And the Winner is...

There were 147 of you who entered our giveaway and some of you got extra entries. We used Random.org and found a winner. The winner was lucky number 32!

If that was your number, come on down! You're the next contestant on the Price is Right!

Congratulations to Keitha! Keitha is the winner of the EcoGear EcoZoo Pig bag (blessed by a kiss from String Bean). Keitha said she'd give this bag to her friend's daughter. I hope she enjoys it!

Keitha, e-mail us your address so we can get it in the mail to you right away! If we don't hear from Keitha by Sunday, December 7, we'll pick a new winner.

Thanks everyone for entering our giveaway and watch for another one coming REAL soon!

Last Chance for our Giveaway!

Today is your last chance to enter our sweet giveaway from EcoGear. Check out our review of the EcoGear EcoZoo bags and fill out the form at the bottom of the post to enter! Giveaway deadline is today at noon central time.

Good luck!

True Confessions, Part III

My husband, Filbert (not his real name) has a deep and abiding love for sweaters. I mean *deep* and *abiding*. Seriously, it's a problem. He used to keep about half of them in Cashew's closet, but since that is no longer an option, he redesigned his own closet so that each sweater has a compartment where it can lovingly be stored. I had to establish a "one in, one out" rule for his sweaters and about a year ago, I finally convinced him to get rid re-home his last Cosby sweater. When I decided to start using cloth diapers to save money, his first concern was for his sweaters and the impact of washing diapers and then washing his dear sweaters. He was dreadfully afraid of poop transfer. I assured him that it could never happen, and reluctantly he agreed, although, he always tries to make sure another load goes through the washer between the diapers and his sweaters and when he sprays poop off of a diaper, he sprays and rinses and swishes that diaper so thoroughly, it almost doesn't even need to be washed. I am not quite so diligent.

Now, I am going to tell you something that he must *never* know. First, my kids really like cereal that has dried blueberries in it. And dried blueberries pretty much go straight through to the diaper. One time, (seriously, do not tell my husband this, he will freak out and take all his sweaters to the dry cleaner and we cannot afford a dry cleaning bill for 40 sweaters), so one time, I was taking the diapers out of the washer and there at the bottom of tub was one fully reconstituted blueberry.

Trust and Priorities

The priorities of a 5 year old are quite interesting. I was taking a shower the other day. Cashew was asleep and Walnut and Peanut were watching Sesame Street, so I thought I might be able to luxuriate for a bit, maybe even shave my legs. Then all of the sudden, I heard Walnut come thundering down the hallway and burst into the bathroom. I prepared myself for the worst, expecting to hear that Peanut's head had fallen off or something, when Walnut said "You have *got* to see this!" and thrust Peanut's blue hat into the shower for me to see. There was no blood, but there was no pom-pom on the top, either, just a few straggly pieces of yarn. Peanut's newest joy is pulling the yarn out of pom-poms and he had delighted the heck out of that hat. Later that day, while the boys were watching TV in my room, Peanut had knocked all the clothes off of the top of my dresser (remembering that I'm a Messie, that means a *lot* of clothes). I didn't notice that the TV was askew, but Filbert did when he got home. He asked if something happened to it and I was about to say no, when Walnut piped up. "Peanut tried to pull it off, but I caught it, it almost fell to the floor and the remotes were going everywhere, and I almost dropped it, but I got it back up there eventually" (paraphrased). I asked him why he didn't call me, and he said "oh, I didn't want to bother you." So, to a 5 year old, yarn - *huge*, TV's - not so much.

I was thinking about this later, as I lay in bed trying to sleep and it occured to me that sometimes, I'm like this, too. When I'm running late, I have no problem throwing up a quick prayer for green lights. With the little things, it's easy to trust God, but with the big things, it's a different story. Finances are tight, but do I trust God's provision? No, I'm busy filling my mind with all sorts of schemes to make a million dollars. When I'm sick and tired and overwhelmed by life, do I ask for help? No, I struggle and fume and fuss, but I don't want to be a bother.

Maybe you're like me. Help is there. There are people that are always waiting to give a hand and even more, we have God that is more powerful and knowing than our minds can comprehend. So why do we find it so hard to trust Him?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Amy already wrote about what she's thankful for this year. I thought I'd take my turn and make a list of all the things that I am thankful for in 2008.

• String Bean. She's a constant source of joy and my love for her gives me a small glimpse of God's great love for me.
• Mr. Bean. I know I am a lucky woman to have a man who cooks, cleans, does laundry and chauffeurs us around. My friend Amy (the other Amy) reminds me of this on occasion. She's right. I'm lucky and thankful for him not because he's my husband or because of the things he does for me, but because of who he is.
  
• Marriage. Having a guy like Mr. Bean has made marriage such a wonderful experience. I'm more in love with him now (6 years after our wedding day) than ever. Not only do I have a great guy. I have a great marriage.
  
