Happy Birthday Andy & Auntie!
Growing, growing, growing...
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
TV Land
Before I was a parent I was a teacher. I have to admit that I was probably a little judgmental as I got to know my students and learned how things went at home - bedtimes, when homework was done, what movies or t.v. shows they were allowed to watch, what responsibilities they did (or didn't have), etc. Ashamedly, I often found myself thinking thoughts that began with, "When I'm a parent..." For all the non-parents who may be reading this, trust me... it's dangerous territory. For all the parents who may be reading this, you probably know what I mean.
One of those areas that I've been recently challenged in over the last several months now is television. In our house, we're not big t.v. people... and I'm proud of that. But sometimes on those Wednesday mornings when I think, "Wow... What exactly have I accomplished this week?" - it's so easy to let the tube provide the entertainment and teaching for my toddler. I'm guilty. Initially I didn't think too much about it. Jadon hardly watched any t.v. all summer. He preferred to be outside. So, as we fell into our new routine, I began to feel a bit convicted (and rightly so).
I asked myself the question, "What role do I want the television to play in my son's daily life?" I know of families who don't even have a t.v. I honestly have to wonder how they do it; and at the same time a small part of me almost desires to toss ours in the trash at times (I said almost). I don't want t.v. to be the teacher, but what t.v. my toddler does watch I want to be instructional/educational. I don't want the t.v. to be Jadon's source of entertainment, but I'm okay with him being entertained by it from time to time. I want what programming that he does watch to encourage his imagination and creativity, but not take the place of it.
Thankfully my conviction turned into action (which is not always the case). So, here are some guidelines that our family has come up with for toddler t.v in our home.
No t.v. after 9:30 a.m. (if it's been on at all).
Jadon is typically awake for the day between 6:30 and 7:00 a.m. In the next 3 hours, we will all be getting dressed/showered for the day and eat breakfast. Andy will get ready to head out the door (make coffee, get a lunch together), and I usually clean up from breakfast and empty the dishwasher. How does Jadon fit into all this? Obviously he has to get ready for the day (dressed and teeth brushed), but it's really easy for Andy and I to go through our routines and suddenly realize that our son has been doing nothing but sitting in front of the tube.
We've come to the point that we're okay with a little bit of t.v. during this part of the day (hence the guideline for this part). What we've also done is made more of an effort to include Jadon in our morning routine. This could include anything from picking out his clothes and getting himself dressed (a recent accomplishment), to helping get breakfast ready, to helping me empty the dishwasher (he pretty much puts everything away that belongs in the lower cabinets and drawers).
Let me just say that once we implemented this rule, the t.v. time in the morning nearly vanished! And, get this... No one has missed it!
Be picky.
I'm super picky about what Jadon is allowed to watch. So much, in fact, that he knows some of the shows that he can't watch and will tell me if it's coming on next or just turn the t.v. off himself. Andy is picky, too, and has been known to point out some aspects of certain shows that I felt were okay that maybe weren't as great as I thought.
I do some research, pay attention to commercials for these programs, evaluate what fellow parents think, and ask myself if the show emphasizes qualities that we also encourage in our parenting. We tend to look for programs that are intentionally educational, encourage imagination and creativity, and do not go against the qualities that we are trying to instill in our son. Red flags for us are programs that emphasize whining, complaining, selfishness, and egocentrism. When it comes down to it, at this point I'm okay with about 75% of the programming on PBS, and then a few shows on the Disney Channel and Nick Jr.
Stick with 1/2 hour (or less) programs
I find that this prevents endless t.v. watching. Reserve movies as "special treats", like a family movie night, or the third rainy day in a row, or when a parent is feeling under the weather.
Make your child turn off the the t.v.
This sounds ridiculous, I know. We've really found that this works for Jadon. Not everyone is okay with their child touching the t.v. (ours is older and not a flat screen - yes, we live in the dark ages), but we're fine with it at this point. It really seems that by having Jadon physically turn the t.v. off when a show is over he's actually embracing the guideline, rather than having no other choice because it was turned off for him. We've practiced this so much, in fact, that he will turn it off all on his own accord (even if I didn't say, "When this show is over the t.v. goes off."), and even when I'm not in the room. It's amazing. It has totally eliminated the tendency to watch show after show... even when a channel reels a child in my showing the preview for what is next as soon as the current show ends.
Conclusions
Although this was definitely no scientific process, I know that I've seen awesome results in Jadon as a direct result of us tightening up on the television.
Jadon's t.v. watching has come way down. He watches little to no shows in the morning. The only consistent time in his day that he watches t.v (20-30 min.) is before his nap and this is for two reasons: 1, it's the best routine on the 3 days that I watch another boy while I'm getting him down for his nap; and 2, it really does seem to help slow his body down in preparation for taking a nap.
Jadon may watch one show around the time that I am preparing supper (let's be honest, that's often essential in preventing meals that consist of blackened shoe leather and mush), and maybe one before bed, occasionally a movie.
