It's Write On the Wall

Just A Pinch

2011-12-04T14:13:00.001-08:00

I LOVE this recipe website. I have found so many new recipe ideas and even get to add and store my own recipes so that when I misplace them (as I very frequently find myself doing), I can look them up on Just a Pinch. Here is a recipe I just posted for Pinwheel Peanut Butter Candy.

Kitchen Christmas Tree

2011-11-18T16:36:00.001-08:00

Unlike most women I know, I have never been a huge fan of decorating for Christmas. However, I do enjoy crafting and creating so when I saw a small Christmas tree on the internet decorated with silverware, I decided to "get crafty". I purchased the miniature tree at Michael's for 25% off. I found the ornaments (including the mini cookie cutter ornaments and mini cookie shaped ornaments) at Hobby Lobby for 50% off. I am very happy with the way my kitchen tree turned out. Now if only my huge tree was so fun to decorate!!

Uppercase Living Jewelry BLUME Preview

2011-08-05T10:03:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos previewing some of Uppercase Living's new inspirational jewelry collection, BLUME. Our jewelry will be available to order on September 1. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding Uppercase Living vinyl lettering or the jewelry! View the entire catalog online at http://vanessa.uppercaseliving.net. You can also place your order from my website and have it shipped to you!

Help Bring this Baby Home!

2011-08-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

A family who is a member of the same homeschool group we are in is raising money to adopt a precious little girl from Eastern Europe. Please read their story and donate to help them get this little girl with Down Syndrome "home" to them as soon as possible!

Called You By Name Blog and Information

You can also go to the left side of my page to "chip in" -- about halfway down my page. There are some GREAT prizes which will be given away and you get raffles for every $10 you donate to this family's cause.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION (also found on their BLOG listed above) FOR GETTING ENTRIES!

Entry #1 Contribute to our ChipIn (this one is required before you can get entries the other two ways). For every $10 donation you make to our ChipIn, you will receive one entry.
For example: $10 gives you 1 entry
$30 gives you 3 entries
$100 gives you 10 entries
You must comment on this post saying that you donated. You don't need to tell us the amount you donated because we'll be able to tell that from the ChipIn; however, please make sure you leave your name in the comments.

Entry #2 Blog about us. After you have donated, if you post about this giveaway on your blog, then you
will receive one additional entry. You must come back here and comment again that you blogged and leave a link to the post.

Entry #3 Post about us on Facebook. After you have donated, you can receive one additional entry by promoting our giveaway on Facebook.
You must like "Bringing Albina Home" on Facebook
Post the link to this giveaway on YOUR Facebook page.
Come back here and leave a comment attaching the link to your Facebook post.

Uppercase Living RETIRING ITEMS 2011

2011-07-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

If you want to order any of our retiring items, please order from my website at http://vanessa.uppercaseliving.net. Last date they will be available is July 25!

Uppercase Living Retired Expression List

2010-06-16T08:37:00.001-07:00

Here is our 2010 Retired List! Get these expressions while they last because they will soon disappear! Until July 12 at 11:59 pm (MST), get one free expression for each expression you purchase -- what a deal! Shop from my Uppercase Living website HERE.

My Uppercase Living Space

2010-06-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

Bzz Agent Campaign - Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Campaign

2010-03-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

Have I told you about BzzAgent yet? I'm a member, and I thought you might like to be one too (joining is free). I get to try products and services at no cost with samples, coupons and stuff like that. Then I make my voice heard by sharing my honest opinions with others, including some of the largest companies in the world. Want to learn more and sign up to join in the fun? Just go to www.bzzagent.com to get started!

My most recent campaign has been the COVERGIRL and Olay Simply Ageless Party Campaign. Information about this product can be found here: http://www.covergirl.com/products/collections/simplyageless/. Although I usually wear mineral foundation and makeup, I decided to give this product a try and I was NOT disappointed! I tend to have fairly dry skin and this makeup covers and moisturizes well -- without showing all of my imperfections. It does not feel heavy and it lasts throughout the day. I found that Foundation 225 and Sculpting Blush 220 were perfect for my fair skin. The eye concealer and corrector are wonderful too. Here is a before and after shot. I like for my makeup to look natural while fixing all of my imperfections and this makeup really works!

I love you Brad!

2010-02-12T20:30:00.001-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my wonderful husband of almost 17 years!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The New "Twilight Zone" -- Obama Declares Swine Flu Emergency

2009-10-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

The New "Twilight Zone" -- Obama Declares Swine Flu Emergency

Uppercase Living now has Photo Prints!

