things i love....january edition

If I hadn't already spent all my extra cash on books and art journals for the month,

I might have spent it on some of these things I love.

1. Butterfly canvas~I love, but I can't fathom spending that much on artwork.

2. Lisa Leonard's beauty in the brokenness necklace~this is on my wish list for the year. Maybe next month's extra money ;)

3. Little book of hand lettering~a little something to practice my handwriting/lettering.

4. Doodle heart grid washi tape~tape for my photo albums or to decorate packages sent in the mail.

5. Becky Higgins love note value kit~another item for our photo albums.

6. the struggle is real #pray t-shirt~this shirt says it all. The struggle is real. Everyday.

 

in the last week

I picked up 8 library books to read this month; 7 non-fiction, 1 fiction.

I spilt some liquid on my computer keyboard, and now the spacebar gets stuck.

Little sister is starting to eat some food with more texture.

I did 10+ loads of dishes that was just from our normal meals. Now I see why some larger families use paper products.

Packed up a collection of rocks and a fish gill to move to the next house. Yes, Joe got the job. The company actually packs and moves us, but I like to pack up some things in preparation to clear out the house a little bit for the realtor and house showings.

We had a couple of days with a high of 68 degrees or higher in January!

The ladies blessed us with 38 eggs this week.

Happy weekend friends!!

i want to remember....

{a little picture just to remind us that spring is coming}

 



When I saw Maggie do a post of "I want to remember", I knew that I should steal her idea also. Because let's be honest here, I can't remember much lately, especially the day-to-day happenings around here. If I want to remember, I'm gonna have to write it down.

We had a very rough afternoon yesterday. Our day was good until around 4 o'clock, and then it went downhill from there. I want to remember the good in our days.

I want to remember....

~the way O says "Mom, me 'gnoring (ignoring) you." Yet, he still continues to talk to me. :)

~the way R loves to eat cereal all day long everyday. Not just the sugary kind, but the "good" cereal also.

~how I feel when the house is clean and tidy on those rare occasions.

~the way little sister says "Mmm" when she's trying something new to eat that she likes.

~the struggle of getting her to drink from a cup the "normal" way and not letting her tip her head back just to let the milk flow down her throat.

~the way B loves playing Minecraft, and reading about Minecraft. Everyday.

~how he gets up so super-duper early in the morning; sometimes 4:00 am asking if it's morning time.

~the sound of J's voice when she's singing.

~how she remembers the lyrics to the song when she hasn't heard the song in months.

~how little sister is such a happy baby.

~the 70 degree sunshiny day in January

I want to remember.....the days are long, but the years are short.

today i love.....

~our artists-in-residence

~created by the five year old boy :)

begin again

I didn't intend to only write 4 blog posts in January. Life happened.

We traveled close to 25 hours just this past week in 3 days for clinic visits for little sister. It was exhausting, and definitely not the most ideal situation. But it is done, and we don't anticipate any further travel until her palate surgery this spring.

Blogging posts and to-do lists have been moved from one week's planner page to the next and the next.

This week I intend to begin again. To let the words flow, to make and create, and to share.

xoxo,
tonya

deperate for food

It has been almost two months since we've had little sister home. During those days, I wanted to cry, scream, and kick my heels in during her mealtimes.

She would eat anything we gave her, if it was pureed or a texture she preferred (which is very little by the way).

She screamed in-between bites of food.
She screamed when she still had food in her mouth wanting another bite.
She screamed after eating a very full meal.

She acted as if she was afraid she wouldn’t get more when she was hungry again. 

Even if she wasn't hungry, anytime she saw food, she would fixate on it until we gave it to her or throw a fit if we didn't give it to her.
Even is she wasn't hungry, we had to hide her bottle, because if she saw it she would scream for it.
Even is she wasn't hungry, she still wanted food.

This food anxiety could be a lifelong process, as we're learning.

We are still trying to figure out how to handle this some days. 
We are trying to teach her that we are always going to feed her, but we are also trying to teach her not to throw a fit and cry when she wants something and that it is okay to wait more than 5 seconds between each bite.
We are trying to teach her to recognize those signs from her tummy that she's full.

We (her & I) still cry and scream some days during mealtimes, but not today.

Today was the first day that she didn't cry when she saw her bottle before she was fed her meal.

Progress made. Slowly, but it's still progress.

