And now back to the program.
Have a happy Thursday!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
The Stuff of 2014
At risk of seeming materialistic, I'd like to share a few really great things I discovered this past year. I'm talking about actual things of the tangible variety. Just in case anyone out there is remotely interested, here you go... Mama Indiana's top picks for 2014:
1. Ok, don't laugh, but my new favorite brand of clothing is Carhartt. Yes, I'm talking about the company that makes coveralls for people who have dirty jobs like collecting trash and building roads. Over the summer, while perusing Amazon for a new pair of denim Capri pants, I discovered some that looked like they could work. Well, work they did. They're super- cute, comfortable, and resilient!! I used to have a messy hospital job where we wore scrubs. Since I became a stay-at-home mom 13+ years ago, I've noticed that my clothes get worn out much more quickly than ever before in my life. Well, over a decade later, it finally dawned on me!! Motherhood is hard and messy work!! (I'm a slow study.) We need clothes that perform. Scrubs were great in the hospital, but are not so cute if you're trying to look at least somewhat presentable in the library, grocery store, wherever... So, hello! How about clothes made to actually work!! In addition to the first pair of jean capris, I've picked up 2 more pairs of jeans (one lined!), 2 shirts, and a denim jacket. Love them all!! They have a feminine, stylish cut, are sturdy as heck and wash great. Love!! Uniform-quality clothes for moms.
2. My folding cutting board. Picked it up in a kitchen shop in our favorite beach town South Haven, MI. After chopping up fruits and veggies to your hearts' content, you can fold the side up creating a funnel for pouring everything into another pot or container. Genius!! No more spilling potatoes all over the stove while trying to pour them into boiling water.
3. Of course, I could never have a complete list without including a book or two. Here are my favorite new reads from this year:
-Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler. She's a convert from atheism to Catholicism and is oh-so-funny and real. This is her amazing story. Must read.
-The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith. I've never in my life read a decorating book cover-to-cover... until this one. Her motto is "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.". I always sort of thought a person without a real eye for color and decorating should just give up and hang whatever wherever. This book gave me the confidence to look at my living room with new eyes and give something bold a try. I can't wait to take her approach on another space in our house. This book is truly enjoyable to read and has lovely, inspiring photography!! So helpful for the design-challenged!!!!
That's it for now!! Hope your new year is off to a great start.
1. Ok, don't laugh, but my new favorite brand of clothing is Carhartt. Yes, I'm talking about the company that makes coveralls for people who have dirty jobs like collecting trash and building roads. Over the summer, while perusing Amazon for a new pair of denim Capri pants, I discovered some that looked like they could work. Well, work they did. They're super- cute, comfortable, and resilient!! I used to have a messy hospital job where we wore scrubs. Since I became a stay-at-home mom 13+ years ago, I've noticed that my clothes get worn out much more quickly than ever before in my life. Well, over a decade later, it finally dawned on me!! Motherhood is hard and messy work!! (I'm a slow study.) We need clothes that perform. Scrubs were great in the hospital, but are not so cute if you're trying to look at least somewhat presentable in the library, grocery store, wherever... So, hello! How about clothes made to actually work!! In addition to the first pair of jean capris, I've picked up 2 more pairs of jeans (one lined!), 2 shirts, and a denim jacket. Love them all!! They have a feminine, stylish cut, are sturdy as heck and wash great. Love!! Uniform-quality clothes for moms.
2. My folding cutting board. Picked it up in a kitchen shop in our favorite beach town South Haven, MI. After chopping up fruits and veggies to your hearts' content, you can fold the side up creating a funnel for pouring everything into another pot or container. Genius!! No more spilling potatoes all over the stove while trying to pour them into boiling water.
3. Of course, I could never have a complete list without including a book or two. Here are my favorite new reads from this year:
-Something Other Than God by Jennifer Fulwiler. She's a convert from atheism to Catholicism and is oh-so-funny and real. This is her amazing story. Must read.
-The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith. I've never in my life read a decorating book cover-to-cover... until this one. Her motto is "it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.". I always sort of thought a person without a real eye for color and decorating should just give up and hang whatever wherever. This book gave me the confidence to look at my living room with new eyes and give something bold a try. I can't wait to take her approach on another space in our house. This book is truly enjoyable to read and has lovely, inspiring photography!! So helpful for the design-challenged!!!!
That's it for now!! Hope your new year is off to a great start.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Typing quickly...
...before I lose the memory. A friend recently used the hashtag #40isthenew80, and I can't disagree.
Anyway, on Thursday we were at church to celebrate Mary, the Mother of God, and I slipped into the back row with Crash (who is currently 2 1/2 years old and male - need I say more?). Just behind us was a small table holding the gifts to be presented during the offertory - unconsecrated hosts (communion wafers) and wine. I caught Crash as he was diving for them.
He protested by shouting the following, I kid you not:
"Jesus said, take this bread!!!"
We're in big trouble.
Anyway, on Thursday we were at church to celebrate Mary, the Mother of God, and I slipped into the back row with Crash (who is currently 2 1/2 years old and male - need I say more?). Just behind us was a small table holding the gifts to be presented during the offertory - unconsecrated hosts (communion wafers) and wine. I caught Crash as he was diving for them.
