Have you seen my Mojo?

I'm not feeling very motivated these days...
Over the past several weeks I’ve had a few passing thoughts of possible blog topics go through my head. I even sat down and began to write a few times. I just can’t seem to find the right motivation. I’m not feeling very passionate about writing right now. Maybe, I have writers block. Maybe I can only multi-task in so many areas of my life at one time and something had to give. Maybe it’s that “blah” feeling that is holding me back.


It could be that I am overextended. Summer vacation from school means Mommy has to fill in all the gaps. I try to have the kiddos in a few structured programs but that just means Mommy chauffer is busier. If they are not otherwise involved in a program, I try to vary their activity with a trip to the park, a play date or something like that to keep them stimulated. All of that, is using up extra brain power. Not to mention that I have two July birthdays that had me a little busy. A Family party and 2 kid parties with all the shopping and whatnot that goes into those plans takes up what spare brain power I have.

I don’t know. Am I complaining? Maybe I’m board with my routine. Maybe I need to do something to shake it up for ME.

I came across a blog post today that got me thinking.
When I’m reading blogs, I like to stop in and see what the Domestic Fashionista is up to. She recently had a post titled What if…?

The idea is, that when things seem to get boring, you ask yourself… What if…?

I felt that I could relate to some of the questions she asked herself.


What if I stopped blogging?

As you may have noticed I haven’t really been up to date there much lately so that didn’t really help my problem but I do wonder what it would be like to not worry about what to blog next or how to keep readers interested and coming back.


What if I painted my walls white?

If you’ve been around here at all, you would know that that is something not possible in my world. In fact, I just painted the kids bathroom and my son has finally had his room transformed from nursery to Big Boy room. (There might be another reason I’m not blogging much now.)


What if I only wrote from my heart and not to fill in time or space?

I don’t know that I fill my time with blogging so much but I do think I’m not always writing from my heart. I hold back often, worried about who might read the things that are in my head and then (gasp) not approve.


What if I stopped worrying about pleasing other people?


A-ha!! Stop Worrying!!?? Well then, that would solve a few of my issues but I worry it would create more trouble. If I didn’t worry, who would? If I didn’t worry then I might be way too honest. What kind of fallout would come of that!!???

Then I came up with a few more questions to ask myself…

I need to shake this funk and try to be more motivated in a few areas so, What if…

What if I had more time in the day? (Would I do more or get less done?)

What if I didn’t worry so much? (Is that possible? Please tell me how?)

What if my work space was really organized? (I think I need a bigger space first but to be more organized would help me enjoy my work more. Then I remember what my Pap-pap used to say, “It’s like getting 10 lbs. of s**t in a 5 lbs bag” just not going to happen.)

What if my house could stay clean for a day? (I start at one end and by the time I get to the other end things are a mess. It usually looks like a bomb when off in here. I think I would feel really good, a sense of accomplishment, if I could turn around and see a clean house)


Where do you find your motivation??

What kind of questions do you ask yourself??

What if......

It's made where???

Do you read the label on the items you want to purchase? Do you check to and see where, before you buy? Does the “Made in…” weigh in on your choice to make the transaction?


I feel like I’ve been shopping for a pair of jeans for years. It seems to be one of the harder things to find. Let me clarify. A good fitting, flattering, pair of jeans, within a reasonable price range, seems to be a hard thing to find.


Every now and then, when I’m feeling up to the challenge or the mood strikes me just right, I muster up the courage to try on several pairs of jeans, in the hopes that I might come close to something that fits me…flatters my shape and is somewhat affordable.


Several months ago, I wandered into a store that sells only jeans. “This should make my task easier” I thought. I selected 4 or 5 pairs and went off to the fitting room. The first two were a “no go” with out a second thought. The third pair, shockingly, fit great! Unfortunately, I waited until this moment to check the price tag. What was I thinking!!!???!!!


Once I managed to leave (running, screaming from) the store, empty handed, I decided to put jeans shopping on a shelf for awhile. So about two weeks ago I was kid-free for a few short, fleeting hours and thought it would be a good time to try on some jeans.


So I went to the women’s section of a well known superstore (not the one where scary people in their pajamas are found… the other one).

I pulled 3 pair of jeans from the shelf and sauntered off to the dressing room. Low and behold… One of them fit!!! And not just fit, but it hid what I needed it to hide, flattered in just the right way and I was sure that it would suit my budget.


