Birthday

  • Sleeping….Belly UP!

    Skipper sleeping belly up

    In celebration of Skipper’s 2nd birthday I wanted to share a post with you about our furry four legged family member….  The other day as I was getting ready to take the mail out to our mailbox  and I was greeted with this on my front porch!  Skipper on her back, belly and legs sticking up in the air and fast asleep on the door mat.  She looked so relaxed, comfortable and was snoozing so well I didn’t have the heart to open the door and wake her up.

    Isn’t it hilarious how dogs can sleep like this in front of the whole world?  People driving by, squirrels running across the porch, and many other potential distractions yet there she is fast asleep on the front porch drooling on the door mat.  It makes me smile!  Occasionally I will look out the window or pull into the driveway and catch her sleeping like this on the front yard.

    Looking at her in this picture you would never suspect she could be so mischievous!  Within 48 hours of getting her new bed at Christmas it was spread across the lawn, after rain storms she drags all sorts of goodies up to the front yard from the creek, she loves catching squirrels and dropping them at my feet (especially if neighbors or people are over to visit).   She is a loyal dog, protects the house, and amazing around the kids .  Despite her naughty streaks we love our four legged furry black puppy dog for who she is even if that means waiting to take out the mail because she is sleeping belly up on the front door mat or picking up random “treasures” she brings into the front yard!

  • Game: “Wits & Wagers Family” by North Star Games

    Are you looking for a great family game?  Awhile ago our family received the game Wits & Wages as a birthday gift, since then we had played the game MANY times.  So much that several our family and friends have purchased the game as well for their families.  We were over….the…top….excited to receive Wits & Wagers Family by North Star Games to play!

    Our family has enjoyed playing the Wits & Wagers Family game together.  It is a wonderful family friendly trivia game that is fun for the entire family.  The four of us played several rounds over the last month with each game being about 30 minutes long.  The recommended ages for the game is 8 and up but our girls (who are 7) had a blast playing it too.

    We have the original Wits & Wagers game and felt like the Wits & Wagers Family was geared more to a younger audience.  The questions were easy enough for the kids to answer, but were not so easy that the adults knew all the answers.  The topics were about items that appealed to kids as well.  For example, a couple of the questions were along the lines of “How many colors of Fruit Loop cereal are there?” or “In feet how wide is the pitchers mound?”

    The game is lighthearted and full of fun facts.  You don’t need to know all the right answers in order to score some points.  In Wits & Wagers Family you can only gain positive points with your “Meoples” and for having the closest answer without going over which makes it easier for the younger kids who are playing the game.  I love that the game encourages you to learn some interesting facts which makes it educational for the whole family.  The game is fairly quick, enjoyable, and almost anyone can play it.

    The only thing that I was surprised about with this game is the amount of questions.  The original Wits & Wagers has 7 questions and answers per card (which we went through fairly quickly because we played the game often) with Wits & Wagers Family there are only 2 questions and answers per card so you go through the deck much faster.  I think offering an expansion pack with more questions would provide additional value to this game.

    This game has provided a lot of great entertainment for our family.  It has been wonderful being able to sit down after dinner and play a round of Wits & Wagers Family together.  The time spent playing this game with our family has allowed us to create memories while while helping us unwind, laugh, and relax after our busy days.

    If you are looking for a game that the whole family will enjoy you should check out Wits & Wagers Family or better yet come on over and play a round with us.  The rounds go pretty fast and you may be surprised at how much you’ll learn.  Who knows…..you may even find yourself having a little fun along the way!  🙂

    You can purchase this game at major retailers like Books-A-Million, Target, or local game stores found on North Star Games retailer locator.  To learn more about the game and those who created it you can visit North Star Games website.  You can get the most update to date information on North Star Games by following them Facebook and Twitter.

    Disclosure:  A special thanks to North Star Games, specifically Dominic Crapuchettes and Luke Warren, for the providing this game for review purposes.  The opinions I have expressed are my own.

  • Recipe: Beach Bucket Cake

    Beach Bucket Cake (with cake crumbs for the “sand”)

    I made this recipe a few months ago for my Community Group and it was a big hit.  As we get closer to the Spring / Summer season I wanted to share this one with you.  It was easy to put together and has a fun presentation for get togethers with family and friends.

    Beach Pail Cake:

    • 1 Yellow Cake Mix
    • 1 (8 oz) Cool Whip
    • 1 (3 oz) Instant White Chocolate Pudding
    • 1 cup Milk
    • 2 cups Strawberries
    • 2 cups Blueberries
    • Clean beach pail, shovel and shells

    Made the yellow cake mix according to directions.  Cool and cut up into cubes (see picture below) and set aside.  Mix together the instant White Chocolate Pudding and one cup of milk.  Add the container of Cool Whip to the pudding and mix well.

