I no longer edit my blog in Blogger, I use Windows Live Writer because I find it easier to manipulate the posts and photos. The other day I happened upon this picture, which was loaded into Blogger on December 17, 2008. It's amazing how little the children were just three years ago. Aren't they adorable?
My how they've changed:
My gorgeous babies… :-)
In 1995 I moved to Georgia to begin a new life. I was a new U.S. Air Force Veteran, a recent college graduate and a young single parent of a 4-year-old daughter. Sixteen years later I still maintain a home in this southern state. Now I have three more children and quite a bit more life under my belt. One of the things life experience has made me appreciate and desire is having a comfortable, stress-free, cozy and well-equipped domicile to enter into. My current residence, the fourth since I moved her, has afforded me the opportunity to alleviate the stress of home repairs, property upkeep and emergency expenses. Instead I have concentrated on making this home. (Have you seen my decorating efforts? Check out My new life, a post that features pictures of my decorative touches.)
But it doesn’t matter how homey it is, I still have another home – two, in fact. The city of New Castle in Delaware is where I was born and raised and a small, but growing town in Maryland is where my mom still lives. Those two states – and a few surrounding ones – hold what makes them home: my family (98 percent of them), my friends and my memories. Like the carefree walks through my suburban Delaware neighborhood to the 7-Eleven around the corner and the city park that was up the street from my grandparents’ home. And the time a deer trotted inches from my new first car as I cruised the back country roads with the windows down. I could hear the sounds of his hooves on the blacktop road as if it were yesterday. I still remember the fast food joints where I worked and the places I explored my first experiences of pleasure. I can visualize the town before video rental stores, shopping centers and fast food less than 10 minutes away.
All of that makes both Delaware and Maryland, as well as Georgia, my homes. It’s not necessarily my physical location as it is the feelings, meaning and experiences behind these places. I guess that would make the saying “home is where the heart is” true.
I wish I could find pictures of all of my homes to show you, but someone – who shall remain nameless – has not figured out how to organize the thousands of pictures we have. Where do you call home?
The last time I moved from state to state I had to figure out where to put the items that didn’t fit into my apartment. A lot of people have the same problem, but there is a solution for that: Self storage Warrington. Safestore is the only self-storage company in the UK and it has nationwide coverage of more than 100 storage centers.
It’s the ideal place to store items that you still hold valuable and don’t want to get rid of.
For the past five years – give or take – my now 20-year-old daughter has prepared the holiday meals. It started off with a few of the side dishes, progressed to the turkey then the side dishes, then everything with me having assignments and now she just takes over the entire meal. I just stay out of the way and keep her company.
It’s quite a treat. Not only am I proud of the fact that she’s a fabulous cook – thanks to the teachings of my grandmother through me to her – but she loves to do it. I, on the other hand, haven’t enjoyed cooking for a little over four years. It appears that my love of cooking is only present when I am pregnant. No more pregnancies; no more cooking love.
I was taught the old-school way: Everything from scratch. Now I barely chop an onion or wilt spinach. Thank goodness for the easy, quick frozen veggies that are already chopped or available for steaming, among other things. Yup, I’ve turned into a lazy cooker.
This year she prepared the turkey, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, spinach pie, broccoli casserole, greens, stove top sweet potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato pie, double chocolate cake, and we also had cranberry sauce and cornbread. (I think that’s everything.)
Thank goodness for Amber. That got me to thinking… What will I do when she has her own family?
Simple: We all will be going to her house every.single.holiday for dinner. Period.
In the future, I will be bringing home plastic containers and foil wrapped plates. And I’m so comfortable with that.
How was your Thanksgiving holiday? What do your future Thanksgivings look like?
One of the things I noticed with my first house-buying experience was ensuring that each room had adequate lighting. That experience was actually when my mother bought a house when we moved from one state to another. She didn’t realize there weren’t any ceiling lights in the bedrooms.
Once I went out on my own that was one of the things I noticed in each place I lived; there is always a need to add the right lightening. Not only to showcase photos or your home, but to be able to accomplish anything – cooking, reading, working – without having to squint.