Then I noticed a tag that suggested reading the washing instructions because of the dark nature of the dye. That is when I noticed     “Made in …”


Now, I know we are building relationships with other countries and when relationships are new a certain amount of trust is needed up front. I also feel like some trust needs to be earned. This particular country gives me uneasy feelings. I do not trust.


So should I not buy things made from there in a stand to not support a country that I do not trust? I feel they are not forthcoming with their knowledge of some evil people that may have been sheltered within their boarders. Will it matter at all that I don’t buy these jeans? What of all the other women who will, in all the other towns across this country.


About eight years ago I had a really bad experience at a large department store. Despite repeated efforts to get a resolve with their customer service I was left feeling very dissatisfied. I stopped shopping there for at least 6 years. Yep, six years. Even now I rarely go there or buy anything from that store. They never called to beg me to come back and I’m pretty sure they didn’t really miss my business. So does it matter?


Back to these jeans. Does it matter that I’m not going to give my money for a product that came from another country. I’m sure in whatever trade agreement we have with them that they have been paid for these goods. And the worker has most likely been given their $0.12 cents pay. The store is not going to notice that I have not purchased these jeans. I like the store. I shop there regularly and will continue to shop there.


So, does it matter where something was made? Do you care, who down the line, might benefit from your hard-earned dollar? Do you check to see where something is made and what bearing does that have on you choice to purchase?

Camping 101

I survived!!!!!

Some of you may remember that I have NEVER gone camping. Not even in the back yard with hubby and the kids.

We were invited to go on a camping trip over Memorial Day weekend with a group. I said yes right away and figured that I would worry about the rest later. I want my kids to get as many fun experiences as possible and I don’t want to stand in the way of them building great childhood memories.

I knew my husband had been camping and would be able to guide me through what I needed to do to survive. One of my closest friends had been on this trip the past 2 years and I knew she would hold my hand as well.

Between her and my husband, I had a few shopping lists to go from and a good idea of what supplies to gather.

The kids got home from school just before 1:00 on Friday (early dismissal). Hubby took a half day off from work and was home before the kids and I was well on my way to ready. By 2:30/3:00 we were all loaded up and pulling out of the neighborhood.

I was a little nervous about the whole event…

Things I worried about…

Kid’s safety

Too many icky bugs

Meeting so many new people at once (overwhelming)

Being the new girl who doesn’t know what she’s doing

Being a downer for others

Not having enough to do (I need to ALWAYS be busy)


Less than 2 hours after leaving our house, we were pulling into our campgrounds.

The group had reserved three group sites. The first two sites were side by side and made a big open area. This is where the majority of the families were and the “kitchen” was set up. The organizer of the group did the shopping, meal planning and most of the cooking for breakfast and dinner. Each person (family) was on their own for lunch.

I know this is not typical for most people when they go camping. It was part of what made this trip a good first camping experience for me.

About 30 feet of woods and then there was the third camp site. A smaller site with room for about 4 tents. Here is where we were along with two other families. One of which we are very close friends with and the other family lives in our neighborhood. We have met them a few times so this all helped ease me into the experience.

The kids were off and running, Mama still a little nervous.

We walked over to the main site and started mingling. We enjoyed dinner and I started to relax.

The first few hurdles to over come…

1. Setting up systems or routines for the kids (and me). Getting them to understand taking shoes off outside of the tent, no dirt into the tent, and how to open the tent-get in–and close the door to keep bugs out.

2. Not having the comforts of home. The camp facilities were quite a distance away. Not something you want to have to travel to in the dark and not a trip you could make urgently. (I’ll spare you the details but some things don’t function well when traveling. This can make a person cranky.) Thankfully hubby didn’t listen to me when I protested the idea of a portable potty for inside the tent. I thought the idea was gross but it proved to be a godsend.


Our first night was upon us. I got the kids ready for and tucked into bed. I lay down still unable to be far from them, I was not comfortable with going back to the main site for socializing. Hubby went to sit by the fire and chat.

After dozing off I was awakened by my middle child. All three kids had been struggling with a stomach virus the week prior to the trip and this was her night. Again I’ll spare you the details but lets say there was some serious clean up needed.

A familiar family whistle and I managed to get hubby’s attention from the next camp site over. He grabbed a flashlight and came to our rescue. The running inside the tent with his shoes on threw me off for a second. Then I had to realize that going home that instant was not the best plan. Ok, regroup. Clean up, find some new blankets, get my girl into clean PJs and get my yellow haired butterfly settled back into bed.

