4MyKiddos

Trash into Treasure

2012-01-26T08:58:00.005-07:00

After Christmas I had a pile of wrapping paper sitting in my room and had no place to put it. I have also had this old fan in my garage that hasn't worked in a long time. So I turned my Trash into a Treasure (well more of a useful tool).

Have you recently turned any Trash into a Treasure? Share your link with me below, I would love to hop over and see it!

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Mandys Bed Room - in the making...

2012-01-24T12:42:00.006-07:00

We've been working on Mandy's room. It's framed, wiring in and in the process of drywalling. So we've been thinking ahead as to what she wants the decor to look like. Here are few of her favorite Pict's she has chose:She likes horses and the color blue on these two.

I think she likes this one just because of the cool bed!These two really could tie in together, love the lighting!It's so fun to find what her little personality likes. Now to get the room finished and all tied together!

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10 Bible Verses Every Small Business Owner Needs

2012-01-20T07:57:00.005-07:00

I found the below blog post and I love it. Each of the verses really speaks to me on a personal and professional level. Happy Reading :)

As a Christian and a family focused entrepreneur, I believe that faith is a key ingredient in small business success. In this current economy, the people of God must remember that if you honor God through your business he will direct your path.
Each year, I pick a bible verse as my theme for the New Year. As I considered which bible verse would guide me in 2010, I thought it would be helpful to share some of my favorites. Use these bible verses in the good and tough times in your small business.
1. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Learn something every day. If you only lean on your own knowledge in your business, you will not be able to grow. You must grow yourself to grow your business.
2. “Behold, I am doing something new! It’s already happening; don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land.” Isaiah 43:19 (GOD’S WORD® Translation) Sometimes your business will need to move as the market pulls you in a different direction. You might need to reinvent your business, and you should not be afraid. God’s always got your back.
3.”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 (NIV) One of the most important things you can do for your business is to pray every day.
4. “Faith without works is dead.” James 2:26 (KJV) You can’t just pray for success. Develop a plan and work your plan. If you can do something about your situation, then do it. Stop making excuses, stop procrastinating, and do it!
5. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV) There will be contracts that you really need that you will not win. There will be days when you drop the ball on your customer service, but you can not let that define you or your business. You will get another opportunity and even if you don’t, God is with you always.
6. “As I think in my heart, so am I.” Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV) Your thoughts can be your number #1 asset or your biggest liability. When you are alone in your office or back bedroom, your thoughts can easily turn on you. Your ability to stay positive, learn from all experiences and shake off mistakes quickly will be a big asset to you and your business.
7. “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) Making decisions in your small business based on fear is never helpful. For that matter making decisions in anger is not good either. Try hard not to be reactionary with clients, vendors or employees. Use factual information and up-to date financials to make sound business decisions.
8. “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day.” Habakkuk 2:3 (TLB) You need to understand that God’s time is not your time. There may come a time in your business when you just know you have a contract, one that you really need and things fall through. Those are the times when you need to trust in the Lord the most. When we accept God’s timing, we can learn to live in hope and enjoy our lives while God is working on our problems.
9. “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding;” Proverbs 3:13 (NIV) You need to be a life long learner in order to be successful in business. You should constantly seek to improve yourself and increase your knowledge about the business of running a business.
10. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV) This is my new bible verse for 2010. It came to me watching a college football game. I believe I was only watching the game to see it.Remember, whether you are religious or not you can always pray about your business.

Special Shout out to Joyce Meyer Ministries for her book The Secret Power of Speaking God’s Word which gave me guidance for this post and to Pastor F.L. Anderson who gave me some biblical wisdom for this article. Read his blog http://www.flanderson.com/.Do you have a special bible verse that has helped you in your business? Please leave a comment and tell me about it.WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:Melinda Emerson “SmallBizLady“, is a Veteran Entrepreneur, Small Business Expert and Social Media Coach who hosts #Smallbizchat on Twitter. #Smallbizchat is the trusted resource on Twitter to discuss everything entrepreneurs need to know about launching and running a profitable small business. Melinda’s first book, Become Your Own Boss in 12 months. A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business that Works will be released by Adams Media in March 2010.

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Re-Covered Bed Frame

2012-01-17T08:08:00.003-07:00

We had this bed frame given to us. It honestly was not very appealing. It was covered in a green and white vinyl. So I took a shot at re-covering it. First time I've ever done something like this but it was pretty easy and inexpensive. Just a staple gun, a yard of material ($8.00's).
Here's an up close of the material we choose.

Happy Tuesday :)

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How to Do Your Best Work - 3 Keys To Mastery - Robin Sharma

2012-01-10T13:27:00.003-07:00

I came across this video (Robin Sharma) as I was visiting Micki Lessards blog, (Thanks for posting this Micki!!). And I walked away with some great tacticks to help anyone looking to do great work:
1. Do Something Difficult.
2. Exercise 1st thing everyday.
3. Make a Commitment to be Rediculously Good at what You do.
4. Avoid distractions and spend time devoted to Deep Work.
5. 1% wins!
6. Learn something new everyday. It's amazing what Knowledge can do for a person!!
7. Get Fit. I take this as Mind, Body and soul.

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Family Planner

2012-01-10T07:44:00.003-07:00

I've just started my journey with a Family Planner to become more organized!! Organization is not one of my strong suits but I can see how it can save time and energy. 1 Corinthians 14:40 But all things should be done decently and in order.
This page is in the front of my binder. It has everything I need for a daily task sheet. And I've used those plastic insert pages. Here's why I choose to use them:
1. Keeps the pages safe and neat.
2. I can use my dry erase pin to write on the outside of the page and save paper :)

My binder includes tabs for all of our family tasks:

1. Family

2. Business

3. Meals

4. Cows

5. Mops

6. Financial

The above page is such a time saver for me! Each year when we start calving I have my own personal list of cows who have calved along with the birth weight, weaning weight and yearling weight. Honestly by using this one page it's really shown me the power of organization.

And this page is a list of all of my To Do's that need done that I don't have on my daily list. I've added some other pages for financial use, Bible verses and other topics that obtain to our family. Here are the links to the printables I've used:

http://www.box.com/s/9jjjgoavcve05pys9idp

http://www.mommytracked.com/files/downloads/download7.pdf

http://www.overflowliving.com/Forms%20-%20website_password_listing.pdf

http://www.lifes-a-journal.com/2011/07/20/daily-pages/

http://perideaudesigns.com/blog/wpcontent/uploads/2010/07/blogtopics_perideaudesigns.pdf

http://www.kamleylane.com/2011/06/cooking-challenge.html

Do you have a Family Planner? If so I would love for you to share your link in the comments section!

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Can You Digg it?

2012-01-05T16:22:00.004-07:00

Social Media is changing daily just as the Internet does. It's so hard to keep up on the newest trends and websites. On the other hand its so important to stay up to date and knowledgeable.

One popular new site is Digg.com

Digg is a place for people to discover and share content from anywhere on the web. Such a valuable tool when it comes to marketing your blog or web page!

