My daughter was so excited when the football student section themes were decided upon...she was especially thrilled that there was an 80's night. She started asking me questions about what was in style in the 80's. Now being from a rural town in the Midwest, the style was fairly tame besides big hair.

She wasn't convinced though because she had searched 80's styles.
And she was certain that the outfit she had in mind was
definitely what was worn by everyone in the 80's including
me her dear old mom. Never mind the fact that I was born in
1980, so I was in my early childhood years and definitely not
concerned with fashion. I wore dresses that my mom had sewn,
lots of large floral print, and sweatshirts with ruffled shoulders.

However, thanks to the Internet, my 15 year old believes
that I went around in clothes like this...

So, I would just like to thank all of the search engines for helping

my daughter to believe that everyone in the 80's went around in the clothes

worn by the ladies in the workout videos. If only my life had actually

been that cool, lol!

But sadly dear daughter, I will put it in words you will understand by quoting Danny Duncan "No it's not that!"

How my list making addiction benefited my family

So, confession time...I am addicted to making lists. I absolutely love, love, LOVE to create lists. It can be a list for chores, groceries, to prepare for an event, anything really. I will even admit that I get more satisfaction from creating the list than I do actually doing any of the items on the list. LOL

However, I have found that making lists has actually made me and my family better at actually completing an entire task. For instance, cleaning the house is one thing that the entire family seems to easily get side-tracked on. And none of us our immune from our inability to stay focused.

The youngest started cleaning the kitchen, but when she went outside to take out the trash, she saw the kitten and had to stop and pet it. Then she realized the kitten needs food, and that her box needs a fresh blanket put down. Two hours later, my sweet girl comes back inside from taking out the trash and completely forgets to finish cleaning the kitchen.

My son was given the chore of doing laundry. While collecting dirty clothes from all bedrooms, he notices his sister's wrestling bag on the floor which reminded him that he forgot to bring in his practice clothes after open mats the night before. When he goes into the garage to get his clothes from the truck, he sees the sign that he had painted for his room and left to dry. So, he brings it inside to hang on his wall, yet still never grabbed his practice clothes from the truck or even changed around one load of laundry.

I could actually make lists upon lists (we know how much I love to make lists) of the ways that all of us get distracted. Not one member of our household is immune from it.

So how have we worked together to come to a solution for this issue?

I made a list!!! I know you're shocked right now!!! haha I actually made several lists...ahhh talk about therapeutic. Mama's now in her happy place.

Here's how I did it:

I stopped trying to make it about doing one chore for the whole house at once. Instead, I broke each room down. So, laundry no longer includes going room to room to collect dirty clothes, washing windows doesn't mean every window in the house, even sweeping the floors is done room by room.

I, also, I made the lists very specific, and each list is put in the room that it is for, so if I am cleaning the kitchen and get distracted in another room, I can come right back to see what needs completed. Sometimes I will even start on lists in another room. Like when I'm putting away laundry that has been piled on the living room couch, I will see the list in my room and decide that I should go ahead and make my bed. I enjoy doing it that way. I like going room to room and doing a few things, but thanks to my lists, I know exactly what else still needs to be completed. I just turn on the music and go at my own pace.

Now the kids, they like to make it into a competition to see who can complete the most list items the fastest, and as they complete something, it gets crossed off and initialed. They have always enjoyed competing over everything from who can eat their food the fastest, who can get their seat belt on first, and now who can complete the most number of chores!

I'm not going to complain at all about their competitiveness if it means the chores are getting done! Mama gets to make lists and clean at her pace, and the kiddos have found a way to make it fun for them. Where as before there was always fighting about who had to do which chore. Now they look at the list and get to work.

