Habits of 2012

The New Year is upon us. Many people will make New Year's Resolutions. In the past, I've always thought of something at the last minute that I could do better. But never had any real driving force behind it, and generally those resolutions never went anywhere. So the last couple years, I've just not bothered (of course it's easy to "not bother" when my husband reminds me every year that years ago he made a resolution to never make a resolution again .... :-\ ) ....
However, I feel like I am progressively covering ground on this journey for self-improvement as a mother, wife, woman, housekeeper, professional, Christian, etc and want to use the upcoming year to be intentional about improving myself and my family. I have decided to plan 12 Habits I want to create and 12 Habits I want to break in 2012. Each habit has been assigned to a month. During each month I will focus primarily on creating and breaking the given habits. The goal (based on the definition of "habit") is to have 12 things become a natural part of my routine that will bless us, and 12 things that were not beneficial to our family that I no longer do.
I made my list tonight. I have a few months that I need to still fill in some habits to break, but I figure as the year goes on, I am sure I will be able to reevaluate my life and fill in the blanks when I get there. I will also try to blog about my progress as I go!

Here is my list.... to keep me motivated and on track!

January
*Create - Get up before the girls to have special time with God.
*Break - Stop snoozing my alarm.

February
*Create - Plan and execute weekly individual time with each girl and my husband.
*Break - Stop saying "in a minute" or "I'm busy"

March
*Create - Finish 1-2 books in a month (Read everyday, individually and with the girls)
*Break -Don't leave the TV on throughout the day.

April
*Create - Go for daily walks with the family
*Break -Don't spend too much time on the phone/comp/facebook

May
*Create - Drink at least 20 oz of water every day
*Break - Don't rely on caffeine to get my thru the day

June
*Create - Plan meals
*Break -Don't let the girls "munch" thru the day

July
*Create - Go to bed no later than midnight
*Break -Don't turn on the TV as I am getting into bed

August
*Create - Blog at least 2-3 times a week
*Break - Don't be impatient with girls and David

September
*Create - Call family members at least a couple times a month
*Break -

October
*Create - Try a new food every week
*Break -

November
*Create - Intentionally be thankful for something every day
*Break - Don't complain

December
*Create - Intentionally take advantage of opportunities to do random acts of kindness often.
*Break -

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you." - Henry Ward Beecher

A Year in a Blink

I closed my eyes for just a second and when I opened them an entire year had passed.
Well, that's how it feels anyway.
Shamefully, I neglected this blog this past year. So much has changed from a year ago, that I always felt I couldn't just "pick up where I left off" ... it needed some segue, so I procrastinated. (What else is new?)
So here I am to try and pick back up, ready for a New Year.

In 2011, we moved to Virginia from North Carolina. We now live with David's grandmother (we help her with the cooking and cleaning and such :)) in the house that David's parents own. We have been so blessed with this living arrangement because we have been unsuccessful with selling or renting our North Carolina house.
In 2011, we joined the church that David went to as a youth - the church that took him to World Changers back in 2000 when we met :) ... It is such a wonderful place to worship God without feeling like it has become a duty, rather it is a delight. I have joined the choir, and ensemble, and help lead the Preschool choir. The girls are enjoying their classes as well. Carissa loves preschool choir, Sunday school, and Mission Friends. And David is a member of the Hand Bell choir. We very much enjoy our young marrieds' Sunday school class, and have made wonderful new friends. Such a blessing!
In 2011, David FINALLY got a job with his degree - making about what we were both making combined in 2010. He enjoys his job and is currently studying to work on getting certifications so he can continue to move up in his field! What an answer to prayers!
In 2011, I developed a love (and discovered a talent) for sewing! I started out with sewing (and selling) cloth diapers! I learned a lot from that experience! Biggest lesson was that if I am going to run a WAHM business, I have to make it fit my family - not make my family fit my business. I began by taking custom orders, only to realize how huge the demand was! I absolutely could not keep up! My poor children and the condition of my home were neglected miserably, and I was so stressed trying to get all the diapers finished in a timely manner for customers. On top of all of that, I hit a few bumps along the way with the functionality of the diapers that I had to fix and ended up replacing diapers. Yow! Can you say OVERWHELMED? I had to take a huge step back. I attempted to get caught up and then create a stock. I had a lot of people anxious for me to "reopen" so I set a date for them, only I wasn't ready in time. I worked round the clock and stressed myself out to get a decent stock made (and still didn't finish what I'd hoped to), and half of what I did finish sold almost immediately. But whenever I pushed myself to make a lot of diapers to meet a deadline, I crashed and burned and the idea of sewing more diapers did not appeal to me. So I took another step back, and have pretty much just set that business aside - temporarily.  I started sewing other things for fun to rekindle my love of creating. I have decided that I do not want to limit myself to just sewing cloth diapers. I want to be able to enjoy making a variety of items - at my own pace. So now I plan to SLOWLY work on building a "boutique" of sorts - and I will open ONLY when I am completely satisfied with my available stock, and have my patterns and kinks worked out. (Check out my sewing blog for the latest on my projects: Sewtastic Fun )

