outside like that...
I've been toning my uterus with my Mama's Red Raspberry Brew. Don't laugh. It really does tone your uterus.
I've been slightly freaking out realizing I only have one month and one week until my due date!
I got my birthing kit in the mail. (I'm having a homebirth! Did you know? And just to be clear, that is with a midwife.)
I started a program to help me make the most of my mornings. (More to come on that this Monday.)
I also realized that when the baby arrives I'm going to have 60 fingers and toes to keep trim. 80 if I include myself (and I really should).
I also managed to refrain from crying when the temperature dropped and it snowed yesterday.
Oh, and I washed my hair in the sink yesterday. (Am I the only one who has these emergency I-need-to-wash-my-hair-in-the-sink-really-fast moments?)

I can't wait to share some things with you on Monday!

How was your week?

when mama birds build their nests

2010-03-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

I am feeling the overwhelming need to get organized, and I think I know why...

I only have a month and a half left to go!

Suddenly, I am super women. I am jumping from task to task, and my mind feels clear and sharp. One minute I am making lists and the next I am budgeting. I've been coming up with new ideas and schemes and planning, planning, planning as I go. What do I still need for the birth? How many baby outfits do I have? Where do I want my garden to go? What is the best way for me to organize our money?

Hold on now because you really must know the truth. I am in no way an organized person. And since I have been pregnant my brain has become incredibly fuzzy and slow. "Pregnancy Brain" as they call it has been weighing me down for months. You should have seen me in the store trying to shop for groceries. Compare prices? Ha! I could hardly follow my list and keep track of the kids without entering into a daze of confusion. I have been unable to complete the most simple of tasks for months now.

Yet suddenly the cloud has lifted. I am determined. I am driven. I am a capable person once again.

Organizing is usually a joke for me. I am an unorganized person by nature, but ever so often I have some inspired moments, and I jump on them when they come along.

It turns out, I'm not the only one who's organizing right now. Just yesterday, Rachel over at Smile and Wave was talking about getting organized also. Have you checked out her blog? I LOVE it. In fact, I'm going put it on my "Links to Love" page right now. She is amazing and fun and will add a little color to your day.

Rachel mentioned a book called Organizing for Your Brain Type by Lanna Nakone, and I am working on getting my hands on a copy. Could there be hope for me?

Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking is also getting organized. WAY organized. Last week she shared about her home planning notebook, and I almost fell out of my chair. My little unorganized brain was blown away by the great length she had taken to put everything she does in order.

At first I dismissed the whole thing as crazy, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I want to make one too. In my own way and with my own personal style and flare, I want to make a home planning notebook.

Lord help me.

Watch Lindsay's video on her notebook, and tell me what you think. (Warning: if you're like me you are going to need to let it sink in for a while first.)

I'm not going to use all the tabs she uses, and I want the look and feel of mine to be different, but hers is still my template and inspiration. Just think: a place for meal planning, scheduling, money management, blog stuff, contacts and resources all-in-one... crazy.

I'm really needing the money management section. Handling money has always been more Clayton's job than mine. He is "on top" of those kinds of things. He does a great job with our taxes and always knows how much money is in the bank where as I usually don't have a clue.

Now, he has been so busy with work and school that I know it would mean the world to him if I could somehow take over and do a good job handling our money so he didn't have to worry about it. And if I could organize it so that it would be easy for him to look at... Yeah, he would love that.

So, do you have the organizing itch too? Do share :)

four splendid photos

2010-03-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Remember my 100 Splendid Photos challenge? Well, here are photos 1-4.

You'd have laughed if you had seen me trying to take these. My pregnant belly was a bit in the way while I tried to get down low and up close. Considering I'm having a hard time tying my own shoe laces, this was quite an accomplishment!

More coming soon :) ...

inspire me monday

2010-03-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs...