Maybe that still seems like a lot to some of you, or maybe a dream to others, but it works for us. And this pregnant lady isn't exhausted trying to entertain a 2 year old throughout the day (at least not any more than I already was). His imaginative play has soared over the last few months. He's become extremely independent in his play, but has also grown in his family responsibility (discovering things that he no longer needs help with, and participating in chores and helpful things around the house). Part of this is just him getting older, but another part is less time glued to the television. He's thinking more. He's not being entertained as much as he is creating his own entertainment.
All this to say, whether it's t.v. or something else... whether you're a parent or not... it's important to take hold of areas of conviction in our lives and act on them in faith. Prayerfully consider what is best for you (or your family) and do something about it, trusting that God will honor your intentions. And for goodness sake... if you aren't a parent yet take it from me - don't fall into the trap of "When I'm a parent..." because you just don't know until you're up to your eyeballs in diapers and cheerios. Truth.
~ Carrie ~
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Gloom or Sunlight?
"What if, sometimes, there are mists and fogs so thick that I cannot
see the path? ‘Tis enough that You hold my hand, and guide
me in the darkness; for walking with You in the gloom–is far
sweeter and safer than walking alone in the sunlight!
Dear Lord, give me grace to trust You wholly, whatever may befall; yielding
myself up to Your leading, and leaning hard on You when
“dangers are in the path.” Your way for me has been marked out from all
eternity, and it leads directly to Yourself and home!"
~Susannah Spurgeon
Friday, March 2, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Family Worship
Some time ago, Andy and I were contemplating how to implement a time of family devotions for the three of us. It's really overwhelming to think about roping down an almost 3 year old to sit still and talk about God for any amount of time. Let's be honest, getting through a mealtime prayer is often challenging enough!
During the Advent season, our family has what we call an "advent tree" in which we put up a new ornament each day, in addition to reading a Bible story or passage of Scripture. We also usually sang a Christmas song and always ended our time in prayer. Jadon grew to love this time and would often ask multiple times throughout the day to put up a new ornament on the advent tree. After Christmas was done and I took down the advent tree Jadon was a little upset. Andy and I realized that this was a great opportunity to begin an actual family devotion time that we call "family worship". Here's what it typically looks like:
What It Is
This is an awesome time for our family to refocus and spend quality time together. It doesn't happen every night, but I'd say we usually have family worship 4-5 times a week. The funny thing is that when it slips our mind, Jadon always remembers. He looks forward to it! That's not to say that this time always goes smoothly and that our precious little toddler always cooperates. There are some evenings when it would definitely be easier to throw in the towel and be done with it, but we press on because we see the time as being so beneficial!
What It Isn't
Our family worship time is not a time for extreme structure, even though we pretty much follow the same routine each time. Changing up the location, who reads, who prays, and what songs we sing make each time unique.
This isn't a time for reinforcing good behavior or giving moralistic lessons. It's an intentional time of sharing our love for Christ with our son and teaching him about all that God has done for us.
Why We Do It
For some parents out there, a time like this may seem impossible to achieve. Our lives are so busy, schedules are filled, and people are tired all the time.
It may even seem overwhelming if you don't see yourself as being gifted as a teacher. Honestly, by using the Jesus Storybook Bible you are given a lot of direction for application. In fact, I often find myself challenged by the readings in this Bible. The writer of the Jesus Storybook Bible recently contributed an article on a well-known blog that addresses the challenges of teaching and applying the Bible for young children. You can read the blog post here. It's a very insightful article that really makes you think twice about how to apply the Bible to a life of any age.
Our church is great (and getting even better) at instructing children through God's Word from a very early age. We are so appreciative of that, and yet are very cautious that this is not the only or even the primary means of Jadon's biblical education. Andy and I desire to express our love for Christ and all that He's done for us to our son, and not just on Sundays but everyday. Our time of family worship is a great, intentional way to do that.
I would totally encourage you to not wait until you think your child is "old enough" to understand everything or sit completely still for the whole time. The sooner you start, the sooner both your child and you will begin reaping the benefits of this time spent in God's Word and in prayer.
~ Carrie ~
During the Advent season, our family has what we call an "advent tree" in which we put up a new ornament each day, in addition to reading a Bible story or passage of Scripture. We also usually sang a Christmas song and always ended our time in prayer. Jadon grew to love this time and would often ask multiple times throughout the day to put up a new ornament on the advent tree. After Christmas was done and I took down the advent tree Jadon was a little upset. Andy and I realized that this was a great opportunity to begin an actual family devotion time that we call "family worship". Here's what it typically looks like:
What It Is
- 10-12 minutes of time together as a family in the evening (after supper), usually on the couch
- Reading a story from the Jesus Storybook Bible
- Talking about the story and what we learn about God in this story
- Sing a song
- Close in prayer
This is an awesome time for our family to refocus and spend quality time together. It doesn't happen every night, but I'd say we usually have family worship 4-5 times a week. The funny thing is that when it slips our mind, Jadon always remembers. He looks forward to it! That's not to say that this time always goes smoothly and that our precious little toddler always cooperates. There are some evenings when it would definitely be easier to throw in the towel and be done with it, but we press on because we see the time as being so beneficial!
What It Isn't
Our family worship time is not a time for extreme structure, even though we pretty much follow the same routine each time. Changing up the location, who reads, who prays, and what songs we sing make each time unique.