In 2011, I became a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. While I thoroughly enjoy my sewing businesses, I have to put in a lot of time to make much of a profit right now. Some pieces of the puzzle came together and this opportunity opened up for me. I really enjoy this! It has been slow going for me as of yet (but I truly don't want to burn out on something else on my plate). I am working on getting things organized and ready to make the most of 2012 - and hopefully start having consistent events so that I can start adding to our family's income.

In 2011, we celebrated Kathryn's 1st Birthday and Carissa's 3rd birthday! My how they are growing up SO quickly!!! Both of them are extremely talkative - really ... I don't have any idea where they could have picked that up ;) .... Hmm. They are super sisters. They truly love each other and are always thinking of the other. I will have to post future blogs to highlight their development and personalities because I could write a lot about them! They are my pride and joy for sure! :)

In 2011,  God had taught me one major lesson: I need to stop trying to leave the season of life God has me in, because He has me here for a reason. Instead, I need to step back and see Him at work. I have seen countless accounts of God showing me the reason we are where we are. This was not what we had planned by any means, and it was not the best of circumstances that headed us down this path. But all of 2010, I ignored what I knew in my gut God was telling me to do, and I was miserable. Allowing Him to take the reigns and just trusting that He will provide has proven to be the best thing ever. Our life is 100x better this year than it was last year, and I owe Him all the praise! I know we are still on a journey. But I feel my trust, my faith, and my patience have all grown a lot in the last year! I know God has big things in store for us! And I am anxiously looking forward to all that 2012 has in store for us!! :)

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

Chicken & Broccoli Lasagna

Prep Time: 20 min
Bake Time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 8 oz lasagna 
• 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup of steamed broccoli ("mashed up")
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano 
• Italian breadcrumbs for topping

Directions

1. Cook lasagna, drain.
2. Steam broccoli
3. Cook and shred chicken breasts
4. In a bowl, mix sour cream, half and half, Parmesan cheese, soups, garlic, oregano, broccoli, and chicken.
5. Spoon a thin layer of mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.
6. Place one layer of lasagna noodles flat in pan.
7. Spoon mixture to cover noodles.
8. Continue layering noodles and mixture until all gone (finish with the chicken mixture as the last layer).
9. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.
10. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Personal Flair and Reflections
 This recipe came about as a last minute "use what I have in the kitchen because it's time to go to the grocery store." It turned out quite yummy!
When I try this again, I think I would like to add some shredded cheese (mozzarella perhaps) to the mixture.

Family Friendly Tip
I had a friend get me started on doing this: buy a large pack of chicken breasts. Place chicken breasts in crock pot, cover with chicken broth, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with tongs or fork (it will fall apart super easy!!) Let cool. Separate into 2 cup portions. Freeze. It makes for easy thawing of already cooked, shredded chicken. This tip will help you skip step number 3 :)

*Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.*

Drugs ....
Really? What is so cool about using something that is going to hurt you, the people close to you, and make you forget what you did, or do things you normally wouldn't do, etc etc etc?
I have never seen the appeal. I pray extremely hard that I can raise my children to have that same feeling.


