Oh, Silly Mockingbird....

.... why do you mock me?!?!? Yes, we have a mockingbird who has decided to sit outside our window every night and sing at the top of his lungs. All night. I saw him today!!!! He even flew right by my chair and sat in a palm tree so I could get a really good look at him. I think he looked me in the eye!!!! I think he was saying, "Good to meet you! Rest assured, I will be singing AGAIN all night tonight in my same spot! On the wire RIGHT OUTSIDE OF YOUR WINDOW!!!!!" Oy. It is beautiful, but why must it be during the night? So I did a little research.

It turns out that when they are mating (and it's apparently mating season), they sing all day and all night until they find their mate. Let's pray for the mocking bird! Please join me in prayer that he finds his mate very soon!

Just for your amusement, here are a couple of short versions of what I hear all night:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/wica/Sounds/Northern_Mockingbird.wav

http://homepage.corbina.net/~galkao/page/Misc/birds/mimus.wav

Actually, click on all of the sound bites on this page: http://www.findsounds.com/ISAPI/search.dll?keywords=mockingbird - They all reflect the all night party!!

Happy sleeping!

COUPONS!!!!

I can now understand how women get so excited about coupon savings that they dedicate so much time to searching, matching and posting about them. Today I went to CVS Pharmacy to purchase diapers. Pampers were on sale! For anyone who has read some of my past posts, I have loved Pampers since my girls were newborns. I have tried several diapers over the past few months trying to lower my cost and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by Huggies Little Movers! I have stayed with that one for a while because many places had them on sale (at different times) and I had coupons, thanks to the Sunday papers and the coupons that the Huggies company sent me. yes, if you email them and let them know you need coupons, they send you a $3 and a $1 coupon!

This week at CVS, Pampers are on sale for $8.97 with $3 cash back rewards if you have a CVS card (only takes a few minutes t fill out the info and you can do it online). I went in with my $2 manufacturer's coupon and paid just $6.97 plus tax, a price that is the same as the Target UP & Up diapers. I walked out and read the fine print on my $3 cash rewards coupon that printed out and realized I can go back tonight or tomorrow, pick up another bag of diapers, use my $3 cash rewards coupon AND my $2 manufacturer's coupon and only pay $3.97 for the bag! That's only 20 cents a diaper, people! AND YES! It gets better. I will still get another $3 cash rewards coupon when I buy the second bag! That is like getting the bag for just 97 cents! AND I got a coupon in my email for a free gift a body wash or sweet snack. I was just looking at those body washes today. Guess where I am going tomorrow! "Oh, what a feeling, when you're dancing on the ceiling!" I am totally psyched about the coupon game! This is not what my blog will become, but I did have to share my finds and excitement. There aren't very many coupons that I use since most of the food items are for processed foods and the cosmetics and things are still too expensive even with the coupon (since I am also inspired by and living on Bargain Lane), so when I find these kinds of deals, I can't help but to get SOOOOO very excited.

What are your great coupon stories?

Mom Bloggers

Have you noticed how many mom bloggers are out there today? Many different takes on things, different ideas on what their blog should be or represent, reviews, laughs, family, trials .... you name it, it's out there. And this is what people are reading today! Not just women, but men too. What draws people to the sites of mom bloggers? Why do so many people want to follow the thoughts and happenings of moms?

Here is my take on it. All moms, whether stay-at-home or working, have a different perspective on life. Even different from the perspective they had before becoming a mom. Why? Children! Children forever change the way you look at and handle anything and everything. Life becomes a jumbled heap of dirty laundry, complete with about ten new job descriptions to uphold, and it is now our job to figure out how to juggle it all.... or not. To leave a mess on the floor in order to create a memory. To forget about the dishes in the sink in order to laugh. To realize that the "perfection" you maintained before is no longer a reality. In the midst of all of the adjustment, we have come to realize a new perfection. One that includes being covered in food or other things, being able to laugh in the midst of the storm, learning how to juggle more things than you ever imagined you could. Learning how to write blog posts like this while being asked a zillion questions by your husband and 2 children and intercepting before fights start between the kids! Yes, that is what I am doing right now. The glamorous life of a mom is now the hottest topic on the block!