Here's the gist of it... Articles, blog post, how to guides, breaking news, off beat stories all can be published to Digg.com. Then readers have the chance to Digg (positive voting) or Dugg (negative voting) on the published post. The more people that Digg that post means the higher ranking it has and the more likelihood that that posting will make its way to the front page of Digg.com.

3 Tips to Become Good at Digging it:

Spend time daily becoming friends with others in the Digg community.

Spend time reading and voting on those friends stories.

Study Digg to define what makes stories popular so you can recreate that likeness on your own blog posts.

By keeping up with the above 3 steps you'll gain a reputation within the community and therefor others will want to promote your stories that you post in the Digg.com community.

Happy Digging!

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HAPPINESS

2012-01-03T09:07:00.003-07:00

One of my favorite gifts I got for Christmas was this old window... So I dressed it up a bit...
And made this HAPPINESS sign to go with it out of a piece of an old picket fence that was in the burn pile. I love how it looks!

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Christmas Vacation

2012-01-02T13:25:00.001-07:00

Christmas Vacation is almost over, sigh! It's been so much fun, we've made lots of fun crafts, we've seen lots of family members and had fun get togethers but we're

all ready to get back into our routine.

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Deer

2011-12-15T16:40:00.003-07:00

I took these pictures way back in September and stumbled upon them today. We have a lot of dear around us that we often see daily. But on this rare occasion I had my camera with me.

Improve your SEO

2011-12-13T07:49:00.005-07:00

A year ago I can honestly say I had no idea what SEO was. I heard a few people talking about it but I had no idea how those three letters could affect my business and
my online presence in a big way.

Let's start with the basics, what is SEO? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Very plainly put your SEO is how your website ranks when others use a Search Engine.

This is so important for the life of your business and website! We are in a culture of "Just Google it". And when others Google a topic of interest you want to insure that your site pulls up for that target audience.

You might be thinking now what you should do to improve your SEO. Here are 3 simple steps:

Decide what Niche market your trying to target through your website, blog post or article.

Use Key Words in your postings. In my opinion one of the best free tools to use is the Google AdWords Tool. This tool shows you Key Words that are relevant to the word or phrase you type in and the fun part is it shows you how often those phrases are searched and what your competition would be (low, medium or high).

Use link backs throughout your postings as well. You'll want to ensure that there relevant to your article but it enables you to have another outlet to gain visitors and potential customers to your site.

By using these tips you will be able to drive more traffic to your website and in return gaining a higher online presence and reaching so many more readers.

Our Sunday Afternoon Project

2011-12-12T14:45:00.002-07:00

Mandy and I like doing "projects". So yesterday afternoon we made these super cute T-Shirt Necklaces. I've seen so many tutorials, photos and people wearing these so we decided to give it a try. Mandy loved being able to cut the T-Shirts up. Here's what we learned, cutting into small strips looks better than bigger strips (below).
Super fun and easy!

Let's Be BOLD

2011-12-09T09:06:00.002-07:00

Boldness is BEHAVIOR born out of BELIEF!

Are you Bold? When was the last time someone was Amazed by Your Boldness? On a scale from 1-10 where would you rank yourself on being Bold?

Not Bold Very Bold

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

It's often hard to characterize ourselves as being Bold. When you look up the word Boldness in the dictionary it says: outspokenness, assurance, courage, confidence; to act without fear.

Today I read Acts 4:8. It's amazing how my Bible was marked there as I opened it. In Acts 4:8 it describes a time of true BOLDNESS from Peter. It amazes me how the Holy Spirit filled him and allowed him to be Bold. I want that kind of boldness! I want to be Bold in my Faith, for my husband and children, in my business and to serve others.

I started my business in 2007, and I must say I was NOT a very bold person at that time, really in any area of my life. I was a mommy to one at that time, felt shy and timid and really didn't know where I was headed. Through the past 5 years I've really amazed myself at what I've learned. On my Boldness scale I would say I'm now sitting around a 5 with lots of room to grow and become even more Bold. And through my Boldness I hope to help others, serve them, enable them, enrich them.

Here are 4 steps to help you to Become Bold:

Time: Spend Time becoming Knowledgeable and researching.

Faith: As you spend Time becoming Knowledgeable you will gain Faith.

Boldness: Your faith will lead you to Boldness.

Results: And through your Boldness you will gain Results!

But you can't stop there once you have those Results. You must continue the circle of spending Time, gaining Faith that leads to Boldness and producing Results.

Let's all go out and be BOLD in what we Believe in.

O Camera, O Camera...

2011-12-07T12:59:00.003-07:00

Let me start by saying I'm not a professional photographer but I do take a lot of photos. Photos ranging from my kids to cows to crafts I'm working on. The list goes on and on. Right now I have a Canon Power Shot SX10. It's a great little camera for simple little things and really it does what I want for the most part. Here's what I'm frustrated with, If it's cold, wind blowing, snowing or any type of environment that isn't perfect, my camera will not work. O and the other down side is when I zoom the pictures really are not clear, ugh!
Here is a picture of our daughter Mandy I took last week playing in the snow. It's pretty clear, but I was standing right next to her and I didn't zoom at all.

Here is a picture I took of our cows last Saturday when it was snowing. (I took the picture from the pickup window, window was down, lol). After I took a few photos outside in both of these instances my camera beeps and has a lens error and shuts off!

So my New challenge is to find a camera that will work well for outdoor use. My Canon does great inside but I really would like something that would do what I want outdoors. Any suggestions???

212 Degrees: The Extra Degree

2011-12-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Coffee Filter Wreath

2011-11-29T11:33:00.002-07:00

I saw a similar wreath probably a year ago on t.v. and I loved it. Now I have the above one that I made over our bed. It's so super easy and very pretty!

All you need is a straw wreath and a package of coffee filters. I simply used my hot glue gun and glued the filters to the wreath. I also attached a ribbon for hanging.

Handmade Gifts... So much fun and easy!

2011-11-21T12:16:00.005-07:00

I Love finding time to do some crafting and with Christmas around the corner it's great to find ways to make handmade gifts!

ModPodge Photo Frames:

This is a simple craft that is very inexpensive. What you need:

*Plain wood frames (you can purchase these at Michaels or Hobby Lobby).

*Mod Podge

*Paint Brushes

*Scapbooking Paper
Step 1= Trace the outline of the frame onto the paper and cut out to fit on top.

Step 2 = Put a thick coat of Mod Podge on the front of the frame, then place the cut out paper on top of the layer of Mod Podge. Let dry for 20 minutes and go to step 3.
Step 3 = Put a thin coat of Mod Podge on top of the Scrapbook paper. Allow to dry.

Step 4 = For an added touch glue a ribbon along the edge of the frame.

Step 5 = Place a cute bow or enbelishment on the front of the frame.

~ Family Photos ~

2011-11-15T13:38:00.002-07:00

We had our family pictures taken this past weekend. I'm so excited about them!! Here's a few of our favorites...