This isn't a time for reinforcing good behavior or giving moralistic lessons. It's an intentional time of sharing our love for Christ with our son and teaching him about all that God has done for us.
Why We Do It
For some parents out there, a time like this may seem impossible to achieve. Our lives are so busy, schedules are filled, and people are tired all the time.
It may even seem overwhelming if you don't see yourself as being gifted as a teacher. Honestly, by using the Jesus Storybook Bible you are given a lot of direction for application. In fact, I often find myself challenged by the readings in this Bible. The writer of the Jesus Storybook Bible recently contributed an article on a well-known blog that addresses the challenges of teaching and applying the Bible for young children. You can read the blog post here. It's a very insightful article that really makes you think twice about how to apply the Bible to a life of any age.
Our church is great (and getting even better) at instructing children through God's Word from a very early age. We are so appreciative of that, and yet are very cautious that this is not the only or even the primary means of Jadon's biblical education. Andy and I desire to express our love for Christ and all that He's done for us to our son, and not just on Sundays but everyday. Our time of family worship is a great, intentional way to do that.
I would totally encourage you to not wait until you think your child is "old enough" to understand everything or sit completely still for the whole time. The sooner you start, the sooner both your child and you will begin reaping the benefits of this time spent in God's Word and in prayer.
~ Carrie ~
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Valentine's Day in a Nut Shell
Some of you may remember my woes about Valentine's Day that I shared last year. I'm very anti both the commercialism of the day and the whole social pressures of having a special "Valentine" and on Valentine's Day. I think it's absolutely ridiculous. (I apologize to any of you who are very into Valentine's Day. This is simply my personal opinion.)
At the same time, my heart has some strings attached to this particular "holiday" (I cringe to even refer to it as that). As I also mentioned last year, my dad (having 3 daughters) always made it a priority to show his daughters (and our mom/his wife, of course) just how much he loves us. (Click here to read how he did this.) I'm so appreciative of the way that my dad taught us what a true gentleman is like, in every sense of the word.
So for our family, my husband and I really wanted to pass on some of the same ideas of love and being a gentleman/lady, but also emphasis where love comes from and the only example of true love that we have - Christ.
Last year I worked hard to do this. Valentine's Day celebration consisted of a breakfast made by my hubby (and son), dinner out with just Andy (pre- Valentine's Day)a surprise visit to the church to deliver a special gift of love to my husband, cupcakes given to our neighbors, packed gift baskets to homebound/sick individuals from our church (done with our church), and a special dinner at home for the three of us with special dishes, homemade cards, and a few yummy homemade treats. All of this was mixed in with lots of prayer and Scripture reading, which made our whole celebration much more... redemptive. I wrapped up Valentine's Day 2011 with the feeling of not be able to wait until next year - to make it even better!
This year was very different, and in some ways I felt like I failed (compared to last year). Life happened a little more than it did last year around this time and, well... we adjusted and did things a little different. And in the end, it ended up being a really fun day.
Before Valentine's Day, we had the opportunity (for the second year in a row) to participate with our church in packing gift baskets for individuals who are elderly and unable to attend church, are sick, or have been away from our congregation for other reasons. This was a wonderful time to lovingly serve and care for those in our congregation that not many of us see on a regular basis.
Two days before Valentine's Day, Andy and I were able to go out for dinner (just the two of us!). We're so thankful for wonderful friends from our church who love to watch Jadon! We got some much needed time together, but didn't have the Valentine's Day craziness at the restaurant.
Soooo... Valentine's Day. My husband was incredibly thoughtful. Getting up in the mornings has been so difficult for me lately (but I do it). Tuesday morning, he let me sleep in (until 7:15... that's sleeping in around here). He and Jadon had a breakfast of french toast and scrambled eggs prepared for all of us to have together. We spent some time reading Scripture and praying together and then we ate and opened our cards to each other. The morning was more leisurely than a normal Tuesday morning, but alas... life goes on. Andy left for work, and Jadon and I headed out the door do run some errands.
My little valentine and I ended up at the mall at lunch time and I opted for us to have our lunch together in the food court (something that he and I have done 2 or 3 times ever... so this was a very special treat for both of us). Jadon took a very good afternoon nap, and then life really got busy. No wonderfully prepared dinner for three with the nice dishes this year. Instead, we had a frozen pizza (a little sentimental for Andy and I) along with a few other special sides for our dinner. Then it was a quick clean-up and out the door we went to a college basketball game. A wonderful young lady that we know plays on the team and this was our second time getting to see her play. All three of us love going to see her play, and it was a wonderful way for us to lovingly encourage and support her in her last home game of the season. It was such a privilege for us to be there!
So, all in all... not the Valentine's Day celebration that I would have meticulously planned out (if I had found time to meticulously plan the day out), but it ended up being a really fun day. And this is just the point. February 14th was not special because of the flowers and candy that were given in our house. (Andy did not get me flowers, and I didn't give Andy a bit of candy.) It wasn't special because we had a wonderfully prepared meal to enjoy. It was special because we put in just a little bit more effort to enjoy one another, encourage others, and give Christ all the credit for the example he set for us to follow in life and in love.