When it comes to lighting an elegant dining room or a fantastic entry way, chandeliers are the way to go. There are all types to satisfy the style and tastes of every individual from crystal or glass to art deco or rustic. So when you’re decorating your home don’t forget the right lighting, and put your best shine forward.
I can not believe it’s almost the end of the year. Before I know it it’ll be time to make another commitment for the new year. This year I’ve been working on organizing and minimizing, and when I started this project I don’t think I realized how much of an ongoing process this would be.
As you recall, in January we moved out of my house and into an apartment. I’ve done some decorating and acquired things to make this more of a homey place for us. It’s going well as I just do a little bit at a time.
Once again I’ve found myself with stuff that isn’t being used or that I don’t need so I’ve posted some more things on eBay to sell. As I list each item I put it in a box. If the items don’t sell then they will be given to Goodwill along with other used and unneeded items. With Christmas coming, you never know who needs what so I thought I would share with you what I have on eBay. There are antique glass pieces, a Sleeping Beauty puzzle circa 1970s and I’m considering putting an antique doll in the mix that my grandmother gave to me.
If you’re interested, search WrightWriter on eBay and see what’s left to buy.
How do you make extra money or get rid of the items you aren’t using?
This post brought to you by PackIt. All opinions are 100% mine.
One of the hardest things about packing a lunch for school or work is taking something that will endure the temperatures of the day. If you don't have access to a refrigerator, which is a problem most students have, then you often have to get creative or use those ice packs that only keep things cold for about two hours. Now, thanks to single moms Jeannette and Melissa that is not a dilemma anymore. They created the PackIt to solve the problem of keeping their children's lunches cool.
PackIt stays cold for up to 10 hours and is perfectly sized for on-the-go. Pack your lunch, store it where ever you like and when you're finished fold it up for storage. Piece of cake! The PackIt, when open, is 8" x 10" x 5" and when folded is 8" x 5" x 2". And it's more than just a lunch bag, you can tote baby bottles, use it for snacks at a sporting event and take it on road trips or plane rides.
I know what I would use it for or rather what my middle daughter would use it for: She really prefers to take her lunch to school and, at only 6 years old, she likes to pack different things that often include cold items. I have to remind her that whatever it is won't be cold or like she likes it so she has to change her choice. With one of the PackIt lunch boxes she wouldn't have to worry about that.
Now is a good time to purchase one too as a gift or get one for yourself because, for a limited time, when you purchase a PackIt for $19.95 you can also get one for FREE. Now you know I am down for BOGO.
What would you use your PackIt for? Leave me a comment and let me know then tell me why it might be better than the regular old lunch bags.
PackIt can revolutionize lunch, don't you think?
How many times, as a parent, have you said, “Stop before you hurt yourself?” If you’re like me you probably can’t remember the number of times you’ve said it.
Lately my three youngest children have been “off the chain.” They have managed to do the opposite of everything I have said – especially the girls. Last night was no different.
I don’t know why, but the girls – 6-year-old Amareah and Anna, 4 – decided that everything they did in the shower was funny. They were showering, laughing, sliding and splashing. I said, “Stop before someone gets hurt” about three times. Not minutes after I said it the last time, I hear Amareah saying, “Anna, mommy said stop and calm down. Annaaaa…” Then Anna’s hysterical laughter stopped abruptly, there was a pause and a loud cry.
I wasn’t feeling that great so I was laying on the couch. For a moment I considered not moving from my spot. I figured that it was as usual: She bumped her head or scared herself and was just screaming. After Amareah said, “Anna what did you do?” about a thousand times getting louder with every instance, I thought that I better take a peek.
The scene when I walked into the bathroom was two naked little girls with shower caps on, one looked scared and shocked, and the other one had her hand covering her mouth. I zeroed in on Anna, got closer and with hands on hips said (still not wanting to think she was really hurt), “Where did you hurt yourself? Let me see.”