Alcohol ....
Moderation moderation moderation. This is one of those things I've never seen the appeal. I can honestly say I did not have any alcohol until I turned 21 - and even then I had one wine cooler at my mom's house for my birthday. I don't see any problems with having a social drink here or there. Having a glass with dinner, or a special night with sweetie, etc. But I do not see the point in drinking to point of being drunk. I miss the logic in why it's fun to do something that will give you a headache, make you puke, kill your brain cells, make you do things you will regret or not remember, and possibly harm yourself or someone else.
I hope to teach my children that there is an appropriate time and place to legally have alcohol. Most of all, I hope that I don't make them want to rebel and make foolish decisions regarding it. There is a fine line that I pray we can balance delicately.

*Day 19: What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?*

I think Religion is just the man-made organization of spiritual matters.
As all man-made things, there are flaws and imperfections. It is good to join with others who share the same faith as you. It is good to have a system to hold you accountable for your spiritual life.
However, I feel it is also important to not put your faith in your religion. My faith is in God and God alone. He is the reason I exist and continue to live. I worship Him, not my religion. I obey Him, not my religion. I want others to know Him, not my religion.
Make sense?

Politics ... man-made organization of chaotic people. When you have some-odd billion/trillion people who are all unique, you will have some-odd billion/trillion opinions about everything. Politics will never please anyone. I feel a majority of political issues boil down to stereotypes. If you are this, you must believe this. Hence the reason I am registered as a "non-party affiliate." I will never fully agree with either party, or whoever is representing either party. I have my own individual views that do not form to any stereotype presented by political parties or groups or whatnot. It's one of those topics that I try not to stress out about because it will not solve anything. There is not going to be a simple solution to problems caused by a society made up of those some-odd billion/trillion people/minds/opinions/personalities etc. So instead of arguing over the decisions made by people who are trying to figure out how to make things better, why don't we all do our small part in the little world we live in to make it better and maybe the whole world would be better :)

That is what I think. :)

Diapers ...

... Cloth Diapers that is!

So almost 3 years ago (when I found out I was pregnant with my sweet Carissa) if you had said "Cloth Diapers" to me, I would have immediately thought about the cloth diapers my mom used on my brother when we were little. Not what I wanted to attempt. So I never gave cloth diapers a second thought.

Here I am - 6 months after having my second child and was introduced to the new world of cloth diapers.

I am apart of an online community for moms who all were due in June 2010. We all talk on a daily basis via facebook. Many of these moms use cloth diapers and talk about how much they love them. I started researching cloth diapers and was amazed at how much they have changed since I was little.

One of my mommy friends went back to work full time, which left her cloth diapering only part time. She decided to bless me and my family by sending us enough cloth diapers to get us started that she no longer was using! What a blessing!

Tomorrow will conclude our entire first week of exclusive cloth diapering. I could not imagine using disposables again. I am still learning things, and I am developing my own preferences. We plan to use the money we save each month on diapers and wet wipes (Yes! I am using cloth wipes as well!!) to buy more cloth diapers and wipes until we have a nice collection of the ones we like.

So here are some things I am learning.

Everyone has their own preferences.

Some moms swear by certain brands or styles, while others have nothing good to say about those same brands. If I poll a group of cloth diapering moms, I will get 20 different answers for what is recommended or their favorites. And I am already seeing how my own preferences are differing from those.

My preferences:

Velcro is the way to go! 

My child does not stay laying on her back for longer than 2 seconds ever. Definitely makes changing diapers challenging. Some of the diapers I have are snap-closed. They have many different snaps to adjust for a better fit. But when you have a child who is flipping over as quickly as you lay her down, it is a pain to try and find the right snap. And each flap has 2-3 snaps ... that is 4-6 snaps to close while trying to hold a child down! Oh, and sometimes I get them all snapped and realize it is too tight or too loose, and I have to take them apart and start all over. And getting Daddy to get them on - well, bless his heart!