Tears of the Saints by Leeland

on love and peace

2010-03-13T12:14:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest things being a wife and mom has taught me is that Love is scary beyond belief. When you open yourself up to loving someone so much, the chance of loosing them, even just the thought of it, can cause pain and sadness I had never imagined possible.

Clay gave us a scare this week. He needed a sudden hernia surgery on Thrusday. Hernias are no big deal, as far as surgeries go, but still they require anaesthesia which always carries risks.

I was so scared letting the nurse take my little boy away.

In the end, he came out great. The staff had all been amazing which helped me through the whole thing. Before the surgery we got to meet with the surgeon, the anaestheologist, and the nurses who would be involved. They all took their time with us, they were wonderful with our kids, and they made everything so easy to understand. Warm smiles help when handing your little boy over for some pretty serious care.

As soon as he woke up he was back to his old self. Well, a grumpy version of his old self, anyway. We all stayed with him that night, and the nurses brought in a full sized cot for Clayton and Kadie to sleep on. I slept with Clay in his hospital bed. The next day we got to go back home.

Now my little man is running around the house like nothing happened. I beg him to slow down, and he answers me with a "no". He is full speed ahead, and the only thing that can stop him is a cough. When he coughs he lets out an "oow!" and holds his tummy. When we acknowledge his pain and tell him how sad his oowie is he get a satisfied little look on his face and keeps on truckin'.

What a cute little guy he is.

The whole experience reminds me that life is so fragile, and I can never know how long I will have with the ones I love.

And yet I find peace in Jesus, handing my future over to him, and placing my family in His hands.

He knows what I cannot, and He loves in a way I will never be able to.

Thank you, Jesus, for keeping my little boy well and for giving me even more time with such a wonderful family that I love.

the bizarre ways of minnesotans

2010-03-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

We do some pretty strange things up here in Minnesota. If you ask a local, they wont know what you're talking about, but I know because I was born and raised in the DC Metro area ( Aka : Civilization ) and so I recognize the oddities of Minnesota.

For example, here you will see Kadie, my daughter, getting ready for fishing on the lake with her cousin and her uncle just last Sunday. My hubby and I took our kids out and Kadie's uncle and cousin came to join us. There is still plenty of snow on the ground, but it has warmed up to a balmy 49 degrees which means we are all sweating.

Where is the lake, you ask? We'll, it's right there.

We're standing on it.

We're all standing on it.

This is actually a children's fishing event. It's to encourage families to take their kids out ice fishing and to promote the sport. There are prizes and free food for the kids. They think it's pretty amazing.

The lake has been frozen since December, and we all want to go fishing, darn it! So, out we go onto the lake. Why should southerners have all the fun? But we don't want to have to walk all the way out to where the fishing is good, so we drive out instead.

A parking lot forms on the lake. Don't worry. The ice is plenty thick by this time of year. Semi's are welcomed.

And don't mind the cracks either. They are perfectly safe.

We drill holes in the ice and we drop in our bait which happens to be a fish. Clay is in love. He won't put them down.

My kids take it pretty seriously. They both wait patiently by their holes with rods in hand.

That picture of Clay may look a bit alarming. Don't worry. All that dark is mostly solid ice with just a bit of water on it. The actual hole is very small since we are only fishing for perch. Way too small for a child to fall into.

They don't catch anything, but when it's time to leave and their bait is reeled back in, they think they have! I mean, it's a fish, right?! Dad lets them hold their catch.

We had a great time out in the sun together as a family, and when it's time to go we pile back into the car. Clay falls asleep right away, tired after such a big day.

Now is when the real waiting starts. We are in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the lake. I have no idea how many cars were out there, but it was definetly hundreds. They were hoping to get 2,000 kids to come out and fish.

In all my years sitting in the DC Metro area's traffic I never experienced bumper-to-bumper on a lake.

A special thanks to my crazy, Minnesotan hubby for taking us all out on the ice last Sunday. It was bizarre and wonderful :)

today mixed honesty. hold the frills.