What else do moms bring to the table? Too much to reference! Here are a just a few thoughts: Moms are some of the most creative and successful entrepreneurs. We have some of the best product ideas, become more creative in terms of how to make and save money, develop increased business knowledge and skills.... all due to busy schedules, the need to make things easier, ability to multitask and handle so much all at once and 24/7, first-hand experience on what kinds of things are needed and wanted. Thus comes the mom motivation. We understand first-hand how much it costs (financially and emotionally) to raise children and it creates motivation to be creative! Creative shopping and selling, playing the coupon game, creating charts, menus, sewing, crafting, etc. and blogging about it! Selling it! Utilizing the talents we have been given to generate income, fulfill needs and add another thing to our already full plates. Living life and blogging about it.

So kudos to all the mom bloggers out there. We have the perspective on life that everyone longs to know, understand and live. Okay, maybe they don't all want to live it but let's face it. Everyone is entertained and intrigued by the life of a mom. As well they should. It is by far the hardest job on the planet, yet THE most rewarding. If everyone can "experience" and begin to understand how someone who is pulled in so many directions and juggles so many different hats can still laugh in the midst of the dirty diapers, mountains of laundry, secretions of all kinds on their clothing, unending dishes, days full of whine and overall feeling of a shlump-a-dump, then maybe we would all experience less stress, take time to breathe, enjoy each moment, feel more free and understand that everything is a season. Enjoy where you are. There is purpose, even in the worst of it all. Even when you can't see a light in the midst of all the darkness. There is a way out. Learn to love where you are, the season that you are in and love who you are becoming in the process. OH! And the most important part .... REMEMBER TO LAUGH! It does a person good.

Goofy Lu

So, last night I was trying to keep the exhausted mood light (for both Abi and myself), so when Abi wasn't being obedient I tried to turn it into something silly. So that we could both sleep better since it was bedtime. It was more to keep me from flying off the handle - I was POOPED and so out of patience. Abi was testing boundaries, something she does WAY too well, and wouldn't finish her bathroom/ bedtime routine. I said to her, "Come on, Goofy Lu. Let's go." She giggled and said, "Mommy, what's a Goofy Lu?" I answered, "It is someone who is SOOOO silly." Her response? "And sweet..... and wonderful.... and precious.... and beautiful......" I smiled and replied, "Yes. You, my dear, are all of those things." She smiled, giggled some more and finished her routine.

Today I caller her a "punkin."

Abi: "Mommy, what's a punkin?"

Me: "Someone who is sweet."

Abi: "And cute..... and wonderful..... and peaceful..... and beautiful..... and ALL those thing!"

As she smiled, I told her that she was indeed all of those things!

We have had some VERY trying days with Abi. She is 3 1/2 and is really pushing closer to every line to see how much she can get away with. One of the hardest parts of being a parent is discipline and follow-through. Even this morning, after we got home from the mall, I had to put her in her bedroom and close the door until she could stop screaming so that we could communicate. It was about 30 minutes of all out, full blown screaming. Just when I think I am the worst and meanest mom on the planet, out pop reminders that I am also a loving, nurturing and encouraging mother. For Abi to be able to speak all of these wonderful and true adjectives and traits about herself is fabulous! And in recalling those adjectives herself, she is reminded of how sweet and wonderful God has created her to be. So am I. It is hard to see through and past the tantrums, but God has such a sweet way of reminding us that we are indeed doing a good job. That we are encouraging and nurturing. He has such a sweet way of speaking to us.... to me. I am thankful that He speaks to me through my children.

Part 2

Okay, so I have been thinking and praying about my last post. And as I was praying, an email popped into my inbox that was supposed to be filtered to another box. I opened it, read a few blog posts that were listed and all of a sudden ideas flooded into my head! Thank you Jesus! It is all jumbled at the moment, but I can say that I am excited about the possibility of being able link a few of those gifts and passions together.... writing, adoption, working from home.... I'll keep you posted! I am researching right now and getting letters together, but I just had to share the news. Stay tuned.