He protested by shouting the following, I kid you not:
"Jesus said, take this bread!!!"
We're in big trouble.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Merry Christmas!!
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| place cards by Joy |
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| before Christmas vigil Mass |
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| Christmas Eve |
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real: Mid-Advent
Nutcracker rehearsal! I love the smiling faces in the background (and the main subjects!). The shows are this weekend! Sold out!
These little snuggle bugs. Yoyo is often the first responder when Crash wakes up in the morning.
Our Jesse Tree!
This child cannot resist building with Legos. Technically he's not supposed to bring them downstairs, because... you know... Choking hazards... But he's so proud of what he made he has to show me right away.
This is where we normally hang stockings. But there's a certain someone in the house who would, for sure, pull them down with the heavy stocking holder crashing onto his head. Therefore...
...stockings are here this year. Santa take note. See the wadded up shirt on the bench? Yeah, that's the very real part.
More real. Lots of evidence of homeschooling in our dining room. I am determined to decorate with nutcrackers, nevertheless!
This is our homemade tree. That is, 95%of the ornaments are homemade. The angel? Not so much. Basically, everybody but me has a serious dislike of this angel, which I picked up a few years ago because she is lighted. My husband thinks the real angels in heaven might actually be offended by this representation. But, Joy had pity on her and stuck her right up there. :)
Linking up with Like Mother, Like Daughter today!!!
Monday, December 8, 2014
Scrambled
This is your brain:
This is your brain on motherhood:
Clearly, we have too much going on right now...
Saturday morning, I was so proud of myself. Lunches for 2 children with all-day ballet activities done the night before. Rides for those 2 kids arranged. Everybody up and out early. Other 3 kids ready to go in time for Yo-yo's first confession (including fancy curled hair for yo-yo's Nutcracker rehearsal later in the afternoon).
We arrived at church on time. Small miracle.
And there was nobody there.
Did I have the time wrong? Well, sitting in church for an hour would certainly be of benefit, so we waited.
Finally, 45 minutes later, Yo-yo's CCD (Sunday School) teacher came in for an unrelated reason and confirmed that we were off. By a week.
We made it through the rest of the day, including having the girls' friends over in the evening, shuttling Kid118 to and from a birthday party, and remembering to make a salad for a funeral dinner the next day.
Sunday morning, we got out the door, I remembered the salad, and we were only 10 minutes late for CCD (which is only slightly problematic because Daddy and I teach the 9th and 10th graders - thank Goodness they're mature enough to hang out while I get my act together). Daddy was working. I couldn't find an ice scraper, so used my ingenuity (haha) and scraped the van window at the last minute with a Tupperware lid.
After Mass, dropped the boys off with my parents for my nephew's basketball game and picked up my niece. Went home and had some afternoon down time, went grocery shopping, picked up one child who was ready to come home, and got everybody ready again for an event we'd been planning on for several weeks.
At our local 4H fairgrounds, there is a Christmas in the Country event each year. This time, our little club decorated a tree for the contest. Voting is by money dropped in a jar next to your tree. I wanted to make sure ours had at least a couple bucks in it.
We bundled up, loaded in the car, and drove 30 minutes to an empty parking lot.
I was off again. By 24 hours. See how I'm improving?
Oh well! Hope you have a blessed and unscrambled week!!
:)
This is your brain on motherhood:
 |
| (fried...but in the best way!) |
Saturday morning, I was so proud of myself. Lunches for 2 children with all-day ballet activities done the night before. Rides for those 2 kids arranged. Everybody up and out early. Other 3 kids ready to go in time for Yo-yo's first confession (including fancy curled hair for yo-yo's Nutcracker rehearsal later in the afternoon).
We arrived at church on time. Small miracle.
And there was nobody there.
Did I have the time wrong? Well, sitting in church for an hour would certainly be of benefit, so we waited.
Finally, 45 minutes later, Yo-yo's CCD (Sunday School) teacher came in for an unrelated reason and confirmed that we were off. By a week.
We made it through the rest of the day, including having the girls' friends over in the evening, shuttling Kid118 to and from a birthday party, and remembering to make a salad for a funeral dinner the next day.
Sunday morning, we got out the door, I remembered the salad, and we were only 10 minutes late for CCD (which is only slightly problematic because Daddy and I teach the 9th and 10th graders - thank Goodness they're mature enough to hang out while I get my act together). Daddy was working. I couldn't find an ice scraper, so used my ingenuity (haha) and scraped the van window at the last minute with a Tupperware lid.
After Mass, dropped the boys off with my parents for my nephew's basketball game and picked up my niece. Went home and had some afternoon down time, went grocery shopping, picked up one child who was ready to come home, and got everybody ready again for an event we'd been planning on for several weeks.
At our local 4H fairgrounds, there is a Christmas in the Country event each year. This time, our little club decorated a tree for the contest. Voting is by money dropped in a jar next to your tree. I wanted to make sure ours had at least a couple bucks in it.
We bundled up, loaded in the car, and drove 30 minutes to an empty parking lot.
I was off again. By 24 hours. See how I'm improving?
Oh well! Hope you have a blessed and unscrambled week!!
:)
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