Thanks so much Renee!

Christmas Cookies on my mind...

2011-11-08T13:03:00.006-07:00

I typically don't watch a lot of t.v. during the day, but today I've been sitting with my sick little one and watching tons of Christmas commercials.

So I started thinking about Christmas baking and then I started thinking about what I was going to put our goodies in, so I started searching. Here's what I found..... Super cute but kinda expensive!
I really like this one too.

This cute little snowman is the most economical price wise and would be super cute with a fun bow on top. So there's what I'm thinking. What do you put your Christmas goodies in? Love new ideas!

Setting Goals = Achieving Goals

2011-11-02T07:08:00.004-06:00

Goals in writing are dreams with deadlines. ~Brian Tracy

In life it's so important to have a vision as to where you want to be, where you see your life going, what you will and will not do. One of the best ways to create that vision is to set Goals. Both short term and long term goals enable you to get through your day to day living with success.

Let me give you an example of a short term goal with the SMART Goal Setting outline... "I WILL vacuum my living room before I have to go to town at 2:00 so the house will be clean when the kids get home from school."
My goal is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound!

Here is a work related example... I WILL follow up with all of my business partners by November 5Th to ensure they have all of their questions answered, needs met and have a clear understanding as to what our November promotion will provide for their families.

By Setting SMART Goals it turns the impossible into being Possible!

Here are 3 other ways to create goals:

1. Create a list of daily tasks to accomplish.

2. Create a Dream Board with photos and goals listed.

3. Use a day-planner/calendar to write goals down next to the date you would like to accomplish them.

There's no better time to set goals then NOW! I encourage you to take pen to paper, write them down, share with someone to keep you accountable and focus on the action rather then the end result.
Remember to stick with it and don't stop until you reach your goal!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T11:43:00.004-06:00

Our 2011 Halloween Mandy
Lilian

Cadence (as a bee but then decided she didn't like to wear the costume).

Hope your family had a very happy and safe Halloween as well!

New Entry Way Flooring

2011-10-25T12:33:00.005-06:00

I started tearing up our old linoleum that was in our entry way before I snapped a picture, but you get the general idea. It was OK and did a great job serving it's purpose, but we needed to make some changes to the under-laying of the front door so what perfect time to do the floor. Here it is after! It took me a full day to do it but it was so worth it!
And here is Cadence helping Daddy do a few finishing touches.

Chicken and Potato Bake

2011-10-14T13:45:00.002-06:00

I was featured on I'm a Lazy Mom for one of our favorite Lazy recipes. Thanks Stacy for letting me share with you and your readers :)

Chicken and Potato Bake

5 Chicken Legs
4 Medium Potatoes (washed and cut into wedges)
2 Tbs. of Olive Oil
1 Cup Italian Dressing
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Grab a 9x13 baking dish, put the Olive Oil in the bottom of dish. Then place Chicken Legs in the dish with Potato wedges between the legs. Top with Italian Dressing and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Chicken should be golden brown when done.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Quick trip to the park

2011-10-10T19:18:00.003-06:00

We stopped by the park for a quick visit a few weeks ago. It's always fun to get out of the rush and stop and have fun.

Hope you have a great week!

Take The Risk!

2011-09-29T10:52:00.001-06:00

I came across this post today that a coleague of mine posted on her blog Take The Risk! It was so great that I wanted to share. Life really is about taking lots of little risks to make a really great life!

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.”
― Oprah Winfrey

Tuesday Blog Hop and my Indoor Plants

2011-09-20T08:17:00.006-06:00

Happy Tuesday!

Thanks for hopping by my blog! I'm so glad that you stopped by.
If your looking to join Tuesdays Blog Hop please click HERE.

I have several plants throughout our home. But this year these two have bloomed. They haven't in the past 2 years so I thought it was worthy of sharing :)

This Peace Lily has bloomed 3 times so far this year. I think there so pretty to look at!

Have a Blessed Day!!!!

I would love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment.

Adding Your Blog Feed to Your Facebook Account

2011-09-16T08:36:00.004-06:00

Facebook is the most visited website in the world. So it's important that your sharing your blog content through your Facebook account or Facebook Fan page.

Here are 9 steps to do so:

Log into your Facebook Account.

You will need to search for the RSS Graffiti App and add it to your account.

Once the RSS Graffiti App is on your account you will see a toolbox for the application.

You will see the +Add feed button, click there.

In the Basics tab you'll see next to the Feed URL box you will enter Your blogs RSS Feed.

In the Source Name tab you will enter the Name of Your blog.

In the Source URL tab you will enter the URL address that you use to visit Your blog.

You will also notice there are tabs that will allow you to set up how often your blog posts get posted to your Facebook account etc.

Lastly don't forget to Save your changes that you have made. You'll find the Save button in the top right hand corner of the app.

Happy Blogging!

Another great resource for adding your blog to your fan page!

Take Control of Your Money

2011-09-08T08:25:00.000-06:00

We've taken the steps to Take Control of our Money - such peace of mind!

Lilians first day of preschool!!!

2011-09-06T14:45:00.003-06:00

Lilian started Pre-school today! She was so very excited.
Even her little sister was excited! It reminds me of a similar picture last year of Lilian with her big sister who was starting school.

And these two cute girls... This is Lilian's classmate and cousin!

A few of the Pre-school kids waiting for school to get started!

And there she is! In her Pre-School class room. Can't wait for her to get off of the bus and tell me about her day!

What's in a Name?

2011-09-01T19:32:00.004-06:00

Creating your own personal domain name is ideal when you own your own home business. This is a way for your niche market to find and connect with you. It also enables you to market yourself on the web as well as off line marketing with an ideal business feel.

How To Get a Domain Name?
You might ask yourself... "How do I create my own domain name?" It really is a simple task and one that should be done as soon as possible. There are many domain hosting sites on the web. One example is http://www.godaddy.com/ You can purchase your ideal domain name for as little as $9.99. Here are a few tips when picking your domain:

Choose a .com rather than a .net, .us, .info! .com's are what comes to mind as a potential customer is searching, therefore allowing you to become more visible.

Count how many characters are in your domain name. The shorter the better in my opinion. You want something short and catchy that will grab attention as well as fit on print ads and business cards with a professional look.

Choose to allow your domain name to automatically renew each year to insure you will not lose it.

Once you own your domain be sure to link it to your site and give it a test run to ensure it is working properly. Take advantage of creating your domain today to better your business for tomorrow!

Dragonfly

2011-08-30T12:26:00.003-06:00

This little guy was flying around us the last time we went fishing!

Sweet Corn

2011-08-26T13:42:00.004-06:00

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.... Sweet Corn... Growing up my mom and I would always put sweet corn up in August. Lots of work but the reward was so great as we ate the produce in the cold winter months.
Now a tradition that I can pass onto my family.

The start of the 2011-2012 School Year...

2011-08-23T13:19:00.003-06:00

It's official, the school year has started!

