*Grace*

I just stumbled upon this over at Texas Tanners and thought I'd share it with everyone.  It's a printable!

As a stay at home mom, I put this level of perfection and expectation on myself.  Since my job is AT home, FROM home and IN my home, my home should be the epitome of cleanliness and order at all times.  NOT!  (Thanks to my husband who is helping me see this lie more clearly.  Love you, Babe.)

Yeah, you might walk in my house and find everything sparkling clean like the Cleaver's home thiiiiis time, but the neeeext time you drop in - look out!  Piles here, projects there.  Toys spread about.  Laundry covering the "cutch" as my little one calls it.  Dirty dishes in the sink with supper on 'em.  It's sometimes tidy, sometimes not.  It's called L-I-F-E.  Now, I'm to do my best.  But I'm also am not supposed to beat myself up everytime I go to bed with folded clothes to be put away, floors that didn't get swept and the cat box that should have been changed last week!  Balance...life is a balancing act.

We LIVE in our home.  We're not a magazine family who drops our kids off at school/daycare at 7 AM in the morning, parents then heading to our respective offices for the day leaving behind a picture perfect, stylish city flat we won't see again 'til after a restaraunt supper and that'll be around oh, 7 PM.  It's not take-out Chinese and Central Park on the weekends.  We live all day and all night in our house.  (I am not trying to be-little or pick on anyone who does lead a similar lifestyle as the above mentioned.  It's just not...us.) 

Yes, yes, we do eat out - more often than we should.  We take walks and go to the park.  We go shopping, also more than we should.  But my point is - we are the "lived in" kind of people.  Not pristine.

SO, based on this my home will never be magazine cover quality.  And, I'm learning to be OK with that.  We are a FAMILY.  We love our home.  We love our things and we're bargain hunters - with that comes storage issues!  We enjoy kids, and people with kids.  We like getting wet/muddy in our own backyard and bringing a bit of it inside.

I don't want my children growing up with a false sense of their mother's perfection, nor do I want them thinking that they have to be perfect (or have to pretend that they are.)  Instead, may my house be filled with LOVE, GRACE, TRUTH and above all CHRIST.

Snapware Glasslock Review - Farewell plastic!

In trying to become more "natural" or "green" or "health conscious," whatever you want to call it, I'm trying to use less plastic and more glass.  Now if someone will only come out with a breakage-free glass kiddy snack container! 

My husband just bought these glass storage containers for me at our Costco.  They were a whopping $23 for the entire set!  9 containers with matching snap-on lids!  I'd seen a similar set at Sam's, but the price was the same for about half as many pieces.

They're by Snapware.  And are stamped, "Made in Korea."  If you don't have a Costco in your area or don't have a membership, there are other places the Snapware Glasslock pieces are available.

Try Ebay such as here...
Or Target online here...
Sears online even carries them here...
And see Amazon's listing here...

None of their prices are as good as the one at Costco, but maybe there will be a bargain, coupon, sale or in store option for you!  *smiles*

The lids on the babies seal tightly, so tightly in fact that the inner seal tends to come apart from time to time.

That's the only drawback I see.  But for the Costco price and for what you get - I can deal with this!  Actually, it's good for washing when food goo gets all over.

They are dishwasher, microwave and oven safe.  Great for cooking then storing in the fridge!  I like the fact that I can take them from the fridge, pop off the lid and head to the microwave or oven and warm up my daughter's meals!  I always worry about warming things up in the microwave in plastics, then again, I use the stove top as often as possible.  (I've actually moved the microwave into a hall closet off of the kitchen so access is more difficult!)  The fewer waves of micro that enter my child's food the better!  *winks*  

Dresses....for mucho less!

I know that I recently posted about some of my Goodwill finds.  But hey, I just HAD to show you more...