~ Carrie ~
At the same time, my heart has some strings attached to this particular "holiday" (I cringe to even refer to it as that). As I also mentioned last year, my dad (having 3 daughters) always made it a priority to show his daughters (and our mom/his wife, of course) just how much he loves us. (Click here to read how he did this.) I'm so appreciative of the way that my dad taught us what a true gentleman is like, in every sense of the word.
So for our family, my husband and I really wanted to pass on some of the same ideas of love and being a gentleman/lady, but also emphasis where love comes from and the only example of true love that we have - Christ.
Last year I worked hard to do this. Valentine's Day celebration consisted of a breakfast made by my hubby (and son), dinner out with just Andy (pre- Valentine's Day)a surprise visit to the church to deliver a special gift of love to my husband, cupcakes given to our neighbors, packed gift baskets to homebound/sick individuals from our church (done with our church), and a special dinner at home for the three of us with special dishes, homemade cards, and a few yummy homemade treats. All of this was mixed in with lots of prayer and Scripture reading, which made our whole celebration much more... redemptive. I wrapped up Valentine's Day 2011 with the feeling of not be able to wait until next year - to make it even better!
This year was very different, and in some ways I felt like I failed (compared to last year). Life happened a little more than it did last year around this time and, well... we adjusted and did things a little different. And in the end, it ended up being a really fun day.
Before Valentine's Day, we had the opportunity (for the second year in a row) to participate with our church in packing gift baskets for individuals who are elderly and unable to attend church, are sick, or have been away from our congregation for other reasons. This was a wonderful time to lovingly serve and care for those in our congregation that not many of us see on a regular basis.
Two days before Valentine's Day, Andy and I were able to go out for dinner (just the two of us!). We're so thankful for wonderful friends from our church who love to watch Jadon! We got some much needed time together, but didn't have the Valentine's Day craziness at the restaurant.
Soooo... Valentine's Day. My husband was incredibly thoughtful. Getting up in the mornings has been so difficult for me lately (but I do it). Tuesday morning, he let me sleep in (until 7:15... that's sleeping in around here). He and Jadon had a breakfast of french toast and scrambled eggs prepared for all of us to have together. We spent some time reading Scripture and praying together and then we ate and opened our cards to each other. The morning was more leisurely than a normal Tuesday morning, but alas... life goes on. Andy left for work, and Jadon and I headed out the door do run some errands.
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| Jadon enjoying his french toast and eggs. |
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| Loving his Valentine's Day balloon (from the dollar store). This and one of those washcloths that you put in the water to expand were what we gave him for Valentine's Day... not a bit of candy - and he was thrilled! |
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| Jadon's cards to "Mom" and "Dad" |
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| Andy's sweet and thoughful gift to me |
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| Making his Valentine's Day card to bring for our friend playing in the basketball game |
So, all in all... not the Valentine's Day celebration that I would have meticulously planned out (if I had found time to meticulously plan the day out), but it ended up being a really fun day. And this is just the point. February 14th was not special because of the flowers and candy that were given in our house. (Andy did not get me flowers, and I didn't give Andy a bit of candy.) It wasn't special because we had a wonderfully prepared meal to enjoy. It was special because we put in just a little bit more effort to enjoy one another, encourage others, and give Christ all the credit for the example he set for us to follow in life and in love.
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| Sharing a "family kiss" right before our little valentine headed to bed |
Monday, February 13, 2012
What We Did with Valentine's Day 2011
It's hard to believe that just over a year ago I started blogging for the first time! Here's my first repeat post that challenged me (again) as we look to Valentine's Day 2012. I don't have my full game plan yet, but I'm working on it! Our day is going to look a little different than last year, but I'm hoping to still have the same (or better) sentiments to take from it.
from the archives
A couple of Mondays ago I challenged myself, and anyone else reading this, to make Valentine’s Day about more than just romance, flowers, and chocolate. It was a challenge to anyone, with or without a spouse or romantic interest, to reflect on the example of true love that God has given us and come up with ideas of how to share that love with those around us – particularly those in our families, but also with others.
I’m going to share some of the highlights of our Valentine’s Day celebration and my assessment on how we did in our attempt to redeem this holiday.
Pre-Valentine’s Day Events
- Helping Jadon make a Valentine for Daddy with random crafty stuff I had (foam, stickers, googly eyes, etc.). Very cute!
- Making Valentine’s cupcakes for our friends at Bible study and for our neighbors next door (a single mom with 5 children)
- The hubby planned an evening out for supper and a special dessert, babysitters included (a wonderful couple from our church). What a wonderful evening out, just the two of us!
Valentine’s Day Happenings
- Andy and Jadon made a special Valentine’s Day breakfast of heart-shaped pancakes for the three of us. Before eating, as I mentioned on Monday, Andy read a few verses from 1 Corinthians 13. It really helped both of us to go into the day with an attitude of serving and caring for one another in love. This was also when Jadon “gave his cards” to Mommy and Daddy.
- Jadon (and I) surprised Daddy with a brief visit at the church and a monkey “I Love You” balloon – yes, he picked it out and it was hilarious!
