Feeling good, thanks to you

Thank You ,

Thank YOu,

Thank YOU!

I can't tell you how much your comments about our move to Richland, Washington have helped me!

Everyone who lives there or near there seems to love it and that gives me hope that we will love it too.

I'm still cleaning and organizing and not crafting... sorry.

Between Christmas and now getting my house ready to sell... well, crafting is not high on the list. But, no worries, I can never go very long without creating something!

And until then I am looking at YOUR blogs and enjoying YOUR creations.

Wow, you people are talented!

Speaking of talented, my friend and neighbor (and visiting teaching partner- Yes, I am LDS for those of you who asked) Traci at Amazing Mae is making me a soldered glass pendant necklace with pictures of all my kiddos. I can't wait!!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Skipping October

October has been a cRaZy month. We started the month out in Idaho and ended it in Florida.

I do not have one Halloween decoration up in my house...
not one.
So, I thought I would share my SPOOKY banner and glitter pumpkins from last year.

At this point I don't think I will pull out my fall decor either ( can you say party pooper?).
I'm thinking Christmas.
I know, I know, it's only October but when you're crafters like us you have to plan ahead right?!
Christmas crafts here we come.
Oh, and we have a GREAT friend/ neighbor Christmas gift idea for you!

Thank You!!

The Pumpkin recipes are AWESOME!

I can't wait to try them all... ummm, like today.

My sis is the best.

Don't you worry, we are still crafting away and taking lots of pictures.

I can't wait to share everything with you!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

As Kathryn mentioned I am here... we are together again at last!! Oh the crafting we are accomplishing. Problem is, we are to busy crafting and feeding the children and cleaning up after the children that there is NO time to post about all the crafting:) That will have to wait till after I leave. ANY HOW!! The reason I am really posting to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHRYN!!!

What can I say about Kathryn? She is just the sweetest best big sister a girl could ever ask for! She is an amazing mother and such a good wife to her hard working husband. She is always a shining example to me. I call her for advise and help all the time and I don't know what I would do without her!

I still want to be just like my big sister!

So I was thinking about a gift we could all give to Kathryn for her birthday and to show her our appreciation of all of her great crafting ideas and inspirational projects...

PUMPKIN

Kathryn loves all things Pumpkin flavored so I am thinking let's all share with her your favorite pumpkin treat recipes.

She will love you!!

... more than she already does!!!

Can't wait till Monday

Okay, I think I'm going to do it... I'm scared... but... I think I'm going to do it... maybe.

Now for some BIG news!

Guess who's coming to visit me in Kentucky...

(if you don't know who this is just look at the right sidebar ;)
For 3 WEEKS baby! You know what that means...

There will be a whole lot of crafting going on around here.

Next week we are meeting up with our very creative friends from Amazing Mae, The Polka Dot Chair, and Create a life you love.

Don't worry, we will take lots of pictures and share all of our projects with you.

Also, I'm starting to think about Christmas, are you? I have an idea for neighbor/ friend gifts but I have to try it out to see if it will work first so stay tuned.

PS I went yard sale shopping this afternoon and I hit the mother load! A table saw and china cabinet (that needs a little TLC). SCORE!

Speakin of swimsuits...

I like to eat.

It is one of my favorite things.

Especially if I am eating warm homemade chocolate chip cookies....

or pumpkin... anything pumpkin...I Luuuvvv pumpkin.

One thing I've learned about myself is if I want to lose weight the worst thing I can do is deny myself of my favorite things (chocolate, pumpkin pie, bread/ pasta etc.). If I'm trying to cut out sweets ALL I want from the minute I wake up to the minute I go to bed is SOMETHING with sugar in it. I try to compensate with other sweet things so I drown my food in honey or artificial sweetener ANYTHING that will quench my craving but in the end it is never enough and I end up eating the cookie or ice cream or hand fulls of chocolate chips.... aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh, much better.

I'm like a rebellious teenager. If you tell me not to eat chocolate, guess what, I'm gorging myself on brownies as fast as you can say "you have no self-control Kathryn".

Yeah, I'm pretty much addicted to yummy things.

I've got about 10lbs left to lose from my 4th baby. He is 6 months old and I'm getting really tired of wearing my "bigger clothes" and bulging out of my pre-pregnancy clothes. I am too cheap to buy a whole new wardrobe so I have got to lose a few pounds.

I know I'm not the only one out there who is in the same type of situation... you just need to lose a few pounds right?!

You know me, I'm ALL about sharing, so here is my thought;

I think we should share our ideas. (BRILLIANT!)

What practical tips/ideas do you use that help you stay fit or lose weight. I know we all have a few tricks up our sleeves. What are they???

I'll share mine first.

Like I said, deprivation does NOT work for me so I have to work on other things.

**In the past if I exercise 3+ times a week for at least 35minutes and if I stop eating after 7:00pm I lose weight. Not 10lbs a week but maybe 1-3lbs a month which is pretty good since I really don't change my diet at all (since eating is my favorite thing remember). So why do I still have 10lbs to lose you wonder... ummmm, because ice cream tastes better after 7:00pm.

**Also, I keep a bag of chocolate chips in my freezer so when I have a chocolate craving I grab a few chips and get my chocolate fix without destroying everything I'm working towards and since the chips are frozen the fix lasts a little longer (wow, I really do have a problem don't I?!).

Your turn, what works for you?

Please, for the sake of our swimsuits, share.

Summer Splurge

Every summer I pull out my swimsuit and grimace. This summer is different. I splurged on this suit from modbe (that is not me in the suit, you can tell by the thighs, lol).

I got it in the mail a few days ago and was thrilled to find that not only does it fit but with the matching skirt (which I will ALWAYS be wearing) I actually felt...dare I say cute in it.

It's never happened before.

I think that feeling is worth the splurge don't you?

The Power of the Mind

I know, kind of a deep title for a craft blog but it's so true! The mind is a powerful thing.

I am a big believer in the power of ones thoughts. When I find myself thinking negatively my actions always follow (apathy, frustration, impatience etc.) and visa-versa.

I've found in my life if I tell myself I am capable, smart, strong etc. I become those things. It is not "the secret" it's the truth and really I think it's, in a way, showing my Heavenly Father gratitude for the body/ mind He has given me by being positive with myself.

I recently found myself saying "I can't" A LOT. "I can't make bread" or "I can't sew" or "I can't keep up with 4 kids!!!"

I tell my kids all the time "you become what you think" and here I was "thinking" that I was incapable. So it hit me one day, I CAN do those things. I may not be GOOD at them but the only way to get good at them is to keep doing it!

I know, I know, this is totally elementary. Like I said, I tell my kids this ALL OF THE TIME. But, do you ever find yourself saying "I can't" almost like you were made out of a different mold;

"I'm not crafty", "I can't cook", "I have no patience"(a favorite of mine), "I can't lose weight" and on and on.

Made these the other day for the first time ever:

I CAN make bread and I CAN sew!

(the bread was kinda dry and luckily you can't see the seam where I accidentally measured the fabric wrong... I didn't say I CAN do it perfectly. lol)

The power of positive thinking my friends. believe it

.....I CAN handle 4 kids. I CAN handle 4 kids. I CAN handle 4 kids.....

Sleep-lover needs advice

My baby is 5 months old now...

I'm thinking it's time to put him in the room I decorated for him almost a year ago.

Problem is that he has a 2 year old brother he has to share the room with and I'm worried that they will be waking each other up throughout the night and I really like to sleep... I also like happy, well-rested little boys... I'm nervous.

So, I am asking for advice.

I know I'm not the first person to put a baby in a room with a toddler. Any tips/ tricks?

Please.