Yard Sale Finds

This weekend the Knight and I went "yardsaleing" with $10 in our pocket. This is what we got with that $10:

Two board games (Taboo and Scene It?), an etch-a-sketch, a mickey mouse doll, a ladybug costume for the girls' dress up bin, 1 dress for The Guppy, 4 shirts for The Guppy, and 1 pair of overalls and 1 vest for the Mermaid. We also got a weed wacker(!) and a Dan Brown book (not pictured).

Not bad for $10!

Did you go "yard saleing" this weekend? Let me know what awesome deals you found!

Yard Sale Finds

Say It Forward: Loyal Commenter

This is my first time participating in 5 Minutes For Mom's Say It Forward meme. I love this idea; reading comments really makes my day and the more comments the better. I think it's great to recognize our most loyal commenters.

My first nomination for loyal commenter is: Desiree Fawn, from So Fawned. Desiree is an Ontario AP mom to one gorgeous little girl. Her blog is truly inspiring and wonderful, and I highly suggest you head on over and check her out.

Thanks for being such a loyal commenter, Desiree. You can snag your badge to display at 5 Minutes for Mom, or right click above and save it.

Say It Forward: Loyal Commenter

The Website For Everything

Have you checked out Making Life Better yet? It's this wonderful website that I've been perusing lately. It has tips and articles on everything from cooking to fashion and beauty to health and wellness.

From the website:

Thank you for visiting makinglifebetter.com, the Website designed to help you feel good, look good and get more out of life. To fulfill that goal, we’ve
packed this site with tips, tools and advice, including:
Thousands of family-friendly recipes: Get dinner on the table fast!
Beauty tips that will help you look good and feel great
Fitness and nutritional news
Expert advice to help your children get a good start on life
Hundreds of tips to help you breeze through your household chores, from shopping to laundry

Since I've started to make things from scratch, I really love the cooking videos they have, Cooking With Cat Cora. They also have videos with makeup tips, etc. And for even more cooking videos, be sure to visit their YouTube page.

To visit the website and sign up for free, click here.

The Website For Everything

On The Fridge

Have you ever noticed how much a refrigerator can tell you about a family?

If the kitchen is the center of the home, then the refrigerator is the heart.

Not only because of what is in the inside (food that nourishes us), but for what is on the outside.

A busy family might have calendars, lists of things to do, etc. on their fridge. A family falling on hard times might have less inside their fridge than a family who is prospering. A family who is grieving might have nothing on their fridge, save for a lone obituary, clipped from the newspaper.

Don't ask me why I think of these things, I just do.

When Kalei died, our fridge told conflicting stories. The outside was bare, telling of our grief and inability to sit down and color happy picture with our children to hang on the fridge. However, the inside was stuffed full of food, meals brought over from loving friends and family, reminding us how lucky and supported we were.

Today our fridge is full, on the inside and out. We are nourished and happy from its insides. The front of the outside is covered with happy artwork, the sides covered with invitations, cards, lists, etc. There's not an inch to spare for sorrow and grief.




I hope it stays that way for a long time.

What's on your fridge? If you feel like posting a picture, leave a comment and link to your post.

On The Fridge

Because Kids Don't Come With Instructions...

Any new mother out there reaches a point where they questions....questions about what to do in certain situations, questions about their own style of parenting, etc. I've found that there is no greater resource for a new mom than a mom who has been there, done that. Other mothers can offer great advice for whatever situation arises where you are unsure on the best course of action to take.

I believe that's why mother's groups are thriving all around the country; not only so moms can get out with their kids and interact with adults, but because mothers have learned to offer guidance and suggestions to one another.

However, for those times where another mother isn't available in person, MomCentral gave me the heads up on Mamapedia.

Mamapedia is a great source of information where you can ask questions and get answers from moms who have experience. From the website:

Mamapedia is your lifeline to millions of moms who’ve shared their real-world wisdom through local Mamasource online communities over the past two years. We compiled their answers, organized them by stage, and made them instantly searchable. We invite you to bookmark Mamapedia to find answers in a pinch, and to join your local Mamasource community so you can share what you’ve learned on your journey. And don't miss Mamapedia’s ever-expanding range of topics, including household, money, health, relationships, and many other things that moms are talking about.

Question about your teething baby? Want to know how to treat a diaper rash? Any question for any age, Mamapedia has the answer.

Because Kids Don't Come With Instructions...

You Capture: Family

For this week's You Capture challenge I had to dig into my archives....I know, bad, but my camera is being fixed so I wasn't able to take any new pictures. So, without an further ado, Family:

They are my life, my love, my entire universe. They are my family.

For more You Capture, click here.

You Capture: Family

Flip Flops Bring Us Joy

I haven't yet experienced the fun things that come with having a boy, but I am really having a great time with my girls!

Girl clothes are cute. And fun. And the pink bows and ribbons? To die for. I love braiding my girls' hair, or putting it in pigtails. And giving each other "fake" manicures and pedicures (I say fake because I can't bring myself yet to actually put nail polish on their innocent hands and feet...yet).

My girls have a knack for bargain shopping already, mostly because they learned from me, and I will not likely buy anything unless it's on sale.

I'm not a shoe girl, but I want to be. My favorite shoe is the flip flop. It's cooling, cute, flexible, and I kind of like the sound it makes when you walk. Adorable. Old Navy had their flip flops on sale on Saturday for $1 each, so I got up early and headed out to pick some up for me and my girls. I got three pairs for myself: one pink, one black, one white. For the girls, I picked up white ones with purple and butterflies on them. They were so excited to have their first pair of flip flops!

I hope as my girls grow that they will continue to enjoy bargain shopping with me. That little things, like getting a bargain on flip flops, will still bring them joy. A lot of children lose that innocent joy when they grow up; I tend to have mine still, and hope the same will go for them.

Flip Flops Bring Us Joy