Tips & Tricks: Favorite 2013 Posts

Are you ready for a brand new line up of Tips & Tricks Linky Parties?

We have some great ones lined up and I know you won't want to miss out on a single one. 

With 13 blogs participating, you'll get plenty of exposure.  Tell your friends and please share your links on your preferred social media platform.

This week, we are looking for your Favorite Posts of 2013! Isn't that fun! Any post you had that got you a lot of traffic, or one that you loved but maybe needs a little lovin', link it up below.  But, no worries, if you want to link up anything else, there is always the Anything Goes section, too. 

Last week’s most pinned post was:

Crafty Journal’s post titled, “Turn Old Christmas Cards into New Treasures”

Every link is pinned to Pinterest (you can see last week’s board, here) and shared on a random social media site by one or several of our cohosts.  Rest easy – you’re getting lots of attention from linking to Tips & Tricks!

So, be sure to follow your cohosts, so that you don’t miss your shout out!

Stringtown Home

Facebook/Bloglovin’/Twitter/Pinterest

Prairie Girl to Southern Belle

Facebook/Instagram/Bloglovin’/Pinterest

Like Gramma’s House

Facebook/Bloglovin’/Pinterest

Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Kraft Mint

Pinterest/Facebook/Bloglovin’

Stl Motherhood

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram

A Fresh Start on a Budget

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Gina’s Craft Corner

Facebook/Twitter/Google+/Pinterest/Bloglovin’

Controlling Craziness

Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest

Be Simply Better

Facebook/LinkedIn/Twitter/Pinterest

Trip Worth Taking

Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter

A Daily Dose of Del Signore

Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+/Bloglovin’/Instagram

Krysta Steen

Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram/Twitter

Anything Goes:

31 Days: Gifts Come In All Varieties

I am so excited about today's post!

You have met Rex (the hubs), and my niece, Kaley, so far.  I wish I could introduce you to each and every person in my family, but that would take way more than a month. And, I would be a little nervous that you would like them better than you like me.....seriously....;)

Today I am introducing you to my big sister. She will probably have some comment about me calling her my "big" sister, but she IS my big sister.  She is the oldest of the 3 of us girls. I don't know what we would do without her to keep us all in line. And, I really mean that.  She keeps us focused on what needs to be accomplished and we get it done, in all situations from organizing a garage sale, to deciding what to have for dinner when we all randomly gather, to planning the funeral for my Daddy.

She's pretty awesome.

Just don't get on her bad side. 

I know I don't want to be there.  

Ha! Really.

This is my Lolo. 

Her given name is Lori, but since I mispronounced it as a little girl, Lolo has stuck. Everyone in the town that we grew up in, and where she still lives, calls her Lolo. Even some people that have never met her.  They will say, "Ohhhh! You're Lolo!" 

True story.

Here we are quite a few years ago.

From left to right it's my sister, Lisa, me in the middle, and Lolo.

I had some serious hair happening.  It was the early 90's, after all. 

We were laughing our heads off about something and then had to get all serious and hold still for the photo. I have no idea why we struck this pose. 

Now that you have been introduced, I'll let you get to know her!

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Is THIS my gift?

I know that the Lord gives every individual person a special gift, but for the majority of my 55 years I couldn’t define exactly what my gift was. I’m a good mother and good at my job, I can sew and craft and can make a comfortable home.  But when others talked about their gifts I would wonder, is this what I’m supposed to do? Is this my talent? Is THIS my gift?

I’m a good cook, not fancy and not trained but I know what tastes good and what makes my family happy. Large quantities and lots of variety for large family gatherings are my favorites. As our extended family plans a get together I generally will make the menu and assign the dishes to the ones who do them the best.  Whether it’s a control issue or the fact that I’m bossy, ( I can’t imagine why they say I’m bossy) but  I tend to take the majority of the menu on myself. One exception to that is that Mom always makes the Thanksgiving dressing. It can’t be beat. I like foods made from “scratch”. How can you stir in the memories and love if it comes from a box? But still I wonder, “Is THIS my gift?”

Several years ago while grocery shopping with a sister-in-law she made the statement that I was “feeding the whole world”. Of course, she had never shopped with anyone who bought more than one onion at a time or potatoes in a 5lb. bag.  Dinner that night was BBQ chicken from the grill, potato salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, baked beans, rolls and dessert, for fifteen to twenty family members.  Days later I was pondering her statement. Maybe, just maybe she had hit upon something. Is THIS my gift?