• Met needs. With the economy in the toilet, I am constantly reminded that having food on our table, all our bills paid, and money to go to Starbucks occasionally while staying out of credit card debt is truly something to be thankful for. *Knocking on wood that our cars (that are paid off!!!) continue to be healthy.*
  
• Employment. Mr. Bean and I both love our jobs. Mr. Bean is living the dream having a job he looks forward to every day. My job is not always exciting. It is rarely glamorous. However, the people I work with are fantastic and I enjoy having the flexibility to work from home occasionally, flex my hours as I need to, have my summers off, and do a variety of work. I also enjoy the freedom Mr. Bean has given me to keep my pinky toe in the workforce (I only work 12 hours a week during the school year). I have much respect for moms who are able to stay sane and be stay-at-home moms 100% of the time. I'm at 92% and that's about my limit to keep from going insane. Mr. Bean saw that I was hard wired differently than other women and would be a better mom by having some adult time every week. Thanks, Mr. Bean.
• Friendship. This year I've struggled with friendships. It is quite a long story, which I won't bore you with. Here are a couple highlights: My friend Aimee moved to Jerusalem which was sad for me, but with her moving it brought me closer to my co-blogger, Amy and the other Amy. All my friends are named Amy. I met a visitor at church on Sunday named Amy. Is it wrong that I immediately thought, "Oh, this girl could be a great friend to me!" I've also had the chance to reconnect with some old friends this year (Thanks, Facebook!) and look forward to rekindling those relationships.
• Family. My in-laws live in town right now (usually they are all the way over in Hawaii). It has been so great to have them in the area (for reasons other than free babysitting, too). My parents have been able to visit a lot this year. I think it has something to do with String Bean, but I'll pretend they just want to see me. We've also been able to connect with our cousins this year (Thanks, again, Facebook!) and have felt their love. It has been a good year for family.
  

There are lots of other things I'm thankful for, but these are the big ones. You are probably tired of reading this post now and you have better things to eat do. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all enjoy your turkey (or tofurkey) and the love and fellowship of friends and family today and (hopefully) this weekend!

Need Unique Christmas Ideas?

I have some hard to shop for people on my list this year. I love to get well thought out gifts for people--things I think they will love. Sometimes that person who has everything makes that difficult!

My co-blogger, Amy, is planning on making Christmas gifts this year. Not me. I'm not so crafty. Instead, I thought I'd share with you some of the things I'm considering getting some special someones in my life. Maybe it will inspire you as you start finish up your shopping.

For Her:

I think I've mentioned previously that I am having a love affair with Etsy. I found this adorable customized rubber address stamp, Funky Swirls, made by designer babyjewels. There are quite a few customized stamps available on Etsy. Just do a search and you'll come up with all sorts of ideas and some shop owners who will work with you to get your own designs in stamp form.



If I were finished having children, I would be tempted to purchase Mommy Cards. What a cute idea to leave a calling card for your family when you meet new moms at the park, at school, or at church. This company will also do Pet Cards, Allergy Cards, Grandparent Cards and more. There are also designs appropriate for Dad Cards.

For Him:
Sports equipment. My man is into football. Maybe yours is into ping pong. Either way, getting some replacement sports equipment for that raggedy stuff that's falling apart in the garage would be a welcomed gift. Say you are getting a football and you just aren't exactly sure which football is the right one (there are about a billion out there ranging in price from $10 to $90 or more), you can always go the route of a gift card to the Sporting Goods store. Or one of those handmade coupons you used to make as a kid inscribed with "Good for one __________ of your choice from Dick's Sporting Goods." Bonus: purchasing a new play toy for that macho male in your home may just promote wellness and fitness!

You know that movie (or trilogy *cough, cough*) that the guy in your life just loves and for the life of you, you can't find any logic as to why? Chances are it has recently come out with a collector's edition that he does not own, yet (or in the case of Mr. Bean any collectible from his favorite move will do). Amazon.com is a great place to look for the latest (and often times cheapest) movies and the old favorites that you can't find on the shelf at the store.

For Anyone:
I love iTunes. If someone on your list has an ipod, you can't go wrong with iTunes gift cards. They come in denominations of $15, $25, $50 and $100 through the Apple Store. At least you know they will love what they get!


I wasn't sure how to graphically represent this idea, so I made the image above instead. Have you considered getting an "experience" gift for someone? One of my best Christmas gifts ever was a swim with the dolphins adventure at Sealife Park in Hawaii. I will never forget that day and I have photos to prove I did it! Think about the within-driving-distance locations with extreme adventures. Think about the people you know or the friends-of-friends that you could call that favor in from. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing: flying in a private plane, deep-sea fishing, shadowing the local meteorologist, rock-climbing, scuba diving lessons, wine tasting at a vineyard, golf lessons...you get the idea.

Good luck with your shopping!

Are We All Idiots?

Don't forget to enter our giveaway which ends 11/30 at noon!