Here's a few examples of the lists that I make for each room:

Upstairs bathroom
Clean mirror
clean mirror frame
clean window, make sure to clean the window sill
clean off and organize vanity countertop
wipe down vanity countertop, sink, and faucet
clean inside toilet bowl
wipe off outside of toilet bowl and the top, sides, and bottom or tank
clean shower walls, shower floor, shower head
take dirty clothes to the laundry room
sweep and mop floors

Dining room
clean off table
wash table top and dry it
put table runner back on, if it is dirty, take to laundry and put a new table runner down
wipe down chairs: backs, seats, legs
if chair cushions are dirty, use a rag and spot treat it
move all chairs to sweep and mop under table
wash window, this means also flipping window in to wash the outside of it
take all shoes to the front closet or bedrooms of the shoe owner and washing the window track
sweep and mop the floor by the patio door
wash patio door - inside, outside, and door track

As you can see the list is comprehensive, not just clean off the table which to me as mom would include everything listed. However, I have learned that to my husband and children, clean off the table simply means removing items from the table and does not include actually washing it down, replacing dirty table runners, etc. I have found the more detailed I am, the better it all gets done.

We are far from perfect, and there are days that even my lists aren't able to save us. But they do help a ton, and I hope they will help you, too!

And remember...a messy house means that you've been blessed with a family that is loving life, well-dressed, and eating well!

7 Last minute costume ideas that are easy on the pocket book

Halloween is just 2 weeks away, and if you're anything like me, it came faster than you were prepared for. Luckily, for me, the girls had already decided on costumes a while ago and planned them out themselves this year. However, that hasn't always been the case!

Now I am not one that is going to rush out and spend way too much money on a flimsy costume that will most likely have the stitching rip out before we even get home from trick-or-treat, but I still want my kids to be able to dress up as something better than a ghost in a sheet with eye holes cut out.  So, that means it’s time to get creative. Here's seven of great alternatives to spending a lot of money that we have come up with over the years. Most of these are free or next to free!

Who doesn't love that?!!!!

#1 Cowboy/Cowgirl

What’s cuter than a little cowboy/cowgirl? And it honestly doesn’t get much simpler. The year Penelope wanted to be a cowgirl, we started by looking through her closet. We found a  plain white shirt to pair with a jean jacket, cowboy boots, and one of my cowboy hats, and her look was almost complete. She opted for a skirt instead of jeans, but we didn’t have a jean skirt that fit her at the moment. Easy fix, I cut strips of fabric from some scraps I had from a quilt tied them onto a ribbon and tied the ribbon around her waist! Zero dollars for an adorable cowgirl! I call that a win-win for everyone

#2 Nerd

When Gretchen came to me and said that she wanted to be a nerd, I was immediately smiling. She had found a picture of a costume that she liked, but she said she was pretty sure that she already had everything in her closet. She was right for the most part. She had the skinny jeans, button shirt, and hair bows. She had to borrow the suspenders and bow tie from her brother, and we made a quick trip to the dollar store for a pair of glasses. I now was the proud mom to the sweetest little nerd that you’ll ever meet!

#3 Pumpkin

I was not sure about this one when Gretchen approached me with it. She said, “mama, all I need this year is face paint, my orange dress and one of dad’s old hunting hats that he no longer wears. This was truly a no sweat costume, and in the end, I cherished the memory of watching her create her own unique look.

#4 Raggedy Ann

Blue long sleeve under a white sun dress, red yarn attached to an old stocking cap, and face paint. Sounds easy enough doesn’t it. You know why it sounds that way? Because it is! I picked up a few partial skeins of red yarn from the local thrift store for under $1 each. With a few running stitches, I was able to attach the yarn down the center of the stocking cap, separate it into pig tails, and add a few stitches here and there to hold it in place. Add some red checks and lips and some eye lashes and freckles and we had a charming little rag doll!

#5 Vampire

Logan hasn’t dressed up for a few years…the difference between a teenage boy and teenage girls, I guess. But one of the last years he did dress up, he wanted to be a vampire. I scrolled through pages of costumes looking for the perfect vampire costume, when it suddenly struck me that all these costumes were cheap, thin, and expensive. Also, they had a strong resemblance to the outfit that he had worn for Christmas Mass the prior year. Light bulb moment!!! I could order his suit for Christmas now, and he could wear it for both Halloween and Christmas! Feeling like a genius, I placed the order and made my trip to the dollar store to pick up a set of vampire teeth and some white & red face paint.