- I made a special Valentine’s Day dinner for just the 3 of us – calzones (kind of a sentimental meal for us from our first couple years of marriage), caesar salad, and raspberry lemonade (gotta have something red!). Originally I had hoped to make the calzones heart-shaped, but I quickly realized that due to the consistency of the dough… it just wasn’t going to happen… It was still a nice meal, though. The meal was served with our nice china, good silverware, and crystal goblets – even Jadon’s place was set with a small plate of our china, a big boy fork, and a glass juice cup (which he was particularly excited about). Andy read from 1 John 4 and we prayed together. It was a nice time to be grateful of the love we can show to each other only as a result of the love that God showed us through the sacrifice of His Son.
- Also at dinner time, we exchanged cards for one another – which were not your “typical” Valentine’s Day cards. Both my card to Andy and our card to Jadon were homemade. Andy’s card to me was a store-bought card, but not explicitly Valentine’s Day. It didn’t bother me in the least, as what he wrote to me in the card meant so much more than what was already printed on it.
- Dessert was also on each person’s dinner plate, but was held off until dinner was finished – chocolate dipped pretzels. Easy, cheap, pretty, and yummy – does it get any better than that?
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| Valentine's Day Breakfast - sooo cute! |
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| These are the letters from a Valentine's message my husband left for me in the stairwell of my dorm when we were in college. The whole message included my name, too. When trying to think of some simple decorating to do before our meal, I remembered I had tucked these away! Clothes-pinned them to my curtain rod and they're still good to be used next year! |
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| Valentine's Day Dinner |
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| Checking out his yummy dessert! |
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| Didn't get a picture of the monkey balloon, but this is the frog one Jadon picked out for himself! |
So, did our family accomplish what we set out to do this year for Valentine’s Day? Yes and no.
We purposely spent more time meditating on and discussing passages of God’s Word that talk about love – His love for us and our love for Him and others. I think we could have done more of this, but honestly… with an almost 2 year old who just doesn’t get it yet, it was difficult. I’d like to come up with some more creative ways to incorporate him (young children in general) in this portion of the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
We did find ways to show love to each other in special ways without having to spend lots of money. I used supplies that I already had on hand to make our cards. The entire meal I made, including dessert, was made up of ingredients that I almost always have on hand (pizza dough, red sauce, various cheese, and there are lots of other goodies that can be stuffed in a calzone… not to mention basic salad fixings, pretzels, and chocolate melted down for dipping). Oh, and I put the chocolate-covered pretzels in regular ziplock bags and snipped some ribbon from the balloons we bought (I’ll get to that next) to tie a little boy on each bag. We purchased 2 helium Valentine’s Day balloons (one for Daddy and one for Jadon) from our local dollar store for – you guessed it – a dollar each. So, as far as showing love toward each other… I think we did a great job!
We also found opportunities to show love toward others. The cupcakes I made to give away I made from a mix and some canned frosting that were already in my pantry. This is an area that we could probably have done more in, but during this time we were also helping our church do an outreach ministry to some of the elderly who have been shut-in this winter, so I think we can count that too.
All in all, I think this was one of my favorite Valentine’s Days ever. I’ve succeeded in changing my own perspective – at least a little – on this celebration. In fact… I’m actually kind of looking forward to next year already! We had a lot of fun together! Even if you didn’t take my challenge this year, hopefully it will inspire you to start thinking about next year!
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| Lots of love for our boy! |
How did you redeem Valentine’s Day by showing love toward God in serving and loving others – family, friends, and even strangers? Leave a comment below. Maybe you can be an inspiration to me and others!
Happy Valentine’s Week!
~ Carrie ~
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Checking in on the "To Do List"
It's been almost a month since I posted my 2012 to do list, so I thought it might be time for a little update. The list was (and is) quite overwhelming to me... and even still, immediately after posting my list, I thought of at three or four additions to it. So, not all of the things I'm going to mention that have been done are actually a part of my original to do list, but they are still big accomplishments.
My hubby reads my blog. So, yes... he saw the list. I'm not sure if he felt a sense of guilt about some of the things that needed to be done (I hope not! It wasn't meant to be a gigantic honey-do list!) or challenged to see just how much he can get accomplished around the house before little girl arrives. Either way, he has cranked out a few jobs in the last few weeks that may not be big projects, but nevertheless needed to be done.
So, Andy accomplished 3 things that have been on the to do list since we moved into our home (two and half years ago...). Come on... you all have projects like these, right? A drawer in our kitchen has not worked right since we got here. It was constantly falling off the track. Andy tried to fix it a while back and realized it was going to be harder than he thought. Well, it's fixed and we can finally open and close our "junk drawer" without fear that it's going to completely fall apart on the kitchen floor. The other 2 projects he tackled were replacing the light fixtures in both bathrooms. Both are older and, in my opinion, needed some updating, but the one in the full bath had never worked right. So, for a grand total of $40, both fixtures were replaced and look awesome! It's amazing how something little like a light can make a huge difference in a space!
Now onto some things that were actually on my to do list!