She removed her hand from her mouth and her entire mouth was filled with blood, and her two front, top teeth plus one to my left were pushed back. I put my hands on my head, which felt like it was gonna explode. And said, through clenched teeth, “this.is.why.I.say.listen.Why.won’t.y’all.listen!?” Thereafter I was a nervous wreck, with my emotions raw from not feeling well and the on-edge nerves from the rowdy kids, I was already emotional.
Tears fell and each of my children began to cry while running around trying to follow the directions I was giving. I quickly dressed Anna and my neighbor went with us to the ER last night.
This morning was a trip to the dentist. Now doses of antibiotics and pain medicines later, Anna will have 30 days of no biting into anything with everything cut into small pieces so she can minimize the use of her front teeth. (One is looser than the other) Everything is okay, so to speak, but she’ll have to be careful and I have to look out for any infection or something irregular that could result in harm to her adult teeth.
She’s excited about the goodies she’s allowed now: ice pops, Jell-O, yogurt, macaroni and cheese. Ut oh, forgot the applesauce and I should get some watermelon. She’s thrilled that she gets to do things that are otherwise frowned upon like pulling apart meat and cheese into small pieces. And she’ll get lots of soup along with extra personalized attention.
Needless to say, I have been a nervous wreck every time she moves… and she does a lot of that. Right now she’s napping quietly next to me on the couch and I’m thrilled to just gaze at her sweet face.. I’m just happy that she’s okay and hope to keep her safe while she heals. I better stock up on the wine because what 4 year old do you know that can be still?
Whether you are in the market for a brand new lapel pin or a personalized initial necklace, the current trend for most jewelry is heading towards vintage. Anything with blue sapphires, colorful pearls, and green emeralds is quickly becoming the hottest trend. Nothing will accessorize your favorite piece of business clothing and give it a quirky touch like a bold and beautiful piece of jewelry from another generation.
Vintage jewelry is so popular because it can stand the test of time. You can find it by visiting local resale shops, pawn stores, and even by routing through your mother's old jewelry collection. With the expansion of the Internet and millions of creative individuals coming together, finding vintage and vintage inspired jewelry through e-commerce sites has become relatively simple. Here are some of the best places where you can find quality pieces with a unique vintage spark:
Etsy is the most unique online location to find vintage jewelry. Instead of relying on pieces crafted several decades or even centuries ago, the cooperative of artists who sell their goods through this web site come together in order to create new from the old. You can find items that are relatively cheap because the artists creating them are selling directly to you.
While it may be expensive, Israel Rose offers classic vintage jewelry from several different golden eras. This website offers a chance to purchase expensive pieces of classic jewelry, but if you are truly serious about purchasing, you may want to consider actually visiting instead of checking out online in order to get a feel for how the pieces will fit you.
While not exactly vintage, Mod Cloth takes a modern spin on vintage jewelry designs and sells them to a younger, more diverse crowd of people. The best thing about this website is the low prices they offer on quality jewelry. Because the vintage trend is picking up so much steam throughout the design industry, more of the top names are making inspired pieces for you to choose from.
If you are at all familiar with online shopping, you probably already have an eBay account. If you're in the market for vintage jewelry, then you will be excited to hear that they have an entire section of the website dedicated to it. You can find vintage oval rings, jewel necklaces, and vintage animals, usually for pennies on the dollar because of the bidding nature of the site.
If you want to make yourself look as fashionable as can be without having to overhaul your entire wardrobe, accessorizing with vintage jewelry is the way to go. Remember that there are no wrong choices to go with whatever ensemble you choose to wear, you are only limited by your creativity.
My youngest daughter, 4-year-old Anna, has been potty trained since she was 2. Long before she was 3 she stopped wetting the bed at night and would get up on her own to go to the bathroom. Sometimes when she was smaller I could hear her struggling in the middle of the night to use her stool to get on the toilet or get her clothes down, and I would run to help her.
Now fast forward about two years later. Instead of going right to the bathroom on her own then getting back into her bed she has taken to coming to wake me up to go with her to the bathroom. Mind you she has to walk past her bathroom to get to my bedroom. After quite a few nights of lost sleep (I also have my own sleep issues) I became rather annoyed. So each night she’d get the “if you have to use the bathroom, get up, go to your bathroom then go get back into your bed.”
Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn’t.
Finally after much prodding I asked her why she doesn’t want to go into her bathroom. She said she is scared. I ask why is she scared all of a sudden. I got a week of “I don’t know” as the answer. Then I asked, “What about the bathroom makes you scared?”
“The shower.”
“Why?”
“There’s a monster in the shower.”
Of course I explained that there isn’t a monster in the shower and it’s just the same as it has always been. But, to help to alleviate the situation, I have put my OCD on hold and pushed back the shower curtain so she can see that there’s nothing in there each time she goes in at night.
Now, I don’t know where the monster came from, but I’m sure it has something to do with the kids walking around scaring each other every time they’re in the bathroom. The three monsters created their own monster making the littlest monster haunt me at night.
So far I’ve had one kid-free night. Wish me luck as I hit the hay tonight.
How do you get rid of the monsters in your house?
I’m not ashamed to admit that I have a jewelry addiction. Luckily, I’ve controlled it a little by making some pieces for myself and I want to make some as Christmas gifts. I think my mom and grandmother would like pieces that are representative of their grandchildren. However, when I saw the rose gold women’s jewelry at Lauren Klein I decided that I suddenly need a new piece for the holidays.
There are some gorgeous, dainty pieces – both rings and necklaces – but the ring that most caught my eye was the Floral Art Deco Rose Gold Ring. Isn’t it gorgeous?
I am not normal a pink-wearing girl, but this is so beautiful and unique that I would love to see it adorning my finder. And, you know what, the lady in your life would love to see something sparkly on their finger, around their wrist, perched on their ears or handing around their neck too. The holiday-buying season is here so go ahead and get started with your shopping. Buying women’s jewelry is always the way to go. ;-)
There have been at least three instances since October 20th when someone has asked me how old my children are and I say my son is 7. It doesn’t sound quite right coming out of my mouth, so I squint my eyes, review all of the ages and then it dawns on me my son is 8. Wow! That’s almost 10 years old.
(Isn’t it funny how are children turn a certain age and we see the future automatically?)
Well, he’s 8. And he’s growing into such a handsome and responsible young man. Such a cutie. He was really cute at his birthday party, which we had at Monkey Joe’s. Remember I told you about his upcoming events when I shared photos of our at-home celebration? Here are some pictures from his Monkey Joe’s birthday party:
About a week ago, I was strolling through Wal-Mart during a weekday morning when it’s quiet and less crowded. I relished in my personal space that went un-violated; that was until my ears were attacked by Christmas music.
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmaaaas…..” The cheery music rang out loudly and I was astounded. Christmas? I sort of looked to the store ceiling and hoped that the music would stop. ‘Hump,’ I thought, ‘I refuse to believe it’s time for Christmas shopping; it’s not even Thanksgiving!’
My mental defiance didn’t work and before the end of my shopping trip I was bopping around, singing Christmas carols and thinking about what I would buy my children this year. They have already given me their Christmas lists, which I’m hoping they won’t add to thus increasing my Christmas-shopping anxiety, and I have an idea of the types of gifts I want them to have.
Among the toys and electronics they’re requesting, I’ve been eyeing a few personalized music and book items. When I was a young girl there wasn’t one single item that had my name included so it’s a treat nowadays to personalize items and I want my children to experience seeing their name in print especially for them.
Personalized music and books for kids feature popular characters like Elmo from Sesame Street, Barney, Mickey Mouse, all the Disney princesses my girls swoon over as well as other popular characters. My children already love to read, but giving them a personalized book will increase their excitement. Who am I kidding? It will increase my excitement as well. I’d love to get each of my three youngest both a personalized music CD and a book. It’s definitely something they could cherish and enjoy for quite some time.
In addition to being exciting for young readers, this is also the perfect gift for someone to get a little one who may not be that interested in reading. Seeing their name in a personalized book or hearing their name on a CD could be just the thing they need to encourage their reading.