What to do....

I have been struggling lately with discovering what kinds of things I could do from home to bring in some money. I am not a sales person, so selling some kind of product is not for me - I have tried it. I used to sell Pampered Chef and while I LOVED doing the shows and totally believe in, love and stand by their products, the paperwork just about did me in every time. So, back to the drawing board.

Maybe I could sew! I would love to sew! Wait... I don't have a sewing machine. Can't knit, can't crochet, not really into scrapbooking..... hmmmm. Let's change thought patterns. What CAN I do? Ummm.... sometimes I can write, but as we can see here I sure don't seem to have the time. Maybe I could work more on that. I could. I can edit. I can sing. I can listen. I can cook/bake. What kinds of things am I passionate about? Passionate about orphans, foster care, adoption, worship....

You thought this was going somewhere, didn't you? HA! I can see hear the puzzled wheels turning as you read this strange list of can-dos and passions. I am just as puzzled. I find myself asking God what in the world I can do that incorporates these things so that I can look to potentially bring in some money to contribute to our household income. Something I could do from home. Yes, I think that was the sound of a big ol' wrench that stopped the wheels from turning. He has created me with a purpose and gifted me with these talents, so He must have something in mind. He has blessed me with two beautiful little girls to mother, so I believe the "at home" piece is possible too. So now I throw it all out there to see what you have to say. Hear your thoughts and see if you might help me loosen this wrench. And if you know me and I have left something off the list, please do remind me.

OK! Forum OPEN! :-)

Reviews?

So, I am starting to think this may turn into a blog of reviews... at least for a little.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am trying out different diapers. I tried the Kidget Diapers from Family Dollar Store and while they were softer than many (more of a fabric feel on the outside), they didn't hold overnight and my sweet girl has had a rash since we put them on her. I will say that they are true-to-size though and seem to fit well. They are bigger in the waist than the Pampers Cruisers, but they were still tight enough for my slim girl. What they are lacking is the piece that keeps moisture off the baby's skin. I think this may be something only Pampers has. At least from what I have found so far. I feel I can now check this one off the list.

I am now trying out the Target Up & Up Brand of diapers. I have read a ton of reviews on all kinds of diapers and it seems that many people have a problem with the pastel blue and green polk-a-dots on the outside. Here are my thoughts on that. Who cares? Almost every diaper has some kind of pattern on them and they are going to show through fabric. Everyone knows that baby's and toddlers wear diapers, so I really don't care what the diaper itself looks like. Now on to the diaper appearance and performance. I have not yet used it over night, but from first glance the construction and feel look exactly like that from the Family Dollar Store. I have a feeling they will perform about the same. The waist is about the same size as the Kidgets and again, the Up & Up are true-to-size. My sweet girls still has a rash, but I will continue to use these until this small bag is gone. I will just put Aquaphor on her tush.

Now onto Aquaphor. If you haven't hear of this product or used it, you need to go buy it and make it a staple in your home! I think I could also write a blog about diaper cream reviews since I have tried them all.... including prescription. I can honestly say that nothing works like Aquaphor! And we use it for everything. My older daughter used to have THE worst diaper rashes. Her skin is so very sensitive. After trying every cream and seeing the pediatrician for a prescription that didn't work, we tried this. It cleared up overnight!! We also used it on the face (cheeks, nose and mouth) when we lived up north to block wind and cold. Worked like a charm! I use it on my dry feet and hands overnight and by morning, you wouldn't know I had dry feet or hands. I use it on my lips when they are chapped too. When my children get little chapped places on their fingers or face, I put it on and everything clears right up. It is a bit expensive, but well worth every penny. If you have a membership to Costco or BJ's, go ahead and splurge on the giant container. We had one on each floor of the house and in the girls' room. It lasts forever since you only need to use a little.

I will continue to post on diapers as I try them, and I think I will begin posting on other things too! Please let me know what you are wondering about. Maybe I have already tried something or am about to and can let you know the verdict! Today I encourage you to go out and find some Aquaphor. I now live in the south and never have super cold weather, but still use Aquaphor daily. Buy and enjoy!!!!