Here's a dress I picked up at Goodwill last week, it's from Phoebe Couture.  Waaaaay cheaper than Neiman Marcus or Saks Fifth Avenue, eh?  At first sight I thought this was a vintage piece, then upon inspecting the tag realized it was new!  Also, the size had been cut out, which made me feel even better - is it a 6, 8, 10, 12?  I'll go with the 6.  *winks*

Now, to lose 5 lbs. (or more!) so things aren't so shapely in the rear.  I can do that in a month, right?  A friend's rehearsal dinner is coming in a few weeks.


No cleavage from this scoop neck, marvelous! 
Dress doesn't drape well on the hanger, much better on!



Their tags are so pretty.

 

Great beading - well secured.



Matching detail around the hem and sleeves.


My mom and I went garage saling the other weekend and found this dress for my daughter!

Yes, it's a Strasburg.  Any guesses as to the price?  *drum roll*  $7.50!  Yes, seven dollars and fifty cents.  It needs a bit of hemming but other than that it should fit wonderfully for the wedding next month.  I've always loved the Strasburg dresses, and we all know how pricey that can be.  I can afford $7.50 with a huge smile on my face.  Thanks, Lord for a super find!

And there you have it!  From my research, I would estimate the new purchase value of the dresses combined to be in the $300 range.  Wow. 

I spent - $9.99 + tax and $7.50 - BOTH dresses for under $20!  Now, I'd say that's a bargain AND a gift from Above!

39 Years of Marriage AND Free Lettuce Wraps

That's right folks, 39 years of marriage!  No, not me!  My parents.  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.  Here's a sneak peek of part of your anniversary gift - it's from a local art gallery.  Simple framed cross-stitch.

And then...drum roll please...free lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang's!  They are celebrating an anniversary too - 18 years for them. 

Simply go to their Facebook page, "like" them and then click on the link to the left called "Free Lettuce Wraps."  Then you have to scroll down the picture, click something like "get my wraps," enter your email address and print off your free coupon!  Granted, you must purchase a drink or other food to get this freebie, but hey!

And for all the gluten free folk out there - P.F. Chang's Gluten Free Lettuce Wraps are super yummy!  And if you're not careful, you'll be doing like my little girl did last time we ate them - wearing a lettuce leaf for a hat!

Great things...great things...

"Expect great things from God.  Attempt great things for God."

Here's the proof!

He loves me.  See?  It's written on the wall!  He loves me. 

My DH painted our giant master room very nearly all by himself and stopped long enough, in the midst of this massive chore, to express his feelings for ME!

Right now all we have is furniture and one picture hanging.  But my goal is to tackle decorating our room s-o-o-n.  Why is it that the rest of the house gets TLC, but the master bedroom straggles along for years?  It becomes a laundry dumping ground or, quick someone is coming over in 30 minutes dump everything in Mommy's room!  *sigh*  Some relaxing get away, no EnGedi here!  But, that will change.

Already my wonderful man has painted the room, showing his love for me.  See, it's a start - on a trek towards our own oasis!

Sweet Summertime

Memories for our little family so far this summer...

Strawberry picking!  This year grandma and grandpa were in town during picking season,
and my little one is crazy-in-love with strawberries. 
She ate more than went in the bucket, for sure.

Her first introduction to real, jammin' - pickin' music! 
All she could do was "dance" and say "More, more!"



First VBS!  What a BLAST my little tyke had.  She made all sorts of cute things, and STILL carries them around the house.  Like this streamer star.  I have never seen her so energized or excited.



Our summer is very hot, but other than that, it is going so well!  We are grateful for the Lord's blessings.  Have you done any fun things with your family this summer?

I MADE IT! My first feature!

Thank you StephanieLynn!  You totally made my day.  Thanks for the encouragement to keep on blogging! 

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/07/more-party-planning-ideas-featured-real.html

Writing on the Wall

Can you see it?  There, on the wall.  A squiggly black line.  Uh huh - it's a first in our house.  My usually obedient, laid back, never messy little one wrote on our wall!  She was caught in the act and didn't get very far, but it has started!  Now she knows - crayons write on things other than paper.

Happy 4th of July!  May God continue to Bless America.  "...Land that I love..."