A big thing on our minds has been to convert our guest bedroom into a nursery. The first step toward doing this was to get new wall-to-wall carpeting. When we moved in, the carpeting was in rough shape and so we made the decision to rip it out and put down a temporary area rug until the church was ready to replace the carpeting. We don't use the room much, except when we have company, and even then it was still useable. But, since we're changing everything all around to prepare for the baby, we felt like this was the right time to finally replace the carpet (and the church agreed). It was even more exciting when - yup, you guessed it - we got a great deal on the carpet because we were able to select a remnant piece that they had leftover in the warehouse (resulting in just over 50% savings)! Here are a few pics... unfortunately I must be a terrible blogger because I totally forgot to take before pictures... Oh well!
The nursery will still double as a guest room, when necessary, so we've kept the full bed in the room, but have it in a corner to make more space for the baby furniture and "stuff".
So, the process is well underway. There's still lots to be done and decisions to be made, but we've gotten a good jump on the process. Over the next month or so I'll be shopping sales and looking for bargains to decorate the room. I have so many ideas rolling around in my head, but have yet to come up with a clear concept of what the room will look like...
In addition to figuring out the nursery, I've been doing some reorganizing, shopping on Craig's List, and compiling more yard sale items (yup, something else on the list!). I've also finally begun scrapbooking Jadon (now that his 3rd birthday is less than 2 months away!). I'll wrap up with a few pictures of what I've done so far...
And so... until the next to do list update!
~ Carrie ~
My hubby reads my blog. So, yes... he saw the list. I'm not sure if he felt a sense of guilt about some of the things that needed to be done (I hope not! It wasn't meant to be a gigantic honey-do list!) or challenged to see just how much he can get accomplished around the house before little girl arrives. Either way, he has cranked out a few jobs in the last few weeks that may not be big projects, but nevertheless needed to be done.
So, Andy accomplished 3 things that have been on the to do list since we moved into our home (two and half years ago...). Come on... you all have projects like these, right? A drawer in our kitchen has not worked right since we got here. It was constantly falling off the track. Andy tried to fix it a while back and realized it was going to be harder than he thought. Well, it's fixed and we can finally open and close our "junk drawer" without fear that it's going to completely fall apart on the kitchen floor. The other 2 projects he tackled were replacing the light fixtures in both bathrooms. Both are older and, in my opinion, needed some updating, but the one in the full bath had never worked right. So, for a grand total of $40, both fixtures were replaced and look awesome! It's amazing how something little like a light can make a huge difference in a space!
Now onto some things that were actually on my to do list!
A big thing on our minds has been to convert our guest bedroom into a nursery. The first step toward doing this was to get new wall-to-wall carpeting. When we moved in, the carpeting was in rough shape and so we made the decision to rip it out and put down a temporary area rug until the church was ready to replace the carpeting. We don't use the room much, except when we have company, and even then it was still useable. But, since we're changing everything all around to prepare for the baby, we felt like this was the right time to finally replace the carpet (and the church agreed). It was even more exciting when - yup, you guessed it - we got a great deal on the carpet because we were able to select a remnant piece that they had leftover in the warehouse (resulting in just over 50% savings)! Here are a few pics... unfortunately I must be a terrible blogger because I totally forgot to take before pictures... Oh well!
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| Jadon enjoyed testing out the new carpet, and insisted on having his picture taken in the "baby's new room" |
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| The new carpet... so soft... and so clean! |
The nursery will still double as a guest room, when necessary, so we've kept the full bed in the room, but have it in a corner to make more space for the baby furniture and "stuff".
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| Walking in the door, the bed is on the left and the closet is on the right. |
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| All the baby's furniture is straight ahead when you walk in. |
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| I'm a little concerned that Jadon may love this bed so much that he wants to sleep there after his sister is home! (FYI, the glider will be moved if ever we have guests sleeping in this room.) |
In addition to figuring out the nursery, I've been doing some reorganizing, shopping on Craig's List, and compiling more yard sale items (yup, something else on the list!). I've also finally begun scrapbooking Jadon (now that his 3rd birthday is less than 2 months away!). I'll wrap up with a few pictures of what I've done so far... |
| "Special Delivery Due to arrive on April 2, 2009"... and that's when he arrived! |
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| It's a BOY! |
~ Carrie ~
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
It's Time for Something New
Two words - cabin fever. Yup. It has officially set in.
My son keeps looking out onto the deck and asking to go play outside. I can't blame him. I keep finding myself gazing out the kitchen window at the blue skies and warm sun. Then I look at the outdoor temperature, in my mind hoping that it will miraculously say it's in the 60s. Yeah... that hasn't happened yet.
When it's warm outside, it's all I can do to keep my boy in the house until 9:30 am (sometimes I let him out earlier...). He's clearly an outdoors kid. Now here we are in February, there's no snow on the ground (which is no different from the rest of the winter), appears to be beautiful outside, and it's still in the 30s (if that). Oh, and might I add, Punxsutaney Phil saw his shadow. I don't put any stock in Groundhog Day, but still... it's a downer.
Yes, I'm complaining. And for those of you fellow New Englanders who may argue that we've had a few seasonably warm days lately, you're right. Unfortunately those few hours that the temperature dares to climb into the 40s (or higher) happen to be lunch and nap time here in toddlerland. Yet another downer.