It’s hard to explain the joy I feel when our family comes together. The occasion never matters.  Whether it’s Soup Tuesday, a wiener roast, softball game or holiday some of my greatest blessings come when we gather at the table and I hear/feel/see the happiness that my food brings.  Just last week hubby told me that he’s most happy when he sees me cooking. While some would find this a rather chauvinistic way of thinking, I took it as a compliment. My heart was singing! Hmmm. Is THIS my gift?

Mom, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, three children, one son-in-law, one grandchild, thirteen nieces and nephews, some married with children of their own. More to come. Family. My family. And someone is always hungry. So just maybe, possibly and even probably this in more ways than I can count is MY gift.   

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She really is gifted in being hospitable and showing love to her family.

When I was a little girl, she was my world.  She is 13 years older than I am, so she was kind of a second Mommy to me. She played Barbies with me (and put them away), put me up on the kitchen counter so I could hang my head in the sink while she washed my hair. I hated to get soap and water in my face.

I remember when I was in college and I got a box full of Morning Glory Muffins in the mail. I love those things! She told me to freeze them and pull one out and pop it in the microwave before heading out to class. It was awesome. 

When she got married, I was five years old.  I was the flower girl and cried through the whole wedding.  She kept sticking her tongue out at me to make me smile.  

Yep, she's a pretty awesome big sister. 

Love you, Lolo.

A Command Center and Dropzone: Organizing for the Organizationally Challenged

I can't believe I haven't shown you our command center!
It's used every. single. day.
Well, at least during the school year.  We kinda wing it during the summer. It's all good.

Really it's more of a mini command center, and it's mostly for me to keep track of all that's going on.

I used two ornate frames that I snagged from various other projects and painted them both.  I added a fabric scrap behind the glass of the large frame to create a huge dry erase board. Sometimes, it has a peek at the week coming up, and other times it has reminders of chores that need to be done (and by whom).

I was constantly leaving my keys in all sorts of weird places, so the key hooks were a must and I am proud to say that I haven't misplaced my keys since!

The cork board houses papers that have a to-do associated with them (other than bills). For instance, I put my notice to renew my driver's license up there so I would know where it was. Then, once I took it down, I promptly misplaced it.****Really?*****

I put the "Laundry" sign on the door to let everyone know that is a place that they do not wish to go. So far, so good.

This is at the back of the hallway, directly across from the bathroom that all the boys use, and right outside my bedroom door, so we all see it often. And, you go out the laundry room to get to the garage, so it is really in the perfect place.  The hall is narrow, so I couldn't incorporate a shelf, or a drop zone, but I solved that by creating one in the hall closet.

Mini DropZone

We use this space a lot for backpacks, computer bags, and of course my purse. I keep The Little's karate uniform in here, as well, that way I know where all the pieces are when we are making a mad dash to practice. The bench is a great place for him to sit and put on his shoes, but most of the time he would rather just on the floor.

I have a collection of Command Centers on Pinterest that is growing and growing. Check out the link below:

Tip Junkie has a great post on 10 Family Command Centers

Mine is definitely a "mini", but it works great for me.  I am working on The Littlest's homework zone next.  He definitely needs an organized space to help keep him focused and on task when it comes to getting his homework done. 

Do you have any great tips for organizing your family and keeping track of all the "stuff" of a family?

Back to School: Safe People and Bullying

Can you believe it is almost time for school to start? 

The summer has really flown by, faster than I realized.

My boys will be in the 2nd, 7th, and 9th grades. Yikes! 

I have a high schooler. Unbelievable.

And, I must admit, that he is pretty fantastic.  

No girlfriend yet, but I am grooming him to be a really good catch. 

As school looms ever closer on the horizon, I was thinking about all the things that kids have to be ready to encounter these days, and it's a little overwhelming.  The academics are so much more rigorous and testing is an ever present threat. No one likes to hear that word....testing....ick.

But, safety is more in line with my major concerns.  

There are a lot of threats to our children in this world and they need to be prepared.  

Safe People

Do your children know who the safe people are in your community? At school, any teacher or administrator would be a safe person, but what about on a field trip? I constantly tell my kids to pay attention and stay with the group, if I can't be there. However, I need them to know what to do in the event that they are separated.  