    Put 1/3 of the cubed yellow cake in the bottom of your clean beach pail.  Next put half of the pudding and cool whip mixture over the cake layer.  Add half of the strawberries and blueberries for the next layer.  Then repeat saving 1/3 of the cake but using the remaining cool whip and fruit mixtures.  Crumble the remaining cake cubes and sprinkle over the top.  Add your shovel to serve the desert and favorite seashells for decorations.

    1. Yellow cake cubed and put in the bottom of the beach pail

    2.  Layer cool whip and pudding mixture over cake layer

    3.  A layer of strawberries and blueberries comes next

    4.  Second layer cubed yellow cake

    5.  Second layer cool whip mixture

    6.  Second layer of strawberries and blueberries

    7.  Cake crumbs on top to make it look like “sand”

    8.  Decorate the top with seashells or beach items. Add the beach shovel and enjoy!

    There are a lot of great variations to this cake.  I used what I had on hand in our pantry but you could do it with a pound cake instead of a yellow cake or substitute vanilla pudding instead of White Chocolate or add in different seasonal fruits!

  • Organized Chaos: Wrapping Paper Organizer

    Wrapping Paper Organizer

    There are oh so many reasons why I love my husband….here is just one of them.  About 10 years ago when we moved into this house I had all my wrapping paper organized in a box.  Yes, it was all in one spot but since it was all crammed together it would often get torn or the roll I wanted would be pushed behind several other wrapping papers so I couldn’t find it or I would find the paper but had no tape.

    One day I came home and my husband had put together this awesome wall mounted wrapping paper organizer for me.  I may have even squealed with delight upon seeing it I was so excited!  I LOVE that each wrapping paper has its own individual holder so I can easily grab the one I need.  As you can see I try to stock universal wrapping paper that can be used for multiple occasions.  Also a pair of scissors and tape remain hung up on the wrapping paper organizer so when I need to wrap a gift or better yet when my husband is wrapping a surprise gift for me everything is ready and accessible.  The wrapping paper organizer is hung in a storage closet over our deep freezer.  Everything I need is in one place – the wrapping paper, scissors, tape, flat surface (the deep freezer) with the bows and pens stored nearby.

    Organized Gift Wrap with Scissors and Tape

    Each wrapping paper roll is hung individually and can  be taken down as needed.   Every once and awhile I will have more than 11 rolls of wrapping paper if I hit a good sale (or stock up for the year after Christmas or other Holidays).  If I have more than 11 I keep the new ones in their original packages, store them either in a container under the bed with my bags and tissue paper or another place out of the way until I am ready to put another roll onto my wrapping paper organizer.  This system keeps me from having a lot of open wrapping paper sitting around with 1 chunk cut out of it, helps prevent tearing or wrinkling, it’s easier to find the one I want, and overall increases my efficiency when it comes to wrapping gifts for family and friends.

    Scissors and Tape hanging on the gift wrap organizer

    I hang a pair of scissors and a roll of tape on the wrapping organizer to make them easily accessible.  When the tape gets used up I put it on my shopping list and hang the new one up so it is there for the next time.  Whether I have an upcoming birthday party, baby shower, wedding, graduation, Holiday or another special event I know exactly where to go to wrap my gifts.  Having the wrapping paper organized helps make the process of gift giving not only more efficient but more enjoyable!

  • I Love You Sweet Girls!

    I have always enjoyed this book and thought the quote was appropriate with today being the girls birthday.  No matter how old the girls get they’ll always be my babies.  Thankful for the opportunity to be a Mom to Brina and Karlie!

    Photo Credit

  • Happy Birthday Brina & Karlie!

    Happy 7th Birthday to Brina & Karlie!  We love you sweet girls.  It is amazing how quickly these last few years have gone by and we are thankful for the many wonderful memories we have shared.  Wishing both of you many more awesome years of great times! 🙂

    Photo Credit

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week Jake was traveling the majority of the week for work and we had the girls 7th Birthday Party.  It was neat celebrating, it’s still hard for me to believe that my babies are 7 years old.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday – we had a couple later nights this week
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with the Girls
    5. Celebrate with family and friends at the Girls Birthday Party
    6. Pick up the girls new glasses
    7. Schedule Appointment with Chiropractor

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – need to work on this one
    3. Finish reading Everything Romance by Todd Hafer
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – got most of the travel itinerary done, just a couple minor details to be worked out

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – with several doctor appointments after school dinner was delayed
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom – this didn’t get done this week

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post – working on it
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team with the Meeting Notes

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over a little this week with the girls birthday party, Valentine’s Day & Date Night
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – working on it
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes – getting closer
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips – have some of it set aside
    5. Pay for Jake’s College Classes – cash set aside for the first 6 months

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Go on our Date Night with Jake
    5. Celebrate Valentine’s Day
    6. Celebrate Brina & Karlie’s Birthday
    7. Spend time together as a family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading When Work and Family Collide by Andy Stanley
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Packing “To Do” List

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the downstairs Bookshelves / Desk / Dressers

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Finish 2011 Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Complete our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips
    5. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results