2009-09-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Looking for something really unique for that special someone this Christmas? Children especially love seeing themselves so think about your kids, your nieces and nephews, and any other special child in your life. Also remember that photo prints are a beautiful new way of decorating your own walls. Below are a couple of ways in which Photo Prints can really personalize a space. Like what you see? Just log into my website, click on PRODUCTS, MyDesign Suite on the right side of the page and then PHOTO PRINT on the left side of the page. Upload a high quality photo and have fun making either a contour cut vinyl photo print or a full photo print.

5 Things Friday

2009-07-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am playing along with Jean Stockdale on her blog. Jean has started a "5 Things Friday" and I am excited to participate! So this week's topic is What 5 Things Do You Not Like? So here are my 5 things:

1)Flying in an airplaine. I did not fly until I was a student in college and I always had nightmares about crashing in an airplane before I ever even flew. So even though I've flown quite a bit since college, it is a fear that I try to conquer every time I step foot on a plane. I am sometimes seen breaking out into a sweat or very wide-eyed and alert for any weird noises. Can't control what happens and it is all in God's hands, but I still don't enjoy it!

2)Frogs. I really don't like their hopping and jumping movements. I think they are very ugly and I don't like them. They are right up there with snakes in my book!

3)Small holes or groupings/microscopic pictures. I know this is a very strange thing, and I didn't even know that the fear actually has a name until about two years ago. I wanted to know if other people got "the willies" when looking at holes made in the snow by melting icicles on trees, seeds inside of a cut pepper, etc. The "fear" actually has the name of trypophobia! Look it up!

4)Being touched when I'm sleepy. I want my space and really don't like cuddling when I'm tired.

5)People who toss blame. This just bothers me. I hate the fact that everyone these days is looking for a reason to sue someone else. I don't like it when something is everyone else's fault. What happened to forgiveness and getting along with your friends and neighbors?

Very thought provoking . . .

2009-07-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,

'Purpose Driven Life' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life?

And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness..

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for..

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.

It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease..

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation..

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Uppercase Living Summer Splash Incentive!!

2009-06-23T16:17:00.000-07:00

Dive into hot deals and incredible rewards with the 2009 Summer Splash Incentive! Enjoy significant discounts, exclusive free products, and tremendous savings as part of this once-a-year promotion! Offers available until July 23 at 6 pm(MT). To view the Uppercase Living catalog, click here!

Customers - Save up to $20!
Save BIG on expressions and accessories during Summer Splash! When you spend $40, receive a $5 discount off the entire order! For every additional $20 spent, receive an additional $5 off up to $20 off per order!

Get $126 in products for just $80!
This means that if you order $100 in expressions and accessories,
you'll get $20 off your order PLUS
still get all three regular free customer gifts (a $26 value)!

Want even more free stuff?
Invite some friends to do the same and without even doing a party in your home, your order becomes an Open House and you'll get hostess benefits, too.
Orders must be placed together by contacting me -- cannot be considered an Open House order if it is placed online.)

Hostesses - Earn more FREE gifts!
During Summer Splash, when your party reaches $350 in sales, you will earn one of two Celebrations Door Sampler Kits (each is a $48 value) in addition to the free products, half price items, & monthly hostess gifts!

May 18-June 23

June 24-July 23

My dates fill up quickly every year during this time, so contact me today to book your party!
EXTRA INCENTIVE! The first four ladies to schedule a show will receive a FREE 6 inch monogram letter in your choice of font and color!

Become an Uppercase Living Demonstrator and get extra product credit!!
View business opportunity here!

Purchase an Essentials Starter Kit (only $99!) during Summer Splash and get $50 in Living Rewards Product Credit -- that's DOUBLE the normal amount of $25!

~OR~

Purchase an Essentials Plus Starter Kit (only $199!) during Summer Splash and you'll get $150 in Living Rewards Product Credit -- that's an extra $50 on top of the normal amount of $100!

Product credits can purchase any expressions or accessories! You can use these to decorate your own home or as giveaways and demonstrations to boost your business.

Along with extra product credit, your starter kit contains everything you need to launch a successful business. For a complete list of starter kit contents, visit my website.

Summer Splash is only available for a limited time so be sure to take advantage of all the savings!

Contact me today with any questions about our fantastic Summer Splash incentive or to book your own Open House or catalog party!