I'm so thankful that I'm a SAHM on days like today, I'm able to get my little ones ready for school and waiting to welcome them home as she gets off the bus!

Mandys First Calf Show

2011-08-22T13:03:00.006-06:00

Mandy showed her very first calf last week! We're so very proud of the little stinker :DHere's a picture of her before we left the house, getting her calf "Jan" ready to go. It's amazing how much she has grown.

The girls we're so very excited as we we're leaving...

Here's Mandy before she went into the show ring..

Mandy receiving her first ribbon ever...

And our little Mandy walking her calf out of the arena like a pro! Here's a link to a video of Mandy showing her calf.

...Summer...

2011-08-12T06:41:00.002-06:00

One of the fun parts of summers for us is looking for turtles when we're checking cows. This year we haven't found nearly as many as we did Last Year but it's still fun to look!
I'm going to miss these girls so much when school starts. Eating up each and everyday before they go back.

Whats Your Next Step?

2011-08-04T09:21:00.004-06:00

Isn't Mapquest a fun site to visit? In a matter of seconds you can get directions to any place you might want to go.

If there we're a personal Mapquest.com where would You want to go? Maybe you would want to add time to build meaningful relationships. Maybe you would want to slow down to enjoy your children's childhood. Maybe you would like time to sit still and hear God when you pray. Maybe you would like to reach a certain goal with your home business or financial issues.

When you think of Mapquest.com you need more than a destination, you need a starting point as well. If you type in "Omaha, NE" as your destination but leave the starting spot blank you wont go anywhere. You'll be stuck!

To end up in your desired destination you need both a starting point; where you are now, and a destination; where you want to be.

So, where are you? What are your next steps to reach your destination? Unless you spend some time thinking about where you are, you can't possibly know which direction to move. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you know where you are and where to start:

What stand in the way of my being focused on your goal? (More time with your children, Time with God, achieving your business goals).

How mindful am I?

Where am I in regards to reaching my goal?

Where do I want to be?

Moving towards your goal will take time. You don't have to figure out exactly how to get there or what stops you'll take on your route. But you do have to determine what direction you should start out it.

Is it really August 1st?!?

2011-08-01T13:50:00.007-06:00

It's hard to believe that it's August 1st and that the girls we'll be starting school in 3 weeks! But we've been having fun.... This past Saturday we spent the day at our towns Harvest Fest!

Complete with a water fight...

Some time with mommy ;)

Playing in the water!

Our local parade and lots of candy!

I just love this photo of the girls all ready to grab some candy.

Friday was spent at the pool with paddle boat races...

And lots of time with friends.

The past 2 weeks we've spent every day in town for swimming lessons.

More swimming lessons...

A little bit of family time to pick up bales here at our house.

Some time at the park.

Then we went to our Cousin Alishas wedding...

Isn't her cake gorgeous!

Amazing center pieces to go with it.

Cutie girls waiting to wish the bride and groom off.

Even the groom looked amazing, lol.

Then we did some more swimming lessons.

And even a bit more swimming lessons :)

Got Stress?!?

2011-07-14T09:32:00.005-06:00

We often think of stress as a black cloud that follows us around, waiting for it to open up the head gates and let the bad stuff down on us. When in fact stress is often self inflicted and we're the ones who set up the conditions in which it thrives in.

As busy Moms we often take on more than we can handle, overspend and by doing so we gain money worries, and we're so disorganized we can't find important papers or even our keys.

Here are a few things Stress causes:

Lack of sleep or over sleeping.

Unproductivity in life or even business related.

Depression and/or short temper.

So what are some ways we can eliminate stress and therefore live higher quality lives with more productivity and sense of Success?

Identify Your Biggest Stressors: This may take some time to sit back and write down the things that trigger you to become stressed and unfocused.

Identify a Way to Cut Back on that Stress: Maybe the idea of making 7 dinner meals per week is a stress factor. An easy solution might be to plan 2 nights per week to eat out or to cook ahead.

Identify the Activities that are Most Important to You: By doing so you'll learn to focus on those tasks rather than all of the small stuff. And remember it's ok to say "NO" to things.

3 Steps To Make Today To Better Your Businss

2011-07-12T09:50:00.006-06:00

Have you felt a void in your business and not sure what to do? Here are 3 easy steps that you can take today to help connect with others and enhance your business.

Start a blog! This is a must. Blogger and Wordpress both offer free blog templates. Your blog should provide a way for others to connect with you and see that you are a real person. Business content can also be shared there but make sure it is value driven.

Get a Twitter and Facebook account up and running. There are many tutorials that will explain how to link your blog, twitter and Facebook feeds together.

Educate yourself! The more knowledge you can obtain the more successful you'll be. With any home business trends change with the time. Just as the Internet has changed over the years. The importance is to keep up with the times and be a sought after business person.

Take the time to do these three steps today, You'll be glad You did Tomorrow!

Open your eyes and see the Blessings that are among you

2011-07-12T06:08:00.004-06:00

Matthew 6:28 NIV And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, stand strong in the Lord and his mighty power.

Mark 11:22 Have faith in God, Jesus answered.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

***Above photos we're all taken by Sabrina Sandoval 2011

Motivational Success Quotes - In a Minute

2011-07-08T10:10:00.000-06:00

Flower Hair Bow How To & Thursday Blog Hop

2011-07-07T08:39:00.004-06:00

I love a good blog hop! I found this one today at Money Savvy Michelle. Join in on the fun and link up! If your new to my blog I want to say WELCOME! I'm so glad you stopped by and hope you hop over often!

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With three girls we use a lot of hair bows! And my middle daughter Loves to have one in her hair at all times it seems. Here's an easy flower hair bow that you can make out of felt. Cut a strip of felt, Mine measures about an inch.
Cut a fringe into the strip of felt.

You will then roll the fringe and hot glue it as you go.

Once your flower is made you'll want to glue an alligator clip onto the back.

And here's what it looks like placed in hair. Super easy to make and looks cute too!

Happy 4th of JULY!

2011-07-04T14:23:00.002-06:00

May your family be blessed with a very Happy and Safe 4Th of July!!!

If your looking for something festive and quick to whip up to celebrate the 4Th of July make a quick Cherry Pie! I used some star cookie cutters on my pie dough. I use one of the simplest pie crust recipes:

*Flour (about a Cup)

*Salt (a pinch)

*Warm Water (Around 3 T.)

*Cooking Oil (Around 3 T.)

I'm not good at measuring... Mix the ingredients until the crust is soft and ply -able, similar to play-dough.

A visit to our cousins...

2011-06-30T15:45:00.002-06:00

Summer times are filled with fun and one of the best perks are the birthday parties :) Not only do we get to help celebrate birthdays like our cousin Kalli's but we get to explore there homes and see all of the cool things they have.
Like there fun trampolines! We recently got a trampoline but our girls thought this one was somehow bigger than ours.
We get to go on walks...

Watch some birds making a nest...

And look at these two cute ducks... There standing side by side and we're so fun to watch.