2010-03-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

It's dreary outside. I saw the sun for a few minutes yesterday before it went back into hiding, but I think Sunday was the last day we had nice, sunny weather.

My house needs to be picked up, my sink is overwhelmed with dirty dishes, and I am seriously wearing a T-shirt with bugs painted on it. It's the only thing clean that fits my baby belly at the moment.

I'm in the mood to eat, but not cook.

My floor needs vacumming, and the inside of my fridge could really use a good scrub.

But I don't want to do any of it.

All this to say, I'm human too. Isn't that nice to hear sometimes?

On a positive note, I'm having a good hair day. I feel better every time I see my hair the mirror. I'm growing it out, so good hair days are very encouraging. And I'm in a pretty good mood otherwise, just feeling rather sluggish and unmotivated.

I'm okay with that. We all have our days, right? Let's not be too hard on ourselves :)

photo 101

2010-03-08T23:44:00.000-08:00

Look at what a difference a little bit of knowledge can make. In this case...
Bit of knowledge : The angle that you take the photo at can have a big impact on the outcome.

I started off in a chair with just a "point-and-shoot" of Clay reading a book...

Then I decided to get off my tush to try and get a better photo and soon found myself laying on the floor, grunting as I tried to manuver around my pregnant belly. This is what I got...

Much better, don't you think? But I should warn you, kids sometimes take advantage of this...

He sees poor, pregnant mom stranded on the floor...

and wastes no time carrying out his plan...

He runs...

He closes in...

And there are no more pictures as I was too busy being a horse to operate a camera.

Lesson learned : Get down at their level when taking photos of kids, get the photos you want quickly, and have a plan of escape, because, as it turns out, the only advantage we have over them is height!

Enjoy :)

inspire me moday

2010-03-08T07:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! We had a fun and eventful weekend ( I'll share a little later in the week ), and today I am ready to relax, not one bit bummed about the cloudy weather we are having.

For Inspire Me Monday, I hope you will enjoy this incredible video showcasing human creativity. I can't imagine what it took to come up with this one!

If it's not coming up for ( or if you want to watch it on a bigger screen ) you then you can follow this link.

Enjoy!

spring fever

2010-03-05T14:47:00.000-08:00

Wanna see what I've been working on today?

Plans, plans, and more plans for gardens, chickens, and composting. I'm new to all three of them so I've got a lot to learn. What am I telling myself over and over? Keep it simple. Good advice when you're just starting out, but hard to follow when you are just stating out! It's easy to get a little carried away at times :)

I can't help it. It's warming up and the fever is hitting me. Are you feeling it?

baby, slow this mama down

2010-03-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

I have re-written this post a dozen times, because, even though this is my blog, I don't want to preach to you; I want to talk to you. I don't want to tell you about it; I want to talk to you about it. And this topic is one that is personal and "of-the-heart" which means it can make for hurt feelings. Something I am not wanting to cause.

Yet, women-to-women, I am hoping we can talk about it...

Please forgive me for the 'round-a-bout way of going at this, but it started with this: I don't like when people use the phrase "nursing on-demand". It makes it sound like we have demanding babies, and we are giving into their bad behavior as if our hands are tied.

I have read about some popular Christian parenting method that say things like "feedings need to be parent-directed not child-directed" and "this is essential if our kids are going to be godly and obedient."

What? I don't think so.

And I am amazed because I have seen more and more parents feeling threatened by their kids, even as infants. "My baby is demanding I feed her. What should I do? She is demanding. She needs to obey me, not me obey her!"

All I can think is "Relationship". Have we forgotten that the parent-child relationship is a relationship?

I don't like calling it "nursing on-demand", but rather "nursing on-cue". My babies gave me cues that they wanted to nurse, and I responded by nursing them. I wanted them to know that the world was a good place to be and that they were loved. I wanted to meet their basic needs as they made them known to me because I wanted them to trust me.

I didn't look to a schedule. I looked to my baby.