#6 Teddy Bear

Who doesn’t have a giant teddy bear sitting around? And if you don’t, there are usually plenty to choose from at thrift stores. We actually got ours from a neighbor that was going to throw it away. With a few carefully placed snips to the seems in the back, we were able to pull out all the stuffing. One quick run through delicate cycle in the washing machine and a tumble on low heat, and the bear costume was ready. Well, we thought it was ready. We did have to cut new eye holes and cut out the bottom of the feet since the girls’ legs were a little too long, but the girls still look great!

#7 Cat…or zombie cat as was the case at our house

Black leggings and a black hoodie…Can you say closet essentials? Add a pair of cat ears and tail from the dollar store with a little face paint, and you have the perfect feline for under $5!

I hope these help get your creative juices flowing! Happy trick-or-treating everyone!

Public restrooms - North Carolina and Target are wrong

So here's my thoughts on public restrooms...
North Carolina should not have passed any laws stating people must use the bathroom corresponding to their birth sex and Target should have never passed an open door policy -both are wrong in my opinion! If someone is born a woman or is truly transgender identifying as a woman, then there should be no problem with them using the women's restroom, and I doubt that anyone would question it. I'm not going to ask someone that looks like a woman (even if they just kinda look like a woman) why they are in the women's restroom. I could care less what they were born that is their life, not mine. However, an open door policy allows someone that is a man, with perverse intentions, to enter the women's restroom no questions asked - no objections permitted. This is a problem. This has nothing to do with transgender people. This has everything to do with regulations that are in place to protect citizens - including transgender whom could also be subject to abuse from predators. I'm sure we have all used restrooms when transgender people have also been in there, and we never knew it. We never knew or questioned because they looked like the sex that the restroom was for. But when I do walk into a restroom, I want to have the right to be able to tell a burly bearded man (or anyone looking like a man) that they are not in the correct facility. I realize that a sign on a wall won't stop all predators, and some are of the same sex, but that sign does give me the right to question a man in the women's restroom. That sign gives me the right to call management to remove that person. Without the sign, and regulations that sign represents, I cannot do either of these things. I'm not sure this will make sense to anyone else, but I wanted to share my thoughts. I'm sure some of you will agree and some will not, and I'm open to any civil discussion anyone may want to have. Also, if you do agree, please feel free to share this, as I hope it can shine a light on it for those that don't understand this viewpoint. The greatest part about living in this country is that we all have the right to disagree and express our thoughts freely without fear of punishment from our government. May God bless America and all of you!

Lenten Season Preparation

Crown of thorns our 4 kids made. Each day of Lent, they will remove one thorn/toothpick.

Fat Tuesday is here, and it is time to prepare my family and myself for the glory that is the resurrection of Jesus Christ! Today we rejoice and reflect in what it means to be ready to partake in the celebration of the resurrection. We have always known the Lenten Season to be a time of sacrifice, but do we truly understand what that means? How do we make sure that we are aware of what it means to sacrifice and prepare?

Reconciliation
Going to reconciliation is scary. I even stopped going for several years as an adult because I was worried about what the priest would think of me. How could I face him on Sunday morning after he has heard the things that I have done, said, or thought about doing? Thankfully, we have had wonderful priests that have reminded me that everyone sins and everyone can be cleansed of their sins if they are truly sorry. What a powerful thing! To know that God loves us all so much that he knows we will sin and yet continues to love us. All we have to do is say that we are sorry and truly feel that way and we will be forgiven! How amazing is that! Our priest we have now has also told me that it is humbling for him to listen to the confessions of the parishioners. He has also felt like a failure for sinning and listening to confessions reminds him that he is not alone in this journey to follow the Lord. We, too, must realize that we are not alone in this adventure and that we are not the only ones that step off the path on the journey. Please remember that going to reconciliation helps free you from the guilt and weight of carrying your sins with you forever...even our older kids have commented on how they feel better about themselves after going to reconciliation. The personal reflection that is done to prepare for reconciliation helps us to become more aware of changes we need to make to better follow the Word of God.