What can be done about cabin fever?
This is a psalm that I have heard referenced several times over the last month, and it's what came to mind this morning during another late-morning toddler tantrum. I find myself blaming the weather for my son's outbursts. If only I could send him outside... he'd be a different person, much easier for me to handle! The weather is only partly to blame. Sin nature is the other part - both mine and my son's.
So guess what? It's time to start singing a new song. It's time to change things up again. Where do I look for inspiration? None other than Pinterest. Oh yes, my friends. If you haven't joined, just do it. Here are some ideas I've come across that I'm hoping will help change the tune at our house.
"I love you this much!" So fun!
Change things up with a "new" game. Seriously... would this take any more than 10 minutes?
Once again... cute and easy! Could be artwork to send to grandparents, too!
Definitely more time consuming initially, but I'm pretty sure my husband would have as much fun with this as my son!
Just a few ideas that we may be trying soon! Whether you have a toddler or not, how are you going to "sing to the Lord a new song"? Open the door long enough to let the grouchies out (and still keep the heat in) and rejoice in the Lord with each new day.
~ Carrie ~
My son keeps looking out onto the deck and asking to go play outside. I can't blame him. I keep finding myself gazing out the kitchen window at the blue skies and warm sun. Then I look at the outdoor temperature, in my mind hoping that it will miraculously say it's in the 60s. Yeah... that hasn't happened yet.
When it's warm outside, it's all I can do to keep my boy in the house until 9:30 am (sometimes I let him out earlier...). He's clearly an outdoors kid. Now here we are in February, there's no snow on the ground (which is no different from the rest of the winter), appears to be beautiful outside, and it's still in the 30s (if that). Oh, and might I add, Punxsutaney Phil saw his shadow. I don't put any stock in Groundhog Day, but still... it's a downer.
Yes, I'm complaining. And for those of you fellow New Englanders who may argue that we've had a few seasonably warm days lately, you're right. Unfortunately those few hours that the temperature dares to climb into the 40s (or higher) happen to be lunch and nap time here in toddlerland. Yet another downer.
What can be done about cabin fever?
"Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord all the earth."
Psalm 96:1
This is a psalm that I have heard referenced several times over the last month, and it's what came to mind this morning during another late-morning toddler tantrum. I find myself blaming the weather for my son's outbursts. If only I could send him outside... he'd be a different person, much easier for me to handle! The weather is only partly to blame. Sin nature is the other part - both mine and my son's.
So guess what? It's time to start singing a new song. It's time to change things up again. Where do I look for inspiration? None other than Pinterest. Oh yes, my friends. If you haven't joined, just do it. Here are some ideas I've come across that I'm hoping will help change the tune at our house.
"I love you this much!" So fun!
Change things up with a "new" game. Seriously... would this take any more than 10 minutes?
Once again... cute and easy! Could be artwork to send to grandparents, too!
Definitely more time consuming initially, but I'm pretty sure my husband would have as much fun with this as my son!
Just a few ideas that we may be trying soon! Whether you have a toddler or not, how are you going to "sing to the Lord a new song"? Open the door long enough to let the grouchies out (and still keep the heat in) and rejoice in the Lord with each new day.
~ Carrie ~
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Shop a lot, Spend a little
I like to save money. This is good because, quite honestly, our budget relies on it. I'm not the crazy coupon lady. I don't want to be that person because as important as it is for me to save money, there are other things that are more important. I like the place that budgeting and coupon clipping has in my life, and I don't intend on changing that any time soon.
Although I do clip coupons and scour fliers and online websites for good deals, a big part of the way that I save money is simply by common sense. I try to pay attention to when certain items go on sale and stock up at those times. For instance, I know I can get great deals on office supplies in July and August at stores like Staples. Another example is that frozen foods go on sale in many grocery stores in March. Combine these good deals with a few coupons and you suddenly have a very good time to stock up on food items that will keep for a quite a while.
Another cost-effective fact that I've learned is that clothing clearance racks are at their fullest immediately after Christmas and at the end of the summer. Think about it... Stores stock up for the busy Christmas season and then have to quickly unload what's left in order to make room for Spring/Summer lines of clothing. Similarly, at the end of the summer, stores are quickly getting rid of all the bathing suits and sunglasses to make room for back to school and fall lines, soon followed by winter/Christmas (and getting earlier every year it seems...). So if you're okay with being a season behind in your attire, right now is a great time to get some deals on clothing.
Even though the stores are empty and many people are relieved to take a break from the shopping, you now know that for me January means clearance racks - and with the coming of my little girl this summer, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of pink, purple and ruffles!
So where have I shopped? Well, I went to JCPenny and, well, let's just say the trip did not go as planned. My precious little boy ended up having a huge meltdown in the store (a rare thing) and my husband took him to the car. So, feeling pressed for time, I hurried to at least look through the maternity section since I was in desperate need of a pair of jeans. The result was:
Although I do clip coupons and scour fliers and online websites for good deals, a big part of the way that I save money is simply by common sense. I try to pay attention to when certain items go on sale and stock up at those times. For instance, I know I can get great deals on office supplies in July and August at stores like Staples. Another example is that frozen foods go on sale in many grocery stores in March. Combine these good deals with a few coupons and you suddenly have a very good time to stock up on food items that will keep for a quite a while.