I know, it's not convenient. It's true that nursing babies can really slow a mama down ...Nursing babies can really slow a mama down... This is a gift, if only we would embrace it.

That makes me think... and this is where it really gets personal. Are moms in America slowing down to nurse their babies? To be with their babies?

It's been on my mind a lot lately.

Most Americans would look at my family and say we did it backwards. We got married and had kids before securing the jobs, the cars, and the house. Now, here we are renting a cheap apartment while my husband works and finishes school so that the job and the house can come later.

"Backwards", yet I find myself able to stay at home with my kids while others who did things the "right" way are needing both parents to work so that they can maintain the cars and the house. Where are there kids? Daycare, starting at six weeks old, sucking a silicone nipple in someone else's arms.

Ouch. I am cringing. That sounds so harsh, and yet it is true. My heart breaks. Those mom's can't stay home with their babies short of selling their homes and making major life changes... What's a mom to do?

I took Kadie into a Best Buy when she was a few months old and a young employee stopped me. She told me that she had a son and ran to grab a picture of him for me to see. Her eyes lit up as she raved about him and how much he had grown in just a few short weeks. Then she told me all about how her 6 week maternity leave had been too short and how she missed him terribly. He was in daycare and her heart broke for him while they were apart, but what could she do? It was the only way her and her husband could stay afloat amidst all the bills they had taken on.

Babies can really slow a mama down, and yet it is a good thing. I wish it didn't have to be so hard in our society... But this is the way we have made it. Isn't there something we can do to get mama's and babies back together again? I think talking about it is the first step which is why I am choosing to post this, unsure of the response I might get and concerned about the feelings that may get hurt.

Let's talk. What do you think?

( And please be loving, whatever you say. )

the compact reviewed

2010-03-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

February is over and so is The Compact. Whew. I passed... I think. No, wait. I failed. It was all kind of a blur, and if there is one thing I learned it's that I am a horrendous procrastinator and don't plan ahead... unless it's fun for me.

I make a to-do list and all the fun things get done first. Next comes the things that HAVE to be done, and most everything else gets pushed back.

We had A LOT going on this month, and I didn't plan gifts like I should have. In the end I stuck to The Compact, just barely pulling things off, until my sister-in-law had her baby, and we went to visit the next day which was also the last day of the month. I was thrilled, had nothing planned, and happily skipped around Wal-Mart buying gifts for baby and siblings, not even realizing that it was still February. Honestly, I'm glad it never struck me!

So, yes, I failed. But I did great with Kadie's birthday if that makes up for anything. We made cupcakes and placed fun handmade flags on the tops of them. Kadie also got to pick out a special dinner, whatever she wanted, and I made her an ABC painting book. She is obsessed with letters and art right now so I grabbed a water color pad I hadn't broken into yet and drew a different letter on each page for her to paint. She loved it and is trucking her way through the alphabet! Dad went out and bought her a board game... who said he had to participate?

For my sister-in-law's birthday we picked up a locally-made bird feeder. Did I mention that I really love buying handmade now? And we've gotten to meet local artist in the process. For our anniversary my husband got me a beautiful necklace made by an artist in town, and he even got to talk to her quite a bit.

Other pluses are that I am totally turned on to "junking" now. That's buying things used at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, etc. Not only is it fun, but you find some really amazing stuff! ...and a whole lot of junk too.

So, what do you think? Did you participate in The Compact? How did you do?

100 Splendid Photos

2010-03-02T06:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, March is flying in fast! We had a very busy weekend followed by a very busy Monday, and I am just now getting a chance to sit down at my computer. I have lots to share. It will take me at least a week! I want to talk about The Compact now that it's over, share our February photo, let you know about some new things I am up to, and talk about a book I am reading. Where to start?

How about one of the new things I am up to? ( I can never save the best for last! )

I love art. I took all the art classes I could in school and experimented in all kinds of mediums. Since traveling and having kids I have whittled my art box down a bit, but photography has been easy for me to keep up with. Being a mom kind of lends itself to being a photographer what with such cute subject around all the time :)

I got to take a photography class in high school where I learned how to take better photographs and then develop them in the dark room, and I just loved it. What's not to love?