We all made it through the night and she slept well into the next morning. Our friends also had a mini “kitchen” set up in our small camp site so we woke to coffee and a quiet small group of people we knew.

We had breakfast at the main camp site where I repeatedly reassuring those folks that I was ok and not plotting my escape.

My little goldie locks seemed to be bouncing back rather quickly so we continued with the plan fort the day. Rafting down a nearby river.

We survived a 2 hour adventure and came back to swim at the camp ground pool. Night two was far less eventful (whew!!!). The next day we showered the kids, had a very nice church service and then got ourselves bathed while our friends watched the kids. Then we all headed out for a trip to Laurel Caverns.

On the way back to the campgrounds, we stopped at a local winery. We did some tasting and then purchased several bottles. (Woo Hoo) One we grabbed was chilled so we could enjoy it once we got back to the camp.

Another peaceful evening and night.

Things I could have done without…

Stomach virus (but it was manageable)

Bathroom facilities not like home (nothing you can do about that when camping…I lived)

Bugs (I looked like I was performing an African tribal dance at time in an effort to get them off me!) (Again, I lived)



Things that made it great…


Someone doing the meal planning and cooking

Hubby helping me enjoy the trip

A great friend at my side

Fun activities to do during the day

Coffee in the morning and wine all day ;-)


All said and done… It was a fun trip and my kids made some wonderful memories!!! They had a blast and I can’t ever ask for more than that!!!

In Overload

There is a certain amount of stress in every person’s life everyday. Stress comes from anything that changes our daily routine or our life status. It can come from things that we perceive as good, not just those things that we know should cause us to feel stress.

They even have scales or tests that can determine the likely hood of becoming ill as a result of too much stress. Our bodies need time to process and absorb the stress before encountering more stress. When there is not enough time between events, then our resistance is weakened.

This topic has been on my mind recently because of potty training. While it has been more of an irritation for me than a stressor, I started to think about how stressful it must feel for my son.

These stress scales are set up for adults but I’m sure there is something to be said about what children have to deal with as well.

I know several years ago my husband and I were off the charts on this scale.

Within 12 to 18 months we had..

Got married
Got pregnant
Moved from one state to another
Changed jobs for him
Decided to stay home from work for me
Bought a house
Had a baby

Remembering what that felt like I started to think about all the things my little guy is dealing with.

Started pre-school
Out of the high chair and moved to a seat at the table
No more sippy cup but big kid cups with no lid
Learning to ride a bike
No more baby swing but a swing with no seatbelt
No more naps (His choice not mine)
Watching his clothes and baby toys be given away so he can get more size/age appropriate items
Transitioning from diapers to underwear

These are all steps in the natural age progression of toddlers. In his world, these must seem like such huge changes. It is so easy to say that I feel stress with more spills or more laundry or a crazy schedule to keep up with but I didn’t slow down enough to realize that this was a lot of work for him.

All of this is easier for me to see now that we are struggling less with most of these issues.

Knock on wood, we have been in diapers only at bedtime for a week and last night he insisted on no diaper for bedtime and he made it all night!!!

Woo Hoo! (Insert happy Mama Dance here)

So how are you doing on the stress scale?
Even if you’re doing fine, it might be a nice idea to think about the other people in your life and the things that they have to deal with in their world.

Not my cup of tea.

Have you ever tried to do something that you knew wasn’t really for you but you went ahead and tried anyway??

I am always trying to teach my kids to be open to new things. Try a new activity or a new food, something you haven’t done before. “Who knows, you might like it.” So with that in mind, I try to step out of my box (I really like my box) and do things that I might not be comfortable with or things that are different for me. I want to expand my horizons, meet new people, try new things and see what the world has to offer. It’s part of the journey, right???

I don’t think I’m a prima-Donna. I’m not really THAT prissy. I like to get dirty. I love to dig in the ground and plant my flowers. I am always looking for something to paint and often spend days trying to remove some spot of paint from my skin or hair. But when I socialize, I like to be comfortable. I really don’t function when I’m cold. Like; coat on, shivering, my toes are numb cold, is not going to work for me. Standing around in a dirty garage, tolerable in short bursts. All evening??? Nope. No plate, no napkins and I’m probably not going to be interested in food. (That says something because I love food.) I find cigar smoke very offensive. I will be distracted by the smell and my burning eyes and find it hard to converse.

I knew going into the gathering that I might not have fun. I tried really hard not to express myself too much (smile) and I held back from running home as early as I wanted. But I think they all noticed.