Best of all, these gifts are reasonably priced and that’s always a good factor when buying a Christmas gift. If you haven’t already purchased one of these special little gifts then now is a good time. If your child has experienced a personalized CD or book, please leave me a comment and let me know what they thought about it.
Yup, this is a paid or sponsored post. Any opinion expressed is my own. Take a moment to read my full disclosure policy.
It’s been quite awhile since I participated in Wordless Wednesday
so I’m happy to share this picture.
As a child growing up in Delaware, I never was allowed to celebrate Halloween. I wasn’t too interested in it except for when it came to the candy and all of my friends were participating. Back in the day, parents would inform teachers of what they celebrated or didn’t and the teachers adhered to that. I believe that it teaches children to learn that they everyone is not equal, everyone does not believe the same thing and everyone doesn’t have to have the same things as others have. But, that’s another post altogether.
When I began having children I didn’t celebrate Halloween either. I let my oldest daughter dress up as Minnie Mouse one year, but that was because of “young mom pressure.” LOL… As I got older I didn’t wane on my beliefs and we didn’t celebrate Halloween. I’d treat my daughter to something else, but no trick or treating. As she got older she would participate at her high school in their events, but her believes as taught and read on her own, stuck with her.
With three younger children who feel so much entitlement, have more close friends and a mom who is getting to old to hold out, they celebrated Halloween by getting customs, going trick or treating with their dad at a mall over the weekend and attending our neighbors’ Halloween party. Everything gathering that they do next door with the kids is full of laughs as we watch kids dance, junk food – candy of course and other games involving music.
Although I don’t celebrate Halloween, I’m still glad the children had fun at the party. And, as any other proud parent, I love how they looked in their (not scary!) customs.
My middle daughter was a beautiful mermaid princess. I would have put seashells and whatnot in her hair, but I didn’t have time or patience, but she’s still gorgeous! The most perfect mermaid ever. ;-)
I know I’m not objective, but I must say my little Miss Anna is the absolutely cutest ladybug I’ve ever seen in my entire life! Nope, not biased at all.
My strong and mighty ninja sprinted next door so quickly that I didn’t get a picture before he left. It was hard to keep up with him because his Karate dance moves were awesomely quick. His sword action superb. :-D … I just realized that I didn’t get Anna’s little red antenna in the above pics. I’ll have to get her all dressed up again to get the perfect pic.
I had to include this photo of Princess Jasmine… The pictures of her and Amareah together are just gorgeous! They are the prettiest princesses ever.
Enjoy the rest of the photos!
I’ve been wearing glasses for as long as I can remember. It all started in kindergarten when my mother took me to the eye doctor and found out I have astigmatism. He said I should wear the glasses all the time, but at minimum when I am reading, doing homework and watching television. Sounded like reading glasses for old folks to me. Then, to make matters worse, my mom picked out the ugliest pair of glasses in the world. Seriously. I don’t know what she was thinking.
Mysteriously, those glasses broke. Not so mysteriously, my mom broke my butt for the lame story I came up with regarding how the glasses were broken.
Fast forward to today. I relish in my style and taste, which means I try to ensure my children are stylish as well as happy with what they wear. So, when I found out they – not including my youngest so far – needed glasses I was sure to let each of them pick out the ones they want.
And, as far as my eyes are concerned, although I don’t normally get to wear designer sunglasses I did find a pair on sale at my local superstore. It makes all those years of wearing ugly glasses worth it.
My sweet son is now 8 years old. It’s amazing watching him grow up. Over the past couple of years he has been working hard to act more maturely and take responsibility for what he does. Of course, since he’s a child it’s off and on, but I am proud of him nonetheless and happy to report that there are more “ons” than “offs.”
A little over a week ago we celebrated his birthday at home. It’s a family tradition, of sorts, that if the actual birthday falls on a weekday then we do something small and possibly have a larger party. This year our neighbors came over to honor Andre’s day. Here are a few pictures:
This weekend he’ll be having his party at Monkey Joes, which they are all excited about. I’ll share some pictures from that as well some time next week.
Anything exciting going on with your kiddos lately?