Later I saved up and bought a digital SLR ( a Cannon Rebel XT, classic choice for the pro-WANNA-BE like me ), and here I am, clicking away but not really improving. I've hit a wall and not yet climbed it.

I know a bit about exposure, ISO, apature, shutter speed, and depth of field, but I don't always apply everything I know on any given photo. I need lots of... purposeful practice. And I still have MUCH more to learn.

I have also been wanting to purchase Photoshop Elements so I can edit my photos more, but decided to give myself a little... incentive.

My external hard drive is a mess. There are photos everywhere and in no order what-so-ever. Hundreds need to be trashed and thousands need to be organized and backed up to another source. It is a daunting task for me as I have no idea where to start, and I have been putting it off for a year now.

I have decided that if I clean up my photos and get serious about improving as a photographer I can buy Photoshop Elements. Enter...

100 Splendid Photos

100 photos that I love. That's what it is going to take. 100 photos, taken by me, that I think are splendid (isn't that a fun word?), along with a clean external hard drive and photos backed up before I can buy Photoshop Elements.

This sounds like a very worthwhile deal for me :)

Here to help me as I pathetically muddle my way through this...

The Digital Photography Book: The Step-by-Step Secrets for How to Make Your Photos Look Like the Pros

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera

and

Photography ( Sixth Edition )

Sounds pretty fun, huh? So, when I find myself with a splendid photo I will post it for all to see and probably update you on how horribly I am doing with organizing. Anybody have a great method they use with their photos and love? Pointers? Advice? I'm all ears, because organization in NOT my thing. Especially when it's on the computer and not something I can touch and handle. My brain goes mush and my eyes start to cross. It's not pretty.

So, how are you liking the photos you're taking? Have any great books or websites on the subject?

look what i found...

2010-02-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the Free Your Soul - The Free Art Project yet?

I love Jo Askey's download under April 2009 and Sarah Parrott's download under March 2009.

Can you tell I'm ready for spring?

Enjoy!

boys are gross

2010-02-25T23:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, boys are gross

...and weird...

but us smart moms wouldn't have it any other way.

Because, as it turns out, frogs, snails, and puppy dog tails are all really cool things. Bugs aren't so creepy when you see them through the eyes of a child, it's actually cute when the finger discovers the nose ...in depth..., and wrestling is appealing when accompanied by squealing.

Besides, where would we be without our boys?

Our gross, weird ...and incredibly sweet... boys.

happy A to my babe

2010-02-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

Today I have been married for four years!

Four years of love

Four years of growth and discovery

Four years of dreaming like I never knew I could

and

Four years of learning the truth : that marriage is grand, and God's design is beautiful.

Being married to him has been bliss.

Photos anyone?

Yes, those are holes in his jeans! We're real hippies, you know :)

Smoochin' in a tree :)

Love

Barefoot the whole time :)

Where will we go from here? It's anyone's guess. But I bet it will be good!

Love you, babe. Happy 4th.

news and fun

2010-02-24T04:14:00.000-08:00

For a bit of news...

My BlogHerAds are up! Also, you can now subscribe to this blog via email, which I hope will be an easier method for many of you. You can sign up in the right column under "Subscribe Via Email". Everyday that something new goes up here you'll get an email letting you know :)

Kadie had a wonderful birthday on Monday even though she was sick with a stomach bug. She is a trooper, and just look at these great cupcakes we made! Kadie helped me every step of the way.

I downloaded the .PDF for the flags over at Sharilyn's blog. Isn't she so nice to share?

Kadie watched me make my flags and decided she needed to make some as well. So, all by herself and with no instruction from me (that's how she likes it!) this is what she came up with...

Impressive, don't you think?

So, it's been a slow, sweet, hangin'-with-my-kids kinda week. Just the kind of week I needed.