We stress that any law enforcement officer is a safe person to go to, or someone in an employees uniform.  Children should never allow someone who doesn't appear to be wearing a uniform lead them anywhere, even if they say they are taking them to a police officer. We have told our kids to yell "NO" and run until they see a safe person.  

When my oldest son took a school trip to Washington, DC, we told him to stay in one place and look around for a uniformed officer or security guard.  That way his group could find him easily and he could tell the officer that his parents had told him an officer could help him if he was lost or separated. Thankfully that didn't happen. I think he was more on his toes because we HAD prepared him. 

Bullies

Does your child's school have an anti-bullying program in place? If they don't, encourage them to put one into practice. 

All of my children have been victims of bullies and it is heartbreaking to see your child treated that way.  We have role-played with all three boys about how to handle bullying situations.  Our youngest has a stutter that he is in therapy for and children have made various comments to him.  We have talked about how he can handle those comments and that he should always let his teacher know.  One of my proudest moments as a parent was when he told me this story:

• Little Bit: "Mom, do you know what ________said to me today?"
• Me: "What's that, sweetie?"
• Little Bit: "He said, 'why are you talking that way?'"
• Me: (immediately getting my hackles up) "What did you say?"
• Little Bit: "I said, 'Because this is the way that God made me, and I have always talked like this.'"
• Me: "That was a perfect answer. What did he say?"
• Little Bit: "He just said, 'Oh'."
• Me: " I am very proud of you."

I couldn't have been prouder of him right then! I was so glad that he had an answer to give and that we had practiced how to handle that situation. 

What are some of your families safety rules? Share and we can all learn form one another.

Catching Up

Hi, everyone! 

It seems as if I have been away from the blog for weeks, but it really has only been a little over one week.  A lot has happened, though.

We went to visit my mother for the 4th of July and had a great time.  We just relaxed and did nothing. It was awesome.  

Then, we stopped to visit my in-laws on our way home and found that my father-in-law was no longer responsive.  (If you have read THIS POST, you will know that he has been fighting a battle with lung cancer.) I haven't talked a lot about it, but, it progressed quickly. And, in March treatment was discontinued.

My sweet father-in-law lost his battle with cancer exactly one year and one day after learning his diagnosis on July 6th. We held his funeral on July 9th, and my husband and his brother spoke in lieu of the pastor.  It was a beautiful tribute to their father. 

Everyone is doing pretty well, even our boys. It was expected and we were all well prepared.

We will truly miss him.

On July 11th we took our boys and got outta Dodge for a couple of days.  

Just a quick trip to Dallas but, it was a lot of fun. 

We went to eat at The Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant. O.M.G. Delish, and fun!

These guys are too cool for a photo.

The next day we visited Allen Premium Outlets, Cabela's, and Home Goods. It was my first trip to Home Goods! Eeek! Love!

I got these placemats.

Suzani placemats

They are the absolute perfect colors for the dining room.

After a little shopping we went to Top Golf and the boys blasted a few golf balls. 

It was a good break and much needed. 

I'm glad I had a chance to pop in and catch up! 

In case you've missed anything you might want to see my made over clock HERE, and some fun fonts that you can snag for free HERE.

Sunday Sharing: Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Hi, everyone! That's me over there saying good morning and having a cup of coffee with you.

Today is Sunday Sharing! I'm excited! Mainly because I will be educating you today.

So prepare to be enlightened.

Ready?

First of all, did you get your projects linked up to the Pin It Party? If not, head over and get linked! Go here

Here we go.

If you read my two very first posts, (here and here) you know I have an autoimmune disorder. No big, right? Sort of.

I have what is called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis. And, if you are anything like me when you read that word cirrhosis that freaked you out a little. Thank you for freaking out on my behalf!

In January of 2012, I got a phone call from the office of the Gastroenterologist that my GP had sent me to see.  I was 100% certain that my irregular results on my blood work were the result of my poor eating the day of the test and possibly even taking too much acetaminophen (I had recently had a cycle of migraines that were killer). So, I was not worried in the least.  

This phone call pretty much changed my life.

The nurse tells me that they believe that I have something called Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (freaking began here). I would need to have a few more tests which would include a liver biopsy to be certain. And, if the disease progresses quickly, I may need to have a liver transplant to continue living.

Ummm, excuse me?

I'm healthy. I eat fairly well. I exercise.  

I HAVE 3 CHILDREN TO RAISE!

This is my life we are talking about!

I started sobbing and could hardly see where I was going...did I mention I was driving?