Our little Flower girls

2011-06-27T13:19:00.003-06:00

Our Daughters we're asked to be flower girls in my cousins wedding a week ago. It's always fun to be a part of a wedding and see the fun day unfold!
Here's our family!!

This is my cousin and I.

And my two little cuties! They love getting dressed up and having pretty hair. Just another reason to love girls!!

And the girls with their cousin who was the ring bearer. Such a fun day and we're so glad we we're able to be apart of such a special day!!!

Lilian's Love

2011-06-21T06:55:00.003-06:00

Lilian has always been in love with babies! If there is a baby in any given room, she's there! She loves to hug them, hold them, squeeze them. Even if they don't want her to hold them you can bet she'll try.

It amazes me how God has made each of our daughters so different. Lilian is impatient yet so sincere. And I might add this little girl gives the best hugs! In many ways I would like to bottle up some of the characters out of each of my daughters to enable me to be a better mom and person. With Lilian it's her ability to love... and to love without letting go even if that person doesn't want to be loved. She's pretty amazing and I'm so thankful she's ours!

Family Time...

2011-06-15T07:15:00.002-06:00

Our family spends a lot of time checking cows - it's kinda like our "family time". There are no distractions of the t.v. or phone calls. Just our family all together in one place.
And with the family time comes lots of cute back seat photos of the girls :)

Just a snap shot...

2011-06-13T14:08:00.001-06:00

I'm so thankful we have girls! They make the days so much fun. Here is a cute little picture I took today and it just makes me smile. Each in there own little way making our lives so much fun!

Summer Fun

2011-06-09T09:04:00.002-06:00

I love summer time! Warm weather, the smell of sun screen, sprinklers, flip flops.... the list goes on and on! The girls have been having so much fun with their little pool and slip n slide. (And Cadence with her car, all 3 girls have loved that car!)
Mandy and Lily

Lily and I.

The girls testing the water.

Some mommy loves (those are the best!)

Cadence playing in the water.

Big sister pulling her into the water, lol. I love this picture!

My most missed hobby

2011-06-07T08:15:00.003-06:00

Before I had kids I would ride horses for hours on end. I miss that so much! The beauty of it is that I now get to teach my daughters how to ride like my mom taught me ;)

Fathers Day is just 2 weeks away...

2011-06-03T13:33:00.004-06:00

Father's day always sneaks up on me. Here are some fun options for the men in your life:

Snapfish photo books, cards and handmade gifts. Get free shipping on your order by using coupon code: FS4DAD use at http://www.snapfish.com/

Handmade gift ideas and printable at http://father.tipjunkie.com I love this site, there are amazing ideas that can help you or your kiddos make a fun gift for Dad.

1 Free month of Netflix movies at http://www.netflix.com

Take Dad out for Ice Cream at ColdStone Creamery - 20% off coupon

Free T-shirts, pens, mouse pads and more at www.vistaprint.com

Gain Twitter Followers

2011-05-31T20:53:00.000-06:00

Pictures through my kiddos eyes :)

2011-05-31T15:39:00.003-06:00

The girls have come to realize how fun it is to take pictures. Mandy has had that itch for awhile now and has her own little camera. But now they find it's fun to use Mommy's. Here's what some of the Pict's look like....One of our family but no one but Aunt Julie is looking at the camera, lol.
This one is of me and my niece Charlie (isn't she the cutest!!!) but someone is walking in front of my with a plate of pizza, haha!

Another cute unfocused shot. My goodness these crack me up but it's the fact that there trying that is great. Now there are a few of me in the shots even if it's not that pretty :D

I wont let You fall!

2011-05-27T10:52:00.003-06:00

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

Watching Chris help Mandy learn how to ride her bike without training wheels I thought of how great God is. When we need help or start to lean in the wrong way he is there to hold us up and help us move forward. Many times I forget this. I often take everything on myself without being patient and waiting for the answers.

When we do ask for God to show us the way it makes life so much simpler! This verse out of Isaiah 43:2 sings out to me...
"When you pass through the waters, I will be
with you; And through the rivers, they shall not
overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you
shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorn you."

Chris said to Mandy "Balance yourself... it's ok, I wont let you fall." What reassurance! We need to be balanced and God wont let us fall!

17 Tips to Double Your Productivity in 14 Days by Robin Sharma

2011-05-24T08:45:00.002-06:00

Robin Sharma is an amazing man, I love reading his articles and putting the information into action. This article grabbed my attention today because there are 17 simple steps that can improve your productivity in two weeks. And there not hard things to do yet can pertain to all walks of life.

1. Turn off all technology for 60 minutes a day and focus on doing your most important work.

2. Work in 90 minute cycles (tons of science is now confirming that this is the optimal work to rest ratio).

3. Start your day with at least 30 minutes of exercise.

4. Don't check your email first thing in the morning.

5. Turn all your electronic notifications off.

6. Take one day a week as a complete recovery day, to refuel and regenerate (that means no email, no phone calls and zero work). You need full recovery one day a week otherwise you'll start depleting your capabilities.

7. The data says workers are interrupted every 11 minutes. Distractions destroy productivity. Learn to protect your time and say no to interruptions.

8. Schedule every day of your week every Sunday morning. A plan relieves you of the torment of choice (said novelist Saul Bellow). It restores focus and provides energy.

9. Work in blocks of time. Creative geniuses all had 2 things in common: when they worked they were fully engaged and when they worked, they worked with this deep concentration for long periods of time. Rare in this world of entrepreneurs who can't sit still.

10. Drink a liter of water early every morning. We wake up dehydrated. The most precious asset of an entrepreneur isn't time - it's energy. Water restores it.

11. Don't answer your phone every time it rings.

12. Invest in your professional development so you bring more value to the hours you work.

13. Avoid gossip and time vampires.

14. Touch paper just once.

15. Keep a "Stop Doing List".

16. Get up at 5 am.

17. Have meetings standing up.

Stay Productive and Make Your Work Matter!

Mandy's New Hobby

2011-05-23T15:14:00.002-06:00

Mandy and her bucket calf Jan!

Mandy has been spending every free minuet she has had with her calf Jan. This calf is so easy going and patient with Mandy. Brushing, feeding, rubbing, loving on her ;)

Off to a Full Day of School....

2011-05-16T13:52:00.002-06:00

It's hard to believe that my little Mandy will be going to a Full Day of School in the fall. This picture we took about a week ago before we went to Kindergarten Round Up. She's so excited about getting bigger and Kindergarten.

Spring Concert

2011-05-12T08:39:00.000-06:00

Mandy had her first spring concert Ever, it was super cute. This is a before pict. Notice Cadence's new smile - ha, she thinks its pretty neat.
Here's my pretty little miss!

There songs we're so cute!

She did a great job! It's so fun to go and watch the little things the kids do.

5 Steps to Nurture Your Home Business

2011-05-10T08:58:00.001-06:00

Owning your own home business is an exciting yet challenging process at times. There are many tasks that need to be done daily to keep your business moving smoothly and increase growth.