The Many Uses of WD-40

2009-06-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

I received this information in an email the other day and thought it was GREAT! I copied this directly from my email and haven't researched all of it to find out if it's true. However, if it IS all true, this may just be my new favorite thing!

Before you read to the end, does anybody know what the main ingredient of WD-40 is?

Don't lie and don't cheat.

WD-40. Who knew?

I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck
(for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open.

Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew? 'Water Displacement #40' The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.

Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the 'shower door' part, try it .. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stove top .... Viola! It's now shinier than it's ever been... You'll be amazed. Here are some other uses:

1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars..
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not
removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove..
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start!

P.S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

My new favorite online tool . . .

2009-05-12T06:11:00.001-07:00

As I was browsing a website recently, there was an ad for www.cozi.com. I checked out and immediately loved what I saw! With three kids, I'm always trying to stay organized with everyone's busy schedules and carry an 8 1/2 x 11 planner with me all the time. Then I found Cozi! Cozi is a free online calendar in which you can color code each family member's name and schedule. Not only does the program provide an online calendar, there is a place for your shopping list and a family journal (which I have yet to use). You can even send all of these items to your mobile phone. So when I'm getting ready to run out the door, I send my list via text message to my phone and don't have to worry about remembering to take my paper list with me! I have really become attached to this program and would recommend it to any busy parent like myself! Check it out!

I'm a horrible blogger!

2009-05-12T06:09:00.000-07:00

I've really been totally neglectful in blogging. Although a love for writing seems to run in my family, I didn't get it! Although I've really wanted to be successful with this "hobby", I never seem to know what catches the interest of readers. Anyway, I plan on trying to get back into blogging and to make the time to at least post every once in a while! So . . . let's start now!

A Month of Sicknesses!

2009-03-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

Luke started it with the croup. This was the second time this winter that he awakened during the night unable to breathe. This time, however, we had the nebulizer available with the appropriate medicines. The next day I took him to the doctor and he confirmed that Luke had croup once again. He has always had a history of having respiratory illnesses ever since he had RSV at 7 months old.

After Luke returned to health, Brad was knocked down by the flu. Ironically, this is the first year the kids and I have ever had a flu shot! Brad has never had the flu and therefore had never chosen to get a flu shot. After spending almost a week in bed, he has now said that he will be the first in line next year to get his flu shot!

This week, Grant has had a severe sore throat. The sore throat started on Friday and he has missed two days of school already. I don't ever remember seeing Grant cry from being in so much pain. After taking him to two different doctors, he was prescribed an antibiotic for a general throat infection. Two different strep tests came back negative. However, he could have an infection similar to strep without actually having strep throat. Grant slept in again this morning but seems to be doing much better and was even able to eat breakfast this morning. This is major progress! I will be taking him to school even if he is a little tardy.

We are hoping that this will bring an end to all the sicknesses in our home for a while. We are definitely ready for warmer weather and better health!

2009-02-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

Martina McBride

More CMT Music

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"Reward" Yourself During Tough Economic Times

2009-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

We are a one income family with many expenses, just like most people. However, I feel that by being involved with certain reward programs, we are able to reap many benefits! Let me show you how you can do it too . . .

Our family of five enjoys going out to eat, but I can't say that we are eating out any less during these tough economic times. We've always pinched pennies when dining out anyway. First of all, we only go out to eat once a week as a family, usually after church on Sundays. I cook simple meals throughout the week and Sunday is my "day of rest". We used to get those free or reduced priced kids meals at restaurants. That no longer works for us since Grant is 12 and Sydney is 10. Luke, age 6, still eats like a mouse so he's not even an issue.

So what do we do?? First of all, we order waters to drink, and I'm not talking about the bottled waters which cost more than a soda. We have figured that we save at least $10 each time we go out to eat just by drinking water. Water isn't necessarily a favorite of mine. However, when you consider that restaurants charge as much for one soft drink as the price of a two liter soda, it makes you think!

Secondly, I love my Citibank PremierPass Mastercard (www.citicards.com) because of the rewards I get through the program. Our family has been using this card for two years. Now I wouldn't necessarily recommend getting a credit card to just anyone. It is a definite responsibility and can get many people in trouble. However, this is a card which we choose to charge our expenses on each month, and we pay it off as we go. We charge everything from groceries to doctor's visits to cell phone expenses each month. Again, I want to emphasize that we stay on top of things and pay off these expenses as they occur! I would NEVER encourage anyone to maintain balances and end up paying interest charges as well. We are able to maintain a zero balance and reap dining benefits and other rewards at the same time.