After talking to the nurse, I immediately called my husband and told him to hurry back to town and meet me at our church.  I was supposed to be heading to my office, but I called them and told my boss that wasn't happenin'.

Wow. My husband and I were both a wreck when we got there.  I arrived first and cried all over our 26 year old worship leader, then all over our pastor.  

These people are our family, not just friends.  

I couldn't have gone to anyone better. 

I then talked to the nurse on the phone again (she had called to get the biopsy scheduled) and only then learned that I very well could have a normal life span. I may never have complications from the PBC (yeah, that's what us cool peeps call it....PBC).  Thanks for the late info, lady! I thought I wouldn't see my kids graduate from high school or college, or get married! 

I had to wait a few days to get the biopsy done, but it was not bad at all.  They numb you up really well and stick a needle in your right side under your rib cage into your liver to get a sample.  Sounds fun, doesn't it? Then you lay on your right side for about an hour without moving. 

My sisters showed up and our entire church staff. I am loved. That did more for me than any medication ever could.  (Note: I had sworn my sisters to secrecy. I didn't want to worry my mother until I had answers. My dad was not doing well at the time.)

Tests come back and show that I definitely have PBC, but very little liver damage has occurred. I was sent to an awesome liver specialist (Hepatologist) put on the correct amount of medication and sent on my way.  I saw her again this past fall and learned that my newest blood tests have improved so much that she will only see me once a year for now. I am in Early Stage 1 of PBC and show little to no scarring in my liver with normal levels in my blood tests. Yippee!

After the official diagnosis I had at least 3 people ask if I was or had been a heavy drinker. (!) 

PBC is an autoimmune disorder that can affect anyone and is not related at all to the consumption of alcohol. 

Mayo Clinic has a really good explanation of it, but basically, my liver is destroying the bile ducts that are inside the liver. It's as if the liver thinks the bile ducts are a foreign body. That is what causes the scarring. When the bile ducts are destroyed scar tissue is left behind. 

We need those bile ducts! Our liver processes pretty much everything that we put into our bodies, filters it and flushes it out.  If our liver can't function everything will back up into our blood stream. 

If our body can't flush the cholesterol out of our body it backs up and can end up in all sorts of unexpected places. (Not good people!)

Did you know that consumption of alcohol is not even the main cause of cirrhosis? Fatty liver is actually the primary culprit. Over eating, not exercising, obesity. 

PBC also causes osteoporosis, if the bile in the body can't leave the body it causes the bones to become more brittle.  I have had a bone density test and have slight bone loss so I take lots of calcium and exercise. 

This diagnosis definitely changed my life.  I have medication that I take daily and I pray that I can stay in Early Stage 1 for many years. 

It's managed, but I do think about it all the time. Probably daily. It is part of who I am. That and migraines. I sound like a barrel of fun, don't I?

That's a smidgen of my story. There is a lot more to it, and I hope you will stay with me on this bumpy roadtrip through life!

Learning Lessons

Yes, there is a lot of testosterone running rampant in my world.  And, I like it that way. 

I had lots of people ask me after my youngest was born if we were going to keep trying for a girl.

My answer was emphatically, "NO!"

Don't get me wrong.  I think little girls are so cute and you can dress them up and take them to dance lessons. But, I have always loved little boys. 

Geez. I love my boys. 

I have a soon to be high school freshman who is so good at so many things.  He loves to take things apart and fix them and put them back together.  He loves learning about how things run. I fully expect him to be some sort of engineer.  So, obviously he is very smart. And good lookin', too!

Embarrassing Things I Don't Do Anymore...or, Trendy Things We All Did in the 80's

Times change...thank goodness!

As a wonderful result, there are a lot of things that I don't do anymore.  

I'm sure you have things that you don't do anymore, also. (At least, I hope you do!)

There are fads that come and go...and, absolutely should go and never, ever return.

I was born in the amazing decade of the 70's (that was sarcasm peeps), but I am a child of the 80's.

Whew! Am I glad those days are gone!

I was a stick with knees, big hair, blue eye shadow, and shoulder pads.

It was awesome!

My Daily Survival Kit: Apps and Digital Devices

There are certain things that probably every woman/mom has in her daily survival kit.

Lip balm/lipstick

tissues

wallet

mirror

smartphone

notepad

pen

There are probably a million variations on these daily survival kits.