I just have to laugh when I read news articles like the one that hit the news wires on Monday: A man stole some money from a gas station and went looking for a getaway car. Upon trying to carjack the victim, someone came to her aid and hit him over the head with a frozen turkey. He still managed to get away, but was having a hard time driving after the incident and was arrested shortly after but with a head injury. Imagine being this guy and explaining to the doctor in the emergency room how you got your injuries. Quite embarrassing if you ask me.

As I read news articles like these (and there are a lot more out there if you need a good laugh), I wonder what kind of an idiot am I sometimes. I have 3 sisters and I'm sure they could all tell you stupid things I did growing up (like when my sister asked if I knew how to spell "idiot" and I answered, "Yes, e-d-i-t "). I know I've done dumb things as an adult (like the time I overdrew the checking account because I was too lazy to write down my withdraws).

But how does God see us? We constantly are told to do or not to do this or that by God's Word. We've memorized it. We teach the dos and don'ts to our children, yet we continue to do these stupid things over and over.

We are all idiots. We all do things we smack ourselves in the head for later. I guess we all need a measure of grace.

This poor guy who got hit with the turkey is probably smacking himself in the head repeatedly right now (that or his mother is). I'm sure he feels like a complete moron. I hope someone in his life is helping him learn from his mistakes and giving him the tools to help him not repeat them.

God forgives us for our short-comings. I'm sure he'll forgive the guy with the bump on his head from the frozen turkey if he just asks.

Lord, help me to learn right from wrong just as I teach my daughter right from wrong.

Thanksgiving Grace

Grace is what I'm thankful for this year. Actually not just this year, since Peanut was born I've been thankful for grace. I had never really experienced grace, until then. Even though I didn't know it, God began pouring His grace on me while I was pregnant with Peanut. It was grace that kept me from having all sorts of tests and worry to find out why this baby didn't move. It was grace that allowed me over 7 months with Peanut, safe and "normal" inside. It was grace that kept my heart soft, when it would have been so easy to become bitter. It was grace that shielded my eyes from from the limp, lifeless baby that others were seeing. It was grace that hardened my resolve to be a better parent for this special child. It is grace that gets me out of bed every morning. It is grace that showed me I am not a failure and it is grace that taught me to accept help.

I never thought much about grace until it flowed on me so abundantly, but now, I want to live grace in my life daily. I wish I could find the words to explain what grace means to me, but I can't even begin. One of these days I'm going to paint the word "grace" in every room of my house as a reminder to never forget and to always be thankful.

Friends are a Blessing

Don't forget to enter our giveaway which ends 11/30 at noon!

Just yesterday, a friend of mine brought over a bag full of clothing her daughter had grown out of. Although it does not fit String Bean, yet, it will soon! Mr. Bean and I have been so blessed to have numerous friends who have given hand-me-downs in the last year. One friend, who was done having kids, gave us all the furniture for String Bean's nursery. We were so blessed to not have to purchase a crib, changing table, 2 gliders, a high chair, or numerous toys that were gently used.

How have your friends been a blessing to you lately? Post here and let us know!

If you know me in real life and have need for baby food, I have lots to unload. String Bean has decided she's too mature for baby food and we'd love to bless you with some!

Christmas Cards

Don't forget to enter our giveaway which ends 11/30 at noon!

I personally feel sending out e-mail Christmas cards is tacky. Call me a traditionalist. I like to get that card in the mail and see the photo of the family. Today, we took our family photos for our annual Christmas card. I'm all about cheap, so here's what we are doing:

1. "Hire" a friend to take the photos of the family. Hire is a pretty strong word. We paid our photographer, Sahrie, in hugs. We had a good idea going into the shoot what we wanted and researched a few shots. Mr. Bean has an eye for the creative, so he was the "artistic director" for our shoot. Of course it helps if your photographer has a nice camera and a little know-how!
2. Take digital photos, not film. Taking your photos digitally means you can manipulate the images and fix some little problems. There is a cool program out there called Paint.net which is similar to Photoshop that you can download and use free! Google "Paint.net tutorials" to get started.
   
3. Owning your own photos will save you a lot of money. Photographers make money by owning the images they take for you. You pay them to print the photos and only go home with your photos, not the digital images. If you own the digital images, you can wait until a really great sale comes up and print them off as you wish.
4. Pick a template from Etsy. There are several vendors on Etsy who will make a really cool photo Christmas card for you for a flat rate. I love the Polka dot Christmas tree by lukecommasara. I am also a big fan of the Austin design by nounces. Be sure to read the fine print to know if you are getting a 5 x 7, 4 x 6, or a custom size photo. Many vendors let you request the size you want and will even do custom work!
   
5. Upload your photo to a printing service. You'll save a lot if you scour the internet for a coupon code. If you time it right, you can get your photos done for less than 12 cents (for a 4 x 6) each if you go through a 1 hour printing place (CVS, Walgreens, Wal-mart, etc.). If you have the luxury of time on your hands, you can get them for much cheaper if they are mailed to you (Snapfish, Shutterfly, etc.).

Viola! I hope you have a successful photo shoot this year. If you haven't already done it, you only have about a month until Christmas...get going!