Here is an example of some of the benefits we have received this year just for using our card. Last July, I was able to fly to the Uppercase Living Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota for FREE. This past November, I redeemed some of my points for a $50 JCPenney gift card, a $25 Olive Garden gift card and a $25 Chili's gift card. In January, I redeemed more points for a $100 Macaroni Grill gift card, a $100 Chili's gift card, a $50 Olive Garden gift card, a $25 Starbuck's gift card and a $100 Bed Bath and Beyond gift card (which I will be putting toward new kitchen knives). I still have many more points left to use right now and I'm constantly putting them to good use. Not bad for a $75 yearly fee!! All rewards are usually received within a week to two weeks period of time.

Since 2003, I have also been a member of MyPoints (www.mypoints.com) in which I receive similar types of rewards. When shopping online, I make sure to login to MyPoints first and I receive points for my purchases. Once the points add up to the amount I need for a reward, I redeem them. I will warn you that MyPoints also sends advertisements through your email. However, it takes me no more than 15 seconds to click on the offer and receive a few points to add to my account. Again, I have redeemed many rewards for Amazon.com gift cards, restaurant gift cards and others! Of course, I also receive points for referring others to the program so please contact me at writeonthewall@yahoo.com for an invite!

If you are considering ways to cut back expenses or pamper yourself with simple luxuries during tough economic times, I hope these simple ideas will help.

2009-01-19T16:58:00.000-08:00

This article was forwarded to me in an email and I found it to be so interesting. Another reason I feel so blessed to live during this time. However, I feel that some of the same advantages we have in this century could also be viewed as DISadvantages.

THE YEAR 1908

This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1908.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1908 :

************ ********* ********* ******

The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
Of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
Eighteen percent of households had at least
one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
Now I forwarded this from someone else without typing
It myself, and sent it to you and others all over Canada & U.S.A
Possibly the world, in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

IT STAGGERS THE MIND

A Summary of Our 2008 . . . .

2008-12-14T12:02:00.000-08:00

Instead of sending out a Christmas letter this year, I decided that I would actually take the time to update my blog with the highlights of our year. Of course, we started out 2008 in Connecticut. This was our second year there and although it is a beautiful state, it sure does get cold!

Grant and Sydney enjoyed taking skiing and snowboarding lessons at the beginning of the year at a ski resort only 15 minutes from our home in Connecticut. Although Luke would have loved to do the same, he was still to young for the lessons which they took. Grant played basketball with a school team for the first time. He LOVED playing basketball even though he has lots of learning to do. Grant and Sydney were both involved with the student council at their 100 student school (K-6th grade). Sydney participated in girl scouts as well as karate.

After finishing up their school year in June, we drove all the way from Connecticut to Myrtle Beach, SC to meet my dad and stepmom, my brother and his 6 year old daughter, and my sister, her husband and their almost two year old son. Talk about a drive which we never wanted to do again! Our trip was a week long and my main objective was to have family pictures taken on the beach. I have always loved the ocean and it's where I feel closest to God. There is something so powerful and peaceful about seeing how far the ocean spreads and listening to the crashing waves. So . . . my dream came true and we had some pictures taken at Myrtle Beach by Kara Stovall. I really liked the way most of them turned out, although I regret not having certain others taken during this time.
Not long after we got back from Myrtle Beach, I went to the Uppercase Living convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was great getting the sneak peak into all of the positive changes which were taking place with Uppercase Living. It was fun getting to meet several demonstrators whom I had only had contact with online!The biggest news of this year is that we made a major move from Connecticut to Tennessee, my home state. Yippee!! Of course, we were sad to leave all of our new friends in Connecticut, but we are so happy to be back in the south. Brad is loving his job here in Tennessee. He especially loves the fact that he is only ten minutes from work. The kids have started making friends and have already found extracurricular activies to be involved in. Grant is playing basketball again through the church we have joined, Sydney is on the spirit squad at school and Luke will be starting Upward basketball soon as well. the kids have all adjusted really well and seem to be doing great in their new schools. As for me, I have been busier in the last three months than I was for the entire two years we were in Connecticut. Shortly after moving here, God blessed me with a wonderful Christian friend who shares many of my thoughts and beliefs. Since then, I have met several other wonderful ladies and have started developing relationships with them. I have joined a local recreation center and exercise three to four times a week. I really enjoy the aerobics, the spin (cycling) classes and even Zumba. I have been able to get involved with a Bunco group and have started studying Moses in Bible Study Fellowship. I have even gone on a scrapbooking retreat. So . . . as you can see, I've been really busy -- but I'm loving it!