Discuss Sacrifice
Too often we think of sacrifice in the terms of giving up candy, soda pop, sweets, or other junk food. We need to realize that sacrifice is also in giving up nontangible things such as gossiping, yelling, lying, pouting, and just being negative, etc... Think about that. Which is harder to do: go 40 days without candy or go 40 days without gossiping?  Which of these is more of a sacrifice for you? This year we decided to do a family activity that involved each of us to pick something to give up and something to take up. The give up fell within the parameters that one would assume we would all pick: pop, candy, ice cream, playing on electronic video games. The take up had to be something that was a behavior in which we would become a more positive person: no fighting with siblings, no yelling (that one is mine), making the bed every morning without being asked, and no whining when asked to help with chores. I'm really excited to see where this will take us!

Take Up & Give Up craft made by our 8 year old.

Inside of her Take Up and Give Up craft

Do For Others
We have really strived to our kids how important it is to be a good family member, friend, neighbor, and nothing makes me happier than seeing the kids do those random acts of kindness. During the Lenten season, we have made it our mission to do at least one act of kindness for others...something extra that we aren't already doing. The kids have already started making a list of things: walk the elderly neighbor's dog on cold days, help clean up the neighbors' yards once the snow melts, spend an hour one afternoon helping people carry their groceries to their cars, their lists go on and on in this fashion. Our 12 year old just added help Miss Mary (our 84 year old widowed neighbor) take care of Carver (her dog that has gotten sick and needs daily meds which Mary isn't able to administer on her own).

Forgive
Far too often we carry not only our own sins with us as baggage, but we also refuse to let go of any sin that has been done to us. Remember when praying the Our Father we ask God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us. Think about that. We want God to forgive us, and we must also be willing to forgive others. This is hard. It is easier to say that we are sorry for something we have done than it is for us to give forgiveness to those that have wronged us. The act of forgiveness not only benefits the person that we are forgiving, but it also helps us to let go of any feelings of injustice or hatred that we may be harboring because of the wrong that was done. Remember that we are all sinners, and we must be willing offer the forgiveness to others that we seek for our own sins. I have found that sometimes it is hard for me to call someone and let them know that I forgive them or ask for their forgiveness, so I have started writing letters. I am able to get all of my thoughts out without the worry of something coming out wrong. Usually I will receive a phone call from whomever I sent the letter to, and others times I will receive a letter back. It is wonderful to get something besides a bill in the mail, and it is wonderful to know that I have given forgiveness to someone or been able to apologize for something that I have done.

In the end, the one thing we want is to get ourselves to the point where we realize that we aren't worthy of the love that God and Jesus have shown for us yet we know that we have done our best to acknowledge our unworthiness and appreciation for it all. Remember God giving us his son, Jesus, and Jesus being willing to give of himself, is the reason that we celebrate this season. And if God and Jesus could give so much of themselves, it is only fitting that we should also give of ourselves more than what we may feel comfortable giving.

What are some of the ways that your family prepares during the Lenten season?

God bless all of you and your family!

6 Cures For Your Family's Winter Blues

Are you starting to feel like the winter blues are pulling you down? I know that I was. I kept telling myself that in just a matter of 4-6 weeks, the sun will be out, the snow will be melted (at least for the most part); we will be able to enjoy being outside once again. These reassurances, although nice to think about, were not pulling me through the rest of the winter. So, I decided that some changes needed to be made to for my sake and the sake of my family. Here's what we have been doing that is actually working to raise our spirits.

1. Do one thing every day for someone besides yourself
     Nothing has worked better to keep us upbeat this winter than to do for others. My two eldest have loved scooping the sidewalks for our 84 year old neighbor, and more than just the act of doing it, they relish telling her that the only payment they will accept is an invitation to come over and play cards with her. But, it doesn't snow every day, so what else do we do? Some days we bake cookies to share with neighbors, and other days we write a letter to a friend or relative to tell them how much they mean to us. The act itself is not what's important. What is important is the fact that we do the act of kindness. Spreading joy to others is contagious; once we see that we have uplifted the spirits of someone else, we immediately start to feel a sense of happiness that is indescribable.