P.S.-Would please pray for us to overcome her food anxiety, and the challenges and struggles that are presented daily during her mealtimes?

quality organic rug pad adds comfort and safety : Rug Pad Corner review

 

About eight months after we moved into our home, we tore up the stained carpet. We knew there were hardwood floors under the carpet, but we didn't know the condition of the floors. The floors actually weren't that bad, but with little ones in the house I knew we needed some type of carpet or rug so the kids could play on. As a one income family, we couldn't go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a quality rug much less a quality rug pad. The rug pads would have to wait.

About a month ago, we received the opportunity to try some quality rug pads from Rug Pad Corner. I was thoroughly impressed with the company for a multitude of reasons. Communication with the company was timely and professional throughout the entire process. Our rug pads shipped quickly. All three rug pads were rolled tightly into one cylinder and then wrapped in industrial quality plastic to prohibit moisture damage during the shipping process.

Unwrapping a product in industrial plastic one typically encounters a strong, overwhelming chemical smell. There was not one chemical odor or gas emitting from our package!! Why? There are no adhesives or glues in the product. Rug Pad Corner uses an exclusive Heat Pressing Process to reinforce the material within the rug pads. There are absolutely no adhesives, glues, or chemicals used on the rug pads so they can be placed in baby nurseries and any room in the house.

The American made natural rug pads are safe for all floors, including carpet, tile, laminate,  concrete, and hardwood. The non-slip padding creates a safe environment for our newly, walking baby. We don't have to worry about little sister slippin' and slidin' on an unsafe rug.

 

Directions were clearly stated on the instruction sheet, and on the rug pad itself. Just make sure you read them and don't struggle for five minutes before you realize something isn't quite right. :)

 



The superior thick felt rug pad added a full 3/8" of extra padding which took our rug to the next level making it feel like an expensive, luxurious comfort that I purchased from a major supplier instead of our local home improvement store.

The ultra premium pad added a full 1/3" of pure comfort and warmth on those cold concrete floors in the laundry room. I especially appreciate how soft it is while doing a daily chore. Being a completely organic product, eased this momma's heart when she placed the final rug pad in the homeschool room.

 

I was thoroughly impressed with Rug Pad Corner and look forward to purchasing additional pads for our home.

Use the code REVIEW15 to receive a 15% discount on your entire order anytime you need a rug pad from Rug Pad Corner. A variety of options are available through the website to accommodate any floor type making it easy to order quality organic rug pads adding comfort and safety for every room in the home.

*Disclosure: Rug Pad Corner provided us with product, but my opinions are completely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments. Product has been in use for 3 weeks upon review.

january: currently

drinking Sprite. {see below}

feeling much better after almost a full week of a virus that has taken 3 of us down.

waiting on little sister's COC (certificate of citizenship) & her social security card. The paperwork still continues.

loving this

getting our family photo album started this week.

reading Love Me, Feed Me and confirming that yes, little sister does have food anxiety.

trying new feeding strategies and techniques from the book and other professionals.

watching Downton Abbey.

attempting to organize all the legos.

hoping the organization will help the kids keep them up off the floor.

finishing up the last of the Christmas presents that I needed to finish knitting to get mailed off to cousins. Yes, I'm a little behind.

listening to Minecraft videos and the kids' talking about their playing strategies in the background. Everyday.

knitting this blanket for the shop

finding that I'm not a workbook/worksheet homeschool mom, and that I tend to lean towards the Charlotte Mason style. 

loving my new "clearance" dearfoam slippers

wanting a simpler, cleaner home in 2015.

2015 goals

{source}

A new year. A new beginning. A clean slate. A fresh page of a new planner. A new list of goals.

I'm not a resolution-maker, but I am a goal-maker.

For 2015 I want to:

~create, make, & sell my projects
~read 25 books for the year
~make a job system that "works" for the family
~clear out my fabric stash
~make time for a monthly date night; right now, this means we'll have one at home until little sister is older and we've reached a certain attachment stage.
~start a new blog series (coming late February)
~take more pictures
~add more plant life to our home
~clear out my desk and the extra dresser
~continue growing a garden and canning/freezing the bounties
~start another adoption fund for the future (more on this later)
~organize the Legos in a maintainable system for the kids

12 goals for the next 12 months.

Listed out, it looks like a lot. In reality, it is. Some of these goals won't get accomplished. Some may only be half completed before 2016. But most, will hopefully be done and checked off at the end of the year. Some of these goals are part of my daily routine--plants, pictures, reading. Some of the goals I'll accomplish in a couple of weekends--desk, dresser. Some of the goals I'll work on over a season--gardening. And some are constant work over the course of the year--date nights, blog series, adoption fund.

What will you do with your new year?