And as for the books I'm reading...

Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood : Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years

and

Not Just a Pretty Face : The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry

Both very promising! What are you reading?

meet Poverty this tuesday

2010-02-23T08:03:00.000-08:00

Please join Jamie as she meets with Poverty and Poverty's Poor in Costa Rica this Tuesday. It is a short read that will move you deeply.

Also, be sure to give Jamie an encouraging comment, and lets think and pray about what else we can be doing to help.

Jamie, thanks so much for sharing.

Now, click here for her post.

miss kadie reese

2010-02-22T06:49:00.000-08:00

Today, my little girl is three-years-old. Precious. Sweet. The apple of my eye. My little tiny baby turned three. Happy Birthday Kadie Reese. We adore you.

make room for the weird

2010-02-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew I had to say something. I was entrusting her with my little boy, just one year old, and she had to know the truth. How would he fair otherwise?

She paused, noticing my hesitation. I stuttered. My eyes flashed around the room to the other parents waiting behind me. All eyes were on me. Everyone was listening.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know," I stammered out, "if he smacks himself in the head it means he wants a drink."

'That was awkward. No one knows what to say.'

"Sign language gone wrong," I offered with smile.

"Ah!" and the room was light again. People were smiling, parents started telling each other similar stories behind me, and the volunteer in the church nursery nodded her head knowingly as I passed my little boy off to her.

Yes, sign language gone wrong.

It all started with Kadie, not quite one-year-old, as we tried to teach her the sign for 'water'. We modified it slightly, letting her bring her whole hand to her mouth instead of just three fingers. Still, she couldn't get it. She insisted on bringing her hand to her head. We decided that was fine since the goal was not for her to be fluent in American sign language. We only wanted her to let us know when she wanted a drink without yelling and fussing until we figured it out.

It worked perfectly. She patted her head so nicely, and we knew just what she wanted.

We did not foresee what was up ahead. There comes a time when kids start demanding things. When they are talking you can hear it in the tone of their voice. When they are signing... they sign harder. When she would insist on water her loving little pat on the head would turn into frantic smacking. And so we had what looked like a crazy child on our hands.

Imagine yourself living in India (where we were living at the time), speaking almost none of the native language, and trying to explain to concerned looking Indians that your little girl simply wants water when she starts smacking herself in the head. They are probably still wondering to this day...

And so Clay followed in his sisters footsteps. Try as I did, he could not pick up any sign I offered him... until I patted my head. He got it almost instantly.

Here I am, once more trying to explain to people ~~there is nothing wrong with~~ what is wrong with my child. And it gets worse. When he is eating spaghetti or peanut butter or mashed potatoes he has no problem continuing our family tradition... Can you picture it?

And yet it is this bizarre, sometimes embarrassing, often times messy trait that I have come to love so much. It's my kids. They are unique and silly, spontaneous and random. Somehow this weird little thing sums all that up; wraps it all in a vibrant and tangible package for me to cherish.

When the third baby comes... Well, let's just say I'm a sucker for punishment.

ads, an owl, and my soul laid bare

2010-02-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be important to share that I have not, in any way, sold my soul... just some space on my blog. I'm talking about ads.

This topic caused a lot of turmoil for me. I have found that I love blogging, and (let me be honest) I would love to make some money at it. I have been looking for something that would bring in a little more income, and I'm just not the Avon Lady type. Blogging is "my thing", I'm going to keep doing it, and if I could make some money off of it that would be great for me.

Unfortunatly, I don't get paid for just having people show up and read what I write. Ads are part of the deal if you want to make money blogging. Adsense wasn't hard for me to put up because their ads don't bother me. I decided to stick to just words, no pictures, and the colors match the rest of my blog. No big deal. Then I decided to apply with BlogHerAds even though they were not excepting new blogs at the time. They liked my blog and wanted to move it through.