1. You need to Market Your Business Daily On-Line. Businesses are now found online rather than the yellow pages. The internet is such a huge resource that needs to be tapped into on a regular basis to ensure that you are being seen. A few places to market daily...

Facebook
Twitter
Networking groups
Syndication groups
Free Classifieds

2. Knowledge is Power! Become knowledgeable in all areas of life including business is such an asset. This enables you to become more thorough, have a better sense of what your potential clients needs might be, as well as helping You to be a better speaker and to have more confidence.

3. Know what Your competition is doing. This doesn't mean you have to spy on them or undermine them by any means, this goes back to being knowledgeable. You can see where your competitions strengths and weaknesses are and how You can grow from them.

4. Stay in touch with your business partners. This is Key! Your business partners need to know that You are there for them and willing to assist them in whatever task may be at hand. It may a question about a new product that Your Company has come out with, marketing help or a personal pow-wow.

5. Treat Your Business as a Business and it will grow. Don't dabble! Be committed to the success of Your Business daily to ensure that you are moving forward in the right direction to become the best Leader and Business Woman that you know.

Start implementing these 5 steps to Your business, Not only will you have growth You'll also have Success!

My 5th Mothers Day :)

2011-05-09T07:48:00.003-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated Mothers Day. This is the 5th year that I have been a Mommy on Mothers Day. I'm so Thankful for our 3 girls!

I hope you enjoyed a Happy Mothers Day as well!

UdderCovers

2011-05-04T15:11:00.003-06:00

I'm typically not into posting promotions on my blog but this is something that I have used and highly recommend!

With my youngest daughter I used my Udder Cover like crazy. And today I got an email promotion that allows Moms to get a free one!

Go to Uddercover.com then click on "Shop Now" and select the cover you like. Then you'll be directed to check out. You can enter the promo code "MOTHER" and your cover will be free. You just pay for shipping!

Happy MOTHERS Day early!

Add a Personal Signature to Your Blog Post - for Blogger

2011-05-03T13:40:00.002-06:00

I love personalization in a world of black and white text. One asset that I like is adding a personal signature to my blog posts. It's super simple and something that you can set up in the next 10 minuets.

Go to www.MyLiveSignature.com Click on "Proceed" and then "Create Signature"

My Live Signature will walk you through the steps of how to create your signature. There are so many to choose from so go with your gut instinct.

I would recommend saving the final Signature of your choice on your Hard Drive of your computer as an Image. You can also click on "Want to use this Signature?" and you will be given a HTML code for you to use on your blog.

Copy that HTML code and log into your blog.

Click on "Settings" in your blog dashboard, then "formatting".

Scroll down to the bottom where it says "post template" You will now paste your HTML code that you have just copied into this section.

Next time you post a blog post your image (HTML code) will show up. Make sure you post above your Signature.

Happy Blogging :D

Follow Me Back Tuesday

2011-05-02T22:56:00.003-06:00

I love a good blog hop! Link up HERE.

To all new followers I Thank You for stopping by!

Happy Tuesday!

Happy May Day!

2011-05-02T11:09:00.003-06:00

I love the month of May! And yesterday on the first day of May we had a super fun Family day!
These rocks are not to far away from where we live, It's funny we drive by them often but have never stopped. So we did yesterday.

They had so much fun exploring!

We all loved this rock!

Our Little one was tired out by the end of the day, but it was so worth it. I feel so blessed that we can do fun things like this as a family!

Frank VanderSloot on Melaleuca

2011-05-02T10:42:00.000-06:00

This company has been such a blessing for our family!

Few get to see....

2011-04-28T14:03:00.003-06:00

We live in such a beautiful place that few get to see. I love being out in the pasture and being able to do a full 360 and see nothing but pasture and what God has put here!

I often think of my friend who lives on the East Coast, she has mentioned that Dunk-in Doughnuts is down the street. And down the street from us we have wide open spaces!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-26T08:52:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Easter at my Moms house this year.

Here are a few shots of the girls finding Easter Eggs that the Easter Bunny hid.... ;D

This one makes me laugh. Cadence wasn't too sure about finding her own eggs, but she liked digging through her sister's baskets to find the ones she liked.

And Mandy was thrilled that the Easter Bunny brought our dyed eggs from home.

I hope your family enjoyed a Very Happy Easter!

Elements of Greatness

2011-04-25T09:43:00.000-06:00

This video is awesome. I want my kids to not only do their best... I want them to do GREAT! So worth your time to watch!

Do what Few People Do

2011-04-19T11:33:00.000-06:00

Top 10 Rules of being a Successful WAHM

2011-04-18T11:12:00.004-06:00

Work, works! You must put the effort in to receive the benefits.

Don't "do" what your competition does, you'll be second best.

Educated yourself daily! You must be the best business person, mom, wife, leader that You CAN be.

Surround yourself with encouraging people who will lift you up and help you succeed.

Exercise regularly and be fit physically as well as mentally.

Develop a schedule and stick to it.

Become knowledgeable in areas that you normally would not pay attention to. This keeps your mind fresh.

Double your income, tripling your rate of learning. (Robin Sharma)

Put your family and relationship with God first, everything else will fall into place.

Improve yourself daily and become the best YOU.

I'm a Guest Recipe Blogger on I'm A Lazy Mom.... :)

2011-04-16T07:42:00.003-06:00

I'm so excited!!! Stacey over at I'm a Lazy Mom posted one of our favorite easy recipes for cold days. Hop over and take a look :D

The Powers Out

2011-04-15T14:50:00.004-06:00

We had a Winter Storm roll through last night. Seemed odd to have blizzard like conditions in mid-April. Due to the snow and wind our power went out. It's funny that our kids are so used to the blessing of electricity that they we're not sure what to do.

So... We had some fun Candy Land time :)

Got some of the Easter Candy out to complete the theme, lol. This was the view from our Front window looking out at my front yard and my wheel borrow.

We had candle light too. I find now as a Mom with three little girls all under the age of 5 that I'm lacking in the candle department. There far and few in between.

And the girls had a special little bed on the floor in the living room. They had so much fun with it!

Thanks for letting me share!

5 Ways To Promote A Facebook Fanpage

2011-04-14T15:17:00.000-06:00

Ballerina Birthday Party

2011-04-14T11:20:00.008-06:00

Last Saturday we had a Ballerina Birthday Party for our little 4 year old. Here are some of the highlights...I made some baggies full of beads and Ballerina Charms for each of the girls to have and be able to put together. I printed out these individual Name tags for each "Ballerina" invited. We had a special sign on the front door to Welcome our Ballerinas in.

I purchased this special cupcake kit with the cutest Ballerina toppers. (These we're a huge hit but everyone seemed to want the pink ones :)

Here is a picture of our Little Ballerina and her big sister before the party began.

And at our house, it's OK for Ballerinas to dance on the tables.

Cadence had so much fun!

The birthday girl dancing with her sister!