As our lives become more digital, our survival kits do the same. So, I thought I would share some of the tools that I use on a daily basis.

This is not a sponsored post. I'm just sharing things that I enjoy and use on a daily basis.

1. My iPhone

DietBet-Gotta Lose It To Win It

UPDATE: The pot is now $13965!
Cheer me on!

I've got something coming up that I am really excited about. It's called a diet bet.

Yes, I am going on a "diet" to try to win some money.

Haha! Sort of! 

weigh in time!

I AM in a contest to try to lose 4% of my body fat, but I'm not only doing it for the money.  I'm doing it for me, the money is just a little extra incentive.  

You can go to DietBet's site to learn about all the particulars. Basically, you join a game for $25 and anyone that loses 4% of their body fat splits the pot with others that lost their 4%.

Happy End Of Spring Break!

Woot Woot! We had a great time during Spring Break.  That's why I haven't posted this past week.  We were too busy having an awesome time together.  

I mentioned in a post last week that we were going to spend the first weekend of SB with my extended family.  It was a blast! 

First was my sister's birthday party at a local Mexican restaurant:

These are a few of my favorite peeps.

The next day we celebrated my Mom's birthday and had our Family Baseball Game. We did it right, too. We sang the National Anthem, then said the Pledge of Allegiance, and my Mom threw out the first pitch. Here are a few pics of the day.

Family Fun Time! Let's Hope No One Breaks Anything...

Hello, my lovelies! I am looking forward to the next week off of work for Spring Break with the family, how about you? Even my hubs was able to take off for the week. It will be a time for family and relaxation. The kids may be a little bummed that we aren't actually taking a trip, but that's just not financially possible right now. But, we do have some fun things planned.

Last night at our Community Group (our church home group), a precious friend of mine made that comment that I have the most Norman Rockwell family that she has ever heard of. I took that as a compliment. She mentioned the fact that at my parents house, we all exchange homemade gifts for Christmas. Or, as she put it, "Exchanging handmade gifts while sipping hot chocolate and giving hugs", or something like that. LOL!

Awesome Handmade Gift Action....

The subject came up because of what we have planned for this weekend. My hometown is only an hour away from where I currently live and my mother and sisters still live there. We will be gathering at my mother's home for an entire weekend of festivities. Other family will be coming in from Dallas, as well. I can't wait to see them all.

Here is the agenda:

Life In Pictures

Happy Friday and a Merry Weekend to you all!

The Week in Pictures

Our Princess on her throne-Dot

Homework is hard work!

Making Homemade Valentine Card for his friends

Have a great Weekend!

Goodbye Satellite Provider,Get Outta My House

Oh boy! This is a big deal, friends.  Seriously a big deal.

On our journey to create a haven in our home, where outside influences have as little impact as possible, we have made a decision. We are ditching satellite.

EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK!

You may be asking yourself,”Why is that such a big deal?”

Well.....because!

We are a television watching family!

The hubs is a serious sports nut, the biggest loves car shows, and the little loves SpongeBob, of course. The middle ‘un loves movies, so we can accomodate him without satellite.

I do love HGTV, but it’s usually on, just to be on. I don’t have to really

it. And, I can get my Downton Abbey fix on Amazon Prime.

Why did we come to this decision? It’s all about simplifying our lives, creating breathing room, being good stewards, and creating an environment of calm.

Try it.  Turn off that television for an evening and see how you feel.  Listen to the quiet.  It’s pretty awesome.

A big part of our decision making was the cost.  

Life IS A Trip

Welcome! I’m glad you’re here. You never want to throw a party that no one comes to, you know?

I first want to tell you why I’m here. I’ve crafted a lot in my life, done DIY projects galore, as well.  But, that’s not the only reason that I’m here.  Sure, I’ll share some of those things with you.  Even share the projects of others with you, too. But, I really want to share a journey with you.  The journey that my family has been on for the past year.  

Of course, every day of our lives is a journey.   And, it’s a terrible thing to miss even one second of a day on that journey, but sadly, we do.  We all do. We miss things. Now, I realize that we can’t hold on to each one of those moments in our minds forever.  Things fade over time. But, we should all strive to be present in each of those moments without the intrusion of our busyness.  We need to take a breath, and listen to those around us, see our kids and our husbands, our parents, our brothers and sisters, our friends.  They deserve it don’t you think?



January 2012 started a roller coaster ride unlike any that I have been on in my life.