Having diapers that have Velcro make it quicker, easier, and the exact fit the first try (okay, so sometimes the second try depending on how much she is moving).

One Size!

I love being able to use the same diaper for Kathryn and Carissa! I don't have to keep buying new diapers as they get bigger. And if I combine the Velcro and the one size, I am able to get a customized fit specially for each girly without a whole lot of hassle. 

Pockets

For those who are unfamiliar with cloth diapers, ones with pockets have the waterproof outside and a pocket on the inside.You stuff the pocket with a liner for absorbency. 

When it comes to washing, you pull the liner out and wash. The outer layer hangs to dry to protect the waterproof layer, but the liners can be dried in the dryer. 

They have ones with the built in liners, but those take much longer to dry.

And then there are covers that you can put over pre-folds or liners etc. It's nice because the covers can  be wiped off and used again with a new liner/pre-fold ... but when you have a squirmy little one, it becomes quite a challenge to get the liners lined up right and fasten the cover for optimal absorbency. 

BumGenius

My friend sent me quite a variety of different kinds to try.

Rump-a-Rooz - This one has the pocket that I like but it has snaps.

Dream-Eze - These have a sewn in liner, have snaps, and are a size small.

Jamtots - I have a small and a medium. They have liners that can be snapped in, and they snap close.

Fuzzi-Buns - This one has the pocket that I like. It is one size with adjustable elastic in the legs and waist. And it snaps closed. 

GroBaby - Has liners that snap in. They do Velcro close, but they don't fit all the way up to Carissa. And I have had nighttime leakage from these.

Thirsties - I have one small fitted and three covers. I like the fitted one, but then you also have to have the cover to put over it and of course you have to buy a new size when she outgrows it (but it is velcro). The covers work over any of the liners or prefolds (and the fitted), but goes back to the struggle of getting them on her right with her flipping over. But for travel purposes, it is easier to bring multiple liners and one cover than multiple all-in-one diapers.

BumGenius - These have the pockets. They have two different size liners for me to choose depending on which child I am using it on - or if I want to double up for nighttime protection. They are the only ones I have that fit both Kathryn and Carissa. They Velcro closed. And they are the only ones I have tried that have not leaked at night. When Daddy does the diapering, I try to be sure he has one of these. It is the same technique to put on as putting on a disposable - only much softer and prettier.

I feel like these are the diapers that work best for our needs, so I think we will stick to stocking up on BumGenius diapers. (Special hint to family looking for Christmas ideas (or friends looking to get your own stock) .... BumGenius is running a special Buy 5, get 1 Free! *wink wink*)

And of course, if any of my cloth diapering mamas have a brand that you feel has all my preferences and you think I should try those too ... let me know!

Extra work ... but super easy!

 Definitely going with cloth diapers takes a few extra steps, but so worth it and not hard.

After about a week now, I feel like I have settled into a nice routine that works for me.

I have enough that I could probably get away with washing every other day, but I think if I did that I would be cutting it really close. I know my days can be unpredictable, so to be on the safe side I am washing everyday for now - at least until I have increased my supply with more of the ones we like best.

Here is my routine:

After the girls wake, I change them both out of their night time diapers. (Kathryn gets a fresh cloth diaper, while Carissa gets panties.)

All diapers and wipes are stored in the trash can we use in Kathryn's room. (It is a small can with a lid that has a foot pedal. Right now I just have the plastic bags I've always used for this can, and will just change the bag every week.)

I take the can (which generally is loosely full by this point) to the laundry room.

I disassemble the diapers as I add them to the washer, securing the Velcro tabs on the special laundry tabs.

First cycle is just a cold, gentle wash/rinse cycle with no detergent - to get all the loose stuff off.

Next cycle I do a Hot regular wash, with cold rinse (my washer only does cold rinses) with a small amount of Arm & Hammer Essentials detergent.