(I turned on a Angelina Ballerina video via. Netflix as the girls we're waiting and had it playing through the party too).

Opening gifts!!

Here's Lilian in the corner of the Pict. Shes telling me how much fun she is having!!

All of the girls dressed up and then learned how to be a Ballerina from their big cousin!

Then we we're off to make our Ballerina bracelets.

And cupcakes!!!

I love this picture of Lilian with her little cousin. She just loves babies!

Follow Me Back Tuesday and a Sigh of Relief!

2011-04-12T08:25:00.003-06:00

Happy Tuesday :)

Thanks for hopping over to my Blog today! I'm so glad that you did, feel free to stay a bit.

Last week was such a scary week for us. Our Now 4 year old sprayed some air freshener into her her little sisters face. I immediately gave her a bath and washed her face and she seemed fine. Long story short we called poison control (they we're awesome) and they said I needed to flush her eyes for 10 min. With all of the water and rubbing of her eyes that she did she irritated them. We went to the eye Dr. and THANKFULLY we use Green products in our home, so there was not a chemical reaction and the clarity of her eyes is fine. This is a picture of her after we saw the eye Dr. He had us put some eye gel on her eyes (it's the same stuff that new born babies get when born). She did amazingly well and is back to her happy, healthy self again! It reminded me how precious my little girls are and so blessed that there healthy.

Lilians 4 :)

2011-04-05T20:22:00.002-06:00

Four years ago today we we're given a tiny little 7# 6oz. little girl! She has grown and grown and grown! She is our child that was awake every hour on the hour when we brought her home, to nurse. She was our little one that was potty trained at 20 months. She is our little one that expresses the most love yet... she can frustrate the heck out of me. Lilian is such a HUGE blessing to us. I'm so thankful for her and all that she has taught me through the past 4 years. I Love you Lily!!!

Gardening has Started

2011-04-04T14:34:00.003-06:00

This weekend was gorgeous out! So the girls and I started this years garden :)

FYI... Mandy and Lilian dressed themselves on Saturday. One has shorts on while the other had a stocking cap on, such funny little ones! Even Cadence enjoyed playing in the dirt.

I was pretty proud of the girls. I made the rows and they put the onion sets in.

Now to plant the rest of the garden.

By the way, there we're a few onions that didn't get pulled last year (see the green above), guess we'll have some throughout the season :)

Come on Warm Weather :)

2011-04-01T09:19:00.004-06:00

I can not say it enough...

I'm so looking forward to tank tops, flip flops, swimming suits, sun shine, warmth, gardening, flowers blooming, smell of fresh cut grass, cows to pasture, playing outside in the sprinkler and all the other fun things that come with those 70 + degree days!

5 Tips to Improve the Speed of Your Computer!

2011-03-28T13:41:00.004-06:00

Is your computer running slow? Nothing worse in my opinion than trying to get some work done and my computer is lagging. Here are a few tips to help improve the speed of your computer.

Use an antivirus program on your computer to ensure you do not have a virus. There are free ones out there like http://www.avgfree.com/ that work well.

Delete un-needed photos and videos off of your computer that take up a large amount of space. I upload my photos on to sites like http://www.snapfish.com/ or http://www.shutterfly.com/ to ensure I have access to them but keep my computer clear.

Defrag your computer. You can do this by finding the Help and Support button on your computer and typing in the word "Defrag". It should supply you with a how-to.

Clear your browsing history. You'll do this by finding the Delete Browsing History button. Mine is found in the top right corner of my page under the Safety tab. I would recommend deleting your browsing history and cookies often.

Keep your updates updated! Simple enough right, it will improve your computers over all health and keep in functioning properly.

Hope that helps to keep your computer running properly!

Easter Thinking...

2011-03-28T08:50:00.002-06:00

Easter will be here in 4 weeks! Hard to believe. This year my moms birthday falls on Easter so we're "hopping" over to spend the day with her. Therefore I need to be much more organized than I typically am. Here a few cute things I've found as I've been searching and I wanted to share... You can Get these super cute Card print ables over at Nifty Thrifty Things. I'm not sure where I found this cute bunny but I like him! It's made out of an envelop and would be a super easy craft for my kiddos to make or even a Easter Party for school.

These little guys are Barret's made out of ribbon, How cute!

I loved these two ideas, The Pict's came from different sites but either are perfect. These are printable tops for a baggie of Peeps. Just an extra added touch. The top one you can find at Tip Junkie and the bottom one you can find at Craft-O-Maniac.

Feeding Calves

2011-03-24T21:29:00.003-06:00

Feeding our calves has become a family activity.
Lilian now has her own calf that she named Frosty. She was so proud of herself and getting to feed it.

Mandy and Jan. Jan has gotten so big over the past few months.

If You want Milk don't wait for the Cow to back up to You!

2011-03-23T09:56:00.005-06:00

We all have milk in our refrigerators, right? Well in order to get that milk you didn't sit around and wait for that cow to find her way to you in order to fill a jug. Think about that!

Be Proactive! In the same way you we're proactive to get your milk (or the dairy farmer was). You must take steps forward to reach your goals. Goals for your family and your business.

Do not expect to reach greatness if you do not do the work that is entitled to see that dream become a reality. You must be consistent, goal oriented, dedicated and willing to keep yourself held accountable. Think backwards - If you have a goal to earn a $500.00 pay-check before the end of the month you will need to know what it takes to earn that $500.00 pay-check. How many hours will you need to work or dedicate to your business, what activities will you need to do during those hours to make your goal a reality?

So don't sit there and dream about tomorrow unless your willing to make your dreams a reality!

10 Great Motivational Quotes

2011-03-18T21:54:00.000-06:00

Spring is in the air!!

2011-03-14T22:53:00.003-06:00

Happy Tuesday! Thank you all for hopping over to my blog, I hope you stop over often, are able to grab a cup of coffee and enjoy your stay!

You can link up to the Blog hop HERE.

I must say I have a bit of spring fever! Spring will officially be here in 7 days. I've noticed that Spring IS in the air though, My Lilac bush (above) has buds on it.
My Iris' are starting to come out of the ground.

Trees are starting to bud as well

Even our Dog Lucy is ready for spring. Lucy spends a lot of time inside, more by my choice rather than anyone else. I do think she enjoys being out though!

A few other keys to me that Spring is in the air would the chirps of the birds in the morning and just today I saw a flock of Geese flying North.

Spring - I'm READY!!

A few things Every Mom should have on her Desk!

2011-03-10T12:59:00.003-07:00

We all have some sort of desk, right? Well here are a few things I think every mom should have on her desk. Things that I don't think I could live without.

#1. My little bit of pretty! This candle just makes me feel good when I see it.

#2. As a mom I forget things frequently, lol, So I use my sticky notes often. And my pen... where would I be without it. Well at times I find my girls have all of the pens and I'm stuck with a color but it works.

#3. My Computer!!! I can see why people become addicted to cigarettes, I'm so addicted to my computer. I go through with drawls when I haven't seen it for a few hours.

