on saying "no"

As we approach the holidays, it seems that we're all in a constant state of "busy". I strive to not be "busy". Like that, anyway. I stay super busy here at home....keeping the girls occupied, keeping the house up, and keeping us all fed......all while trying to stay sane! I do my best, though, to stay home.....

Who would have ever thought that I would turn out to be a homebody.....I guess Bobby has rubbed off on me. I still need my occasional outing, but for the most part, there's just not much to be done that is worth the effort of getting both girls and myself out the door, and going. We can have all the fun in the world here in our own 4 walls! I guess, more than anything, I embrace my role as a stay at home mama, as just that.....a mama that stays home with my girlies. Especially now that we've started school with Macie, I've found that my priorities have shifted yet again as to what I want to accomplish here in my home. I'm not afraid to say no....or maybe, and seriously weigh whether or not committing to something will be helpful to my sanity, the girls, or to our day in general.

I try not to get caught up in all the "activities" that are out there for kids to get into. Don't get me wrong.....we have the occasional playdate with friends, and Macie has church and dance class, but I have exactly zero desire to be out of my house every day of the week!!

I think that time spent with my girls instead of time trying to get them involved is time better spent for our family. Not to mention the fact that I struggle with my day to day tasks and time management anyway! I'd hate to think what it would look like around here if I wasn't here half the time!

frumpy? me?

ha! I think I totally take advantage of being a stay at home mom. I never get dressed unless I have to. Now, normally, I'm not hanging around in actual pajamas (though, that has been known to happen) but in sweats and a t shirt. presentable enough to open the door if need be, but for sure not appropriate for leaving my house! Sometimes, if I'm feeling froggy, I'll get dressed (as in jeans and a bra!) before bobby gets home. That totally needs to end. My family deserves a mama who cares enough about herself to not look like some disheveled slob. Plus, how embarrassed would I be if someone other than the mailman came to the door?!? This is where Sarah Mae comes in (again.....i'll hop back on the 31 days to clean wagon again if I can ever get the iBook up and running again). She's hosting a Get Dressed! Challenge. Who says that all of my cute clothes are useless to me now that I stay at home? I should get some use out of them right? So as of Monday, my shoes and clothes (and perhaps even my hairbrush) will get some much needed exposure to light! Join in the fun over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee!!

Ergo giveaway!!

Make-Baby-Stuff

is hosting a giveaway for the best baby carrier ever!!! hop on over there and enter!! you won't regret it!!

also, be sure to look around...she's got some super tutorials for all kinds of stuff!

catching up!

My good intentions were sort of derailed this week! We had an impromptu visit from my mother in law this week, so instead of cleaning, I spent time shopping and enjoying her company! Oh well. Today gets to be a cleaning day anyway, since we have small group here on sunday, so I'll tackle my Martha challenges today! I need to get my Mission Statement on paper, and focus on my Mary challenges, too. I really want to keep up with this challenge, as I can really see myself in this book, and can see the challenges being super helpful to me! I think I'll spend part of my quiet time/girls' naptime catching up on my reading, and really focus on the Mary challenges!!

Day 1!

So, I'm jumping in with both feet to this 31 Days to Clean challenge hosted by Joyful Mothering. Sarah Mae's book takes small bites into learning new habits while focusing on the joy of being a homemaker, too. That's just what I need......tiny housecleaning nibbles. Ha! I love the Mary Challenge for today. To write a mission statement for what you want your home to be. That's huge for me, and I'm hoping it will be a big motivator for me to keep going. I plan to post it somewhere prominent, so that it doesn't slip from my focus!

31 Days to Clean!

Sara Mae over at Like a Warm Cup of Coffee has this new eBook out! I'm not wired to be a natural "cleaner"...it takes real effort for me to keep my house up. I'm looking forward to this challenge as a way to not only feed my spirit, but to clean my house! Bobby will be pleased, too!

I love reading her blog, so I'm sure that I'll love the book, too! Here's to a clean house, and a richer spirit!

hop on over here to get the book!!

Rescuing Baby Robins

Bobby found a robin's nest that had fallen from it's branch while he was mowing this evening. Only one of the three eggs survived the fall. The ants had already gotten to the other two. Poor baby birdies. We put the nest and eggs into a shoebox until I would wield my mighty Google powers to see what we could do to save the one remaining egg.

Google (in all of it's incredible wisdom) told me to put the nest back in the tree and hope that the mama would come back. I stuck it back in a crook of branches as securely as I could without breaking the nest, and now we're just praying that the mama comes back to take care of her last baby.


Macie and I will be checking on the baby tomorrow to see if the nest survives tonight's storms. Hopefully we'll be seeing a baby robin soon!!


We've got another nest in the backyard that I haven't identified yet, but we'll be watching that one for hatchlings, too!!

Ha! Macie looks so sweet, while Emery looks oh so miserable!

i keep saying i'm going to keep up with this silly blog, but i am so uninspired.....it should be easy, though. i have a camera, i have beautiful babies, i have pretty weather. i am blog lazy, ha! maybe i should just challenge myself to one or two posts a week for a bit. in all seriousness, I do want this to be a place for my friends and family to keep up with us. so, i guess it's just a matter of me making a real commitment to it. so here it is, folks. i'm going to do it! someone out there badger me if there isn't a new post in a few days!!