I was thrilled. And at the same time, I was a deer in the headlights. Should I do it? Would my blog be consumed with the big blinking monster?; a commercial reeling next to the things I love?

I started noticing the adorable little owl at the bottom of some of the blogs I follow. "Ad-Free Blog", he stated. Others had buttons saying "Art Not Ads". I clicked the owl and found this statement...

By using this icon on my website I am stating...
1. That I am opposed to the use of corporate advertising on blogs.
2. That I feel the use of corporate advertising on blogs devalues the medium.
3. That I do not accept money in return for advertising space on my blog.
signed,
the author

"Ouch", I thought. I didn't agree with all that. Devaluing the medium? I read plenty of blogs with ads that have immense value... and ads, when used tastefully on blogs, had never bothered me before. I have come across some sites that put up TOO MANY, or opt for the annoying ads that roll out onto what you are trying to read. I never stay at those sites for very long, and I never go back, but a few little ads on the side?

And what about a blog makes it wrong to profit off of? Will an artist selling his paintings for money also devalue his work? Is money just a bad and evil thing?

I was stumped. I wanted the the cute, little (although slightly uppity) owl on my blog ALONG WITH some money coming in. I had to ask myself, "Am I a sell out?"

So, I took a good look at my soul. I found it was still in-tact. When I signed by the "X" with both Adsense and BlogHerAds my heart, my dignity, and my love for blogging were all unharmed. I didn't turn a few shades of green (I hear greed will do that to a person), and I did not get my hopes up, dreaming of making it big someday. I am still the same, simple girl with the same, simple purpose behind her blog, wondering if this may bless my family with a little extra income.

Adsense has made me smile by putting up shampoo ads when I write about my experience forgoing shampoo, and BlogHerAds has impressed me by giving me the option of opting out of ads that would "devalue" what I am trying to say here. Infant formula will never be advertised on my blog. Neither will political campains, junk foods, or hormonal birth controls. They have let me sell space on my blog with out "selling out".

You should see my new BlogHerAd running in the left column in the next few days. And, yes, this is the reason I took the trouble to create that new column! I wanted the ads to be seen, but I didn't want them cluttering up the rest of the site, so they got their own column.

I'm taking things one step at a time, and everything is on trial. I may decide that I don't like the ads I have allowed, and they may come down. For now I am trying things with them up, and I would love your input. If you hate them, let me know. Tell me why. If you find them helpful then let me know that too!

And as for that owl, someone should really wipe that look off his face.

an update on the compact

2010-02-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

The Compact I started at the beginning of the month is more than halfway over, and I have learned two things...

Thing One:

I am such a procrastinator. Remember this post where I said I would be hunting for 5 different item during this month, starting on Freecycle? Yeah, well... I have yet to do any of that. I just never get around to looking into it.

I also planned a sweet, handmade card for my hubby for Valentine's Day, and I am so embarrassed to confess... he has yet to see it. Isn't that awful?! I waited until the last minute and then found myself sick and practically useless. Of course, he didn't mind one bit (he thinks I'm cute!), and we spent a wonderful day dipping chocolate covered strawberries with the kids, taking a Sunday drive, and sharing a special movie night. But still. That is not cool of me.

Now I have Kadie's 3rd birthday coming up, and I cannot fail her! I am going to get this procrastinating thing under control if it's the only thing I do all month!

Thing Two:

Goodwill is awesome! We dropped by a week or two ago to have a look around, and I saw so much great stuff. We didn't go in with any money, and so we came out with nothing, but the finds there were incredible! I am looking forward to going back and bringing my camera along so I can give you a little tour. I wonder what we'll find then?

I'm going to check out some similar stores we have in town to see what else I can uncover.

And did you know that shopping in thrift stores, flea markets, and yard sales is called "Junking"? You know, like, "Hey, I'm gonna go junking. Wanna come?"

Well, yes. I most certainly do!

Hopefully I will be able to tell you how well I am doing in my next update...

How are you doing on The Compact?