2. Turn off the television
     It is ever so tempting to sit around and watch movies and t.v. shows all day when the weather is crappy, but we have discovered that turning off the television and interacting with each other brings more delight than any show or movie ever could. We enjoy playing board games, but we adore cards. A good deck of cards, a notebook, and a pen gives you and your family unlimited amounts of entertainment. Some games are children's classics like crazy 8's, kings on the corners, and go fish; other games are ones that I used to play when I visited my great granny like: rummy, golf, and  pish-posh (a game I'm quite certain my great granny made up completely on her own).

3. Turn on the radio

My not so graceful finish!

    We take turns picking out which station of playlist we will listen to. Yet, it makes no difference which one of us picks out the music; as soon as the songs start, we all start smiling, laughing, and dancing. I know that you all know what I'm talking about. When your favorite song comes on, you automatically smile, and when a song from your youth comes on, it makes you feel like you are that age again. Music is indeed the one constant that brings happiness, joy, and memories!

Snow dog sculpture

4. Go outside
   Unless there is a cold advisory in effect and it is unsafe to be outside. Get out there! Bundle up and find a hill to go sledding down. And don't just stand there to watch; actually get on the sled and go down the hill! I know at first this doesn't sound like the best idea...we aren't kids anymore and don't want to hurt ourselves. However, I assure you that you will have so much more fun if you actually partake in the sledding! You will remember why it is that kids love snow and winter, and you will start to love it again, too. If you don't have a hill, don't worry; just go out with the kids and build a snowman or have a snowball fight, and don't forget to bring some snow in with you when you get done playing so you can make snow ice cream. Whatever you do, just get out there and do it!

SNOW ICE CREAM

              4 eggs         2 c. milk     pinch of salt          

                 3/4 c. sugar     1 tsp vanilla      Snow                

Beat eggs. Stir in sugar, milk, and vanilla.

Add enough snow to make

consistency of ice cream.

5. Read

    Find a good book and read. Our local library has

Who else remembers Sweet Pickles books?

book sales that we love; we get to buy an entire shopping
bag filled with books for only $1.00! The kids love when
they find books that were published when their grandparents
were kids, and I love watching them enjoy reading books
from when I was a kid. With all of the new books the kids
have found, it hasn't taken long for them to be off reading
in their rooms for hours at a time. Yet, as wonderful as
this was, I wanted to find a way to make reading more
of a family activity. That is when I decided that we should
make plays out of our books, so once a week we pick a
book to make into a play. My favorite by far has been
when they acted out the stories from the Sweet Pickles books.

6. Break out the picture albums
    It is said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Well, it is worth even more in the eyes of your children. "Mom, who's this?" "Where was this taken at?" "What did you get for that birthday?" "What was your favorite Christmas present?" "You had a tractor. Did you ever get to drive it?" "What's that dog's name, and why did you name it that?" "Were you sad when your house burnt down?" These are just a few of the questions that have aroused when browsing through photo albums with my kids. We have been known to pass hours just looking through one small album. Not only does this entertain our kids, it also helps me realize how blessed I have been in this lifetime. It also helps our kids feel connected to our childhoods and get a clearer picture of the upbringing that my husband and I have. This is a great way to close that generation gap...especially when the kids are able to talk with their grandparents about things because of something they saw in a picture. Many times kids don't know what to say or ask; the pictures aide in giving children a starting point for the conversation to begin.

My childhood home after our house fire.

Yes, my parents did agree to letting us paint the house pink!

Me at 5 years old with my favorite

toy - Pammy Panda.

            
Suddenly, I have begun to enjoy the extra family time that has resulted from the winter weather. I'm not so certain, now, that I am ready to let go of this for a spring and summer filled with countless nights at the ball fields.