How will I integrate with a new group if this is how I started???
I want to be part of the group but some things stress me out more than they should.

Camping….

We’re going camping soon. Not just my micro family but with a group. A group of old friends and new friends.

I’ve never been camping.

I get close sometimes. By close, I mean in the morning after hubby has “camped” in the back yard with the kids I bring coffee down and sit for a few minutes.

I’m not only worried about the camping trip but fitting in with the others who are going. After running away from the smoke filled garage party, I want to be sure I’m not the one whining and complaining about the conditions. I want it to be a good memory for the kids and for all of us. Hubby is so excited for the new tent and has been tracking its delivery minute by minute.

I don’t want to be the topic of conversations. (“Remember that girl who didn’t let her kids get dirty?” “Wow she was so uptight about everything”) I don’t want to be that girl. I want to have fun and make memories for my kids. I’m just not sure camping is my cup of tea.

I keep thinking about the skiing trip and how much I liked sitting by the fire, drinking Irish coffee. That was all I liked about skiing. It’s not my cup of tea either.

Roll-up Car Play Mat

Boys are different.

I keep hearing this again and again when I talk with other Mothers. As if I didn’t know there was a difference. Nonetheless, when I bring up something like potty training or how they communicate or play, the other Mom will almost always come back with “Boys are different”. I guess having two daughters first is what is throwing me off from understanding his thought process from time to time.

So, I’ve learned that I need to find other ways to engage him in activities. The girls were happy with a pen and paper or a book and they would sit in church or at a doctor appointment and wait quietly. They were content while I talked to someone. He needs entertainment and paper and pens aren’t cutting it for him. Several months ago I made an activity mat for him to drive his cars while we were at church or during the girls sporting events/practices. It works as long as I remember to always provide different vehicles. ;)

After seeing what a success it was for him I made one for for my Etsy store. That first one sold fairly quickly so I thought I would make another one and share the “how to” with you.

You will need
1 sheet Black felt
2 sheets dark green felt
2 sheets dark grey felt
And some pieces of lighter green and brown felt
Fabric glue
Ribbon and a sewing machine



First set the machine on a wide zigzag stitch. Stitch the two pieces of green together using green thread to make a large play area. After I sew it on the machine, I go back over the area wider with a needle and embroidery floss to make it more durable. (This will be hidden under the road later.)

Cut the black felt in half lengthwise.
Then cut one half into two pieces. These will make the pockets for storing the cars.

Pin down the pockets and add small pleats to the bottoms and sew them onto the remaining black piece.

Sew the pocket (garages) onto one end of the grass area.

At the other end sew a piece of ribbon so that when the mat is rolled up you can tie it closed.

Using some paper I sketched out the plan for my road, cut that out and pinned it to my grey felt.
Once the grey felt was cut out I set my machine on a straight stitch but on mine I set it to run a triple stitch. This was to make the stitching stand out more so it would be more visible.

First I used white thread to mark the linen for the parking spaces

Then I used yellow to mark the dotted lines on the roadway.

When sewing the yellow dotted line, I just moved the felt and continued my sewing. After around the whole road I went back and cut the treads but only on the top.

After all the stitching is done you are ready to glue the road down to the grass.

While I’m waiting for the glue to set I work on a few other details. I used some white fabric paint to make bumpers for each parking space. I also added a few other details like thicker grassy areas, a few trees and a stop sign.

Allow the glue and the fabric pain to dry at least overnight and then you’re ready to play.

If you’re not ready to make one yourself you can check to see if I have one listed here.

Drive safely!!!

By Special Request

One of the things I have been making for my jewelry collection is family pendants.

I make “Peas in a Pod” and “Bird Nests”.

People request the number of eggs or peas they want to represent their children or grandchildren or sometimes, I have sisters or best friends who get a matching set.

After a friend of mine mentioned my item, I got an increased interest in the bird nests. One woman made a special request. She wanted a broken egg. This is actually something I have been planning to showcase and having her request one told me I was on the right track with the idea. Usually, I make the peas, green and the bird eggs, blue. But for the angels that have gone to heaven I use a natural colored pearl to identify their spot in the family.

So many women go through the pain of loosing a child. I can only imagine their hurt. I was so honored to make a special nest for her to cherish the child she has and pay tribute to the child she lost.

She was planted on earth to bloom in Heaven- by Unknown Author


The death of a baby is like a stone cast into the stillness of a quiet pool;the concentric ripples of despair sweep out in all directions,affecting many, many people.--by De Frain