#4. I never thought I would be so attached to my calendar but really I am. I like to highlight it, mark special things in it. Make notes about the day or appointments we have.

What are your favorite things to have on your desk? I love getting to see a sneak peek into others spaces! Cheers!!

Checking Cows with Daddy

2011-03-09T12:51:00.002-07:00

No matter what time of year it is we love getting to go with Daddy and check cows. We get to stand up in the pick up and don't have to wear our seat belts.
We get to look out the windows and watch the cows.

And this time of year we get to see all of the baby calves!

Saturday Trip to the Neighbors

2011-03-07T10:14:00.002-07:00

We are so lucky to have good neighbors! This Saturday we we're invited over to one of our Neighbors places to see the goats. I wasn't sure what to expect, but we we're invited in the pen with all of these tiny baby goats. The kids loved it and ran around chasing them. Lilian with one of the kids ;)
We also live hear my grandmother and it just so happened that this weekend a few of our cousins we're visiting, so there we're a bunch of kiddos.

The girls had such a good time!

Mandy with one of the goats.

All of the "kids"!

5 Things I Love about Fridays...

2011-03-04T08:39:00.002-07:00

It's the last day of the work week and the first day of the weekend.
Mandy doesn't have school on Fridays so all 3 of my girls are home.
Laundry is typically done for the week.
Always make an easy meal for dinner or get to go out to eat.
Good music on the radio on Fridays.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Follow Me Back Tuesday

2011-03-01T07:53:00.002-07:00

Happy March 1st! I'm so glad March is here, that means spring is near :)

Thanks for hopping over today. Be sure to link up to the blog hop HERE.

Here's to a great month and I hope you have a blessed day!

You want something. Go get it. Period.

2011-02-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

What a great way to start a Monday Morning! If you have a goal, don't let anyone come between you and that goal. If you want something go get it! When there isn't any wind, you'll have to row. No Matter WHAT - make your dreams a reality!!

Saving Money on Diapers

2011-02-24T14:45:00.004-07:00

My friend Renee recently had this post on her BLOG about saving money on diapers.

I typically buy my diapers at my least favorite store and have bought them a few times online but I've never shopped through Amazon.com. So after reading her post I thought I would give it a try. And yesterday I got this huge box from FedEx with 360 diapers that I got for around .10c. each!!! I was so very excited to save a little money, even if it we're on Diapers. And I might add I honestly dont think I'll have to buy any more diapers for Cadence. This should get us through until shes potty trained.

*To save money on your diapers like I did Click HERE to get all of the info :)

Follow Me Back Tuesday

2011-02-22T07:56:00.002-07:00

It's that day of the week again! I must say every Tuesday morning I'm so excited for the blog hop :) Link up HERE.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you come back often!

Flying Kites

2011-02-21T15:14:00.002-07:00

We had a beautiful Nebraska weekend!

The weather was just right for flying kites. This is one of my favorite Pict's! What a good daddy helping his little girl ;)
Even our little one wanted to tag along! She enjoyed following her big sisters around.

Happy Monday!

A bit of something for my door

2011-02-17T13:46:00.005-07:00

It's that time of year where it isn't really spring yet but not really winter either. I was feeling that my front door was a bit naked so I decided to whip something up. Here is the end result...My inspiration is this pretty little candle wrap. I love the way it hugs my candles and dresses them up a bit.
The design is simple, wire and beads.
The bow that I used was actually one of my great grandmothers handkerchiefs. It has been tucked away in a box for so long. I fixed it to the wreath with a bit of wire in case I want to take it off.

There you have it! A simple little pick me up for my front door.

Our Lilian!

2011-02-16T21:01:00.002-07:00

My Lilian is such a joy!

She is my daughter who is very opinionated, lovable, touchy, honory, But she makes me smile.

I feel so blessed that I get to spend so much time with her. This past year has been the most "alone" time I've spent with Lilian now that Mandy has been in school. It's taught me so much about her.
I love you Lilian! Thanks for making me smile ;)

Valentines Day Cookies

2011-02-11T15:47:00.003-07:00

I decided today would make the perfect day for making sugar cookies. And not just any sugar cookies, I had my heart set on these... I found this AMAZING Tutorial.
Well often we see things that are too good to be true, lol. The recipe that I used turned out to not work as recipe stated. Even after putting on wax paper, allowing to sit in the fridge for an hour and re rolling out.

So I turned to my handy dandy cookie press. It has never let me down.

We had heart shaped cookies and the girls had a ball decorating them.

Here is my try at making the PG13 decorated Valentines day cookies.

These are some of the best times!!

Follow Me Back Tuesday and a Friends Website

2011-02-08T08:15:00.002-07:00

Thank you for stopping by my blog! I'm so glad you did. I hope you spend some time here and are able to put your feet up with something yummy to drink as you browse around.

Link up to the Blog hop by clicking HERE!

I also wanted to help a friend get the word out about her WEBSITE. This is an outstanding resource for moms who are looking to start a home business. She's included links as well as great information about each work at home opportunity.

Cadences room re-vamp... The start...

2011-02-07T12:04:00.005-07:00

Procrastination is something that I tend to be good at. For instance I bought this

paint about 5 months ago. And here it sets in our basement!My intentions we're to paint this little stinkers room. It's been this lovely shade of yellow for the past year. I guess while I was pregnant with her I loved the color yellow.

Not sure that I care for it much now.

My goal is to transform her room into a peaceful room for her. The paint is bought, brushes on hand, and plan in mind. But now to actually complete the process. So here's my goal... To paint her room before the end of February. Now to get myself into action - that's the hard part.

Follow Me Back Tuesday & a Little Snow

2011-02-01T08:13:00.002-07:00

It's Tuesday again! Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you stay awhile!

You can link up for the Blog Hop by clicking HERE.

These photos are a few weeks old but I thought they we're fitting considered the snow is falling today. The snow is beautiful but I would much rather it be 70* out ;) This was the first real time our youngest had been out in a sled with all of the snow. She was so excited!
And Lilian! Here's the little stinker who will go outside on those freezing days with a princess dress or ballerina costume.

Mandy has figured out that it's really fun to throw snowballs. It makes me laugh!

There I am! It's so much fun to let go and run around like a kid. I'm thankful my girls have taught me that. Stay warm today!!

1460 Days of Working from Home!

2011-01-31T08:05:00.005-07:00

Today I'm celebrating 1460 days of working from home! 4 years ago I had been searching for a way to help bring in a little extra income for our family. At that time we had an 18 month old daughter and we we're expecting our second daughter.

I never imagined the blessing I would find. Sure the extra income has helped enormously through the past 4 years but more than that I've grown as a individual! I've been enabled to work with some extraordinary women who have enriched my life more than I ever thought possible.

That's 1460 days of hugs and kisses with my girls, having dinner ready for my husband when he gets home from work. 1460 days of growth. 1460 days of playing Barbies and working with great moms.

4MyKiddos

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