Last cycle is just another gentle rinse to make sure all the detergent is fully rinsed.

I then hang the outer diapers on my makeshift indoor close line.

All the liners and cloth wipes go into the dryer on low heat until they are dry (usually takes about an hour for them to be completely dry.

After the girls go to bed at night, I gather up the liners from the dryer and my line-dried diapers and sit on the couch (usually watching TV or talking to David etc). I put the liners in the pockets and prep all the diapers for the next day.

And lastly, I prep my cloth wipes for the next day.

Oddly enough, having this task to do daily helps me form routines to my day. I actually enjoy this process.

Special Cleaning

Okay, so I don't have much experience in this department yet.

Main thing separate from my above cleaning is the poopy ... and all I do for that is shake it off into the toilet and give it a little rinse before sticking it in the "diaper pail."

The only other "special cleaning" I found and have used is in cases of diaper rash. Kathryn had a little bit of a rash due to teething recently. I researched options and here is what I settled on:

I put a cotton liner in the diaper directly against her bum, so that I could use the diaper cream but it only got on the liner.

When I changed that diaper, the liner and the wipe went into the sink until I had a chance to take care of it.

I would then use a little Dawn dish soap (the blue kind) to clean the diaper cream off the liner. I would rinse it all off and if there was still cream, I would repeat until it was all gone. Once I made sure there was no more signs of cream on the liner, I washed it like normal.

Worked wonderfully!

Cloth Wipes

One of my favorite things!!

My friend sent me some wipes with the diapers and I just love these! (I need to find out where she got these so I can get more like them.)

I researched wipe solutions and finally decided what I wanted to do.

My wipe solution:

1/4 cup Baby Oil (with Aloe and Vitamin E)

1/4 cup Baby Wash (just the regular yellow bottle)

4 cups water

(When mixing, add the water first to prevent bubbles.)

I made my solution in a storage container from my kitchen. I put my wipes in a regular wipe container and poured some solution over them (just enough to moisten the wipes). As I use them, I pull one out, wring it out, and am able to use one wipe per change (unless there is a massive mess - but generally I am able to utilize all sides of the wipe etc). Each night when I prep them, I put the wipes in the containers (one for the living room and one for the changing table), and add solution as needed.

These wipes work great for more than just diaper use! They work wonderfully for cleaning faces, hands, or giving a quick wipe down of whole body. The solution is safe, smells wonderfully, and leaves them fresh and soft.

So in all, I am extremely satisfied with my cloth diapers and most of all, my girls seem to really like them as well. This will save me about $60+ a month in diapers, pull ups, and wet wipes. And next time we have a kid, he/she will be cloth diapered from the start! I am ever so grateful to my friend for passing along blessings!

Anyone on the fence about cloth diapering ... my suggestion would be to give it a shot! :)

*Day 18: Your views on gay marriage.*

Ick ... what a not so fun topic.

First, I must put a qualifier. I feel that there are two different kinds of marriage.
1. Biblical
2. Legal

The first kind of marriage - Biblical. I completely disagree that this is legitimate for homosexuals. I strongly believe that God's intention was that one man would leave his family and marry one woman. I also believe that anything against God's intention and design is wrong. Therefore, if two men or two women wish to be married, I believe it is wrong because it is against the original design of nature that God created.

The second - legal. I understand (and respect) that there are people with different views, understandings, and beliefs than myself.  I cannot impose my beliefs on others. So I accept that there will be homosexuals who wish to make commitments to one another to live faithfully - in the same manner as heterosexuals. People who practice this lifestyle should be allowed the same legal benefits as a heterosexual (ie. tax credits, insurance dependents etc). While I don't agree with their lifestyle, I do see a practicality in allowing a legal marriage to take place.

In my opinion, Christian heterosexuals practice both marriage types simultaneously. I am legally married to my husband in the eyes of the state, but I am also spiritually united to my husband in the eyes of God. But I feel homosexuals only practice legal marriage.

These are my views and my views only. The end.