Another cost-effective fact that I've learned is that clothing clearance racks are at their fullest immediately after Christmas and at the end of the summer. Think about it... Stores stock up for the busy Christmas season and then have to quickly unload what's left in order to make room for Spring/Summer lines of clothing. Similarly, at the end of the summer, stores are quickly getting rid of all the bathing suits and sunglasses to make room for back to school and fall lines, soon followed by winter/Christmas (and getting earlier every year it seems...). So if you're okay with being a season behind in your attire, right now is a great time to get some deals on clothing.
Even though the stores are empty and many people are relieved to take a break from the shopping, you now know that for me January means clearance racks - and with the coming of my little girl this summer, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of pink, purple and ruffles!
So where have I shopped? Well, I went to JCPenny and, well, let's just say the trip did not go as planned. My precious little boy ended up having a huge meltdown in the store (a rare thing) and my husband took him to the car. So, feeling pressed for time, I hurried to at least look through the maternity section since I was in desperate need of a pair of jeans. The result was:
$25 maternity jeans (a pretty good deal) - $14 from a gift card = $11 maternity jeans
Unfortunately I never made it to any other section in the store. It happens. Oh well.
A few days later my mother-in-law and I went shopping at Kohl's and Carter's. We hit the jackpot at Kohl's. We found some incredible sales on baby, toddler, and maternity clothes. I was also excited because (as a Kohl's card carrier... fyi, the only store card I have) I had a coupon for 30% my entire purchase! Woohoo! I won't list all of my good deals out because... well, this blog post would end up even longer than it already is... but here are a few items I purchased and their clearance price before my 30% off...
Cute pink maternity sweater(orginally $56.00) = $5.40
2 Pairs of maternity shorts(originally $40 or >) = $9.40 total
3 Piece dress outfit for Jadon(originally $56.00) = $11.00
Several infant shirts(originally $13.00) = $2.60 each
Girls dress(originally $34.00) = $10.20
Then another 30% off! Wow! It was exciting! And our husbands (my husband and his father) were actually excited about our buying all of this stuff! We made our purchase together (so that we could both get the 30% off) and ended up spending just under $100.
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| My actual Kohl's receipt from this trip with a total savings of $369.89! Woohoo!! |
We then went on to the Carter's store and found some more great deals. I got 3 outfits and 3 pairs of no-scratch newborn mittens for under $24. Lovin' me some good deals! This little girl is going to be looking good!
This week I went to Target, but not with the intention of looking at clearance racks (but let's be real here... I have to at least look briefly at them!). Jadon needed new dress pants, which I found. But as I combed through some racks of clearance stuff I also found...
2 Infant shirts = $1.50 each
Ruffled skirt w/ leggings = $3.88
And this was the result of a quick look through two clearance racks. Not bad. It was not, however, the highlight of my trip to Target.
When I first entered the section of toddler and baby clothing I noticed probably about 10 big boxes pretty much sitting in the middle of this department on a pallet... like they were just dropped there and forgotten. My first thought? Umm... okay. Real nice. Could they not put these where they are supposed to go? Seriously? Then I noticed a little red sign on top of one of the boxes that said, "Clearance 50%". Those words are like magic to me. It was all big baby items, so I immediately was thinking about whether I needed anything. So, I looked down at the closest box to me and it was none other than a Baby Trend Sit & Stand DX. For real?! This is the type of stroller we've been thinking about purchasing for when the baby arrives. The only thing is, we wouldn't even begin to be able to afford one brand new, so I had recently begun researching what they typically go for on Craig's List. So, I called Andy to do some quick research online about this stroller to make sure it was definitely what we wanted (since all I had to look at was the box, which wasn't much help). We concluded it was and I bought it!
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| Came mostly assembled, and folds up very small. |
So, it must have been a good deal, right? Well, used strollers like this one were going on Craig's List for between $60 and $100 (the only one I saw for $60 did not appear to be in good condition at all). Brand new you can typically expect to pay between $140 and $200. I bought my brand new one for... (drum roll please...) $70! Yup, I was pretty excited. Annnnd, my awesome hubby put it together for me that night! Why? Well, I watch a one year old 3 days a week and it would be really ideal on nicer days to have a double stroller to go on walks. Jadon does well walking while holding the side of the stroller, but his little legs are usually pretty tired by the time we are making our way home (especially if our walk has included a stop at the park).
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| Assembled in 10 minutes! |
So that's pretty much it for my shopping sprees this January. I've spent enough (although not all that much) and have tons of stuff to go through.
If you haven't done any clearance shopping this month there's still time. I picked up a few clearance items at Christmas Tree Shops for 75% off (Christmas items I'll tuck away until next year.). I've also heard that Old Navy has good clearance items, too. Do some exploring and see what you can find! Who knows? You may just find that double stroller you needed but weren't looking right at your feet!
~ Carrie ~
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