Most recently, we got Grant his "own" dog. JoJo is a black miniature schnauzer and has really won all of our hearts. JoJo is as sweet as she can be but she can be quite vocal and energetic, of course. Bandit, our nine year old shih-tzu has finally started to tolerate her and I think they will eventually be friends. Right now, however, it is like a little kid wanting to play with a cranky old man.

Unfortunately, we also had to say a sad goodbye to Sydney's little guinea pig, Coconut. Coconut had come into our lives back in January along with Luke's guinea pig, Lizzy. Coconut developed an upper respiratory infection shortly after we moved here and although we had tried to fight it with antibiotics, she only went downhill. When we discovered that she had pneumonia and it would be unlikely that she would recover, we made the tough decision to have her put down. Sydney, of course, was extremely brokenhearted and decided to get a new guinea pig whom she named Peekaboo. Peekaboo is only two months old and is a very vocal little friend for Sydney.

Our family spent Thanksgiving with Brad's family and we are looking forward to seeing my family during the Christmas holidays. We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family, good health, a nice home and so many friends. We look forward to the year 2009 and all it holds in store for us!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving . . .

2008-11-25T10:19:00.000-08:00

I love being a stay at home mom! Today, I was able to go spend the morning with Luke and his first grade classmates. They were celebrating with Thanksgiving festivities. The kids rotated between classrooms learning how to weave, making "pumpkin pie" with vanilla pudding, pumpkin in a can, graham crackers and whipped cream, making Native American drums, using Native American symbols on writing, etc. The kids had a great time and learned a lot about Pilgrims and the first Native Americans. This is a picture of my little pilgrim.

We have a new puppy!

2008-11-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Although we have an 8 year old shih-tzu, the kids claim he is mine. Bandit follows me around everywhere and seems to only obey me. Sydney and Luke had acquired new guinea pigs (Coconut and Lizzie) earlier this year and have thoroughly enjoyed them. They are by far some of the easiest pets we've ever had. Of course, Grant has been asking for "his own" pet for some time now as well. We finally broke this past weekend and purchased a solid black miniature schnauzer after getting good reviews from both my aunt and several websites. The new puppy's name is Jo-Jo (she received her name from both my sister and my mother's middle names LOL) and she has been a joy thus far. Only three small accidents in the house (and it was really our own faults). These dogs are supposed to be some of the easiest to housebreak and I'm impressed already. They also do not shed which was another plus in our minds. Here is a picture of Jo-Jo and Grant.

A must see video that I have to share with you

2008-10-23T15:13:00.000-07:00

Uppercase Living now has online ordering!

2008-10-21T05:27:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to find out that Sr. Demonstrators and above now have the option of having a premier website (instead of the basic website) which allows online ordering! This will make it so much easier for all of my out of town customers, friends and family to place their orders. With computer technology these days, it makes it really simple to have the option of shopping online. So if you are reading my blog and would like to check out the NEW and improved online Uppercase Living catalog, go to http://vanessa.uppercaseliving.net and then to PRODUCTS. You can even play with changing the color of the vinyl expressions after they are enlarged on your computer screen. You can even put in your wall color to see how the expression would look on that color of wall. Oh, so cool! Uppercase Living can help enhance the walls of your home or even add fun to making craft projects. You can view several photographs of finished product on my website as well. Go to ABOUT ME and then you will see the option of viewing my photos. And it's all sooooo affordable!!

Have you heard of BzzAgent?

2008-10-08T15:10:00.001-07:00

The Invisible Woman

2008-09-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

As I have been feeling very overwhelmed by the task of moving three times in three years (YES, I am almost an expert at this) and feeling like I'm in the "background" of everything around me, a good friend of mine emailed this clip to me this morning. So inspiring and motivating! And what perfect timing. We all need to be reminded of this story quite often.

On the move . . .

2008-08-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

We were supposed to meet at a friend's house for dinner this past Thursday before our big move from Connecticut to Tennessee. When we arrived a few minutes late on Thursday, we were welcomed by a group of neighbor friends at a surprise party for us! We were so thrilled! What a happy ending to a wonderful two years in Connecticut! Thanks to all of our neighbor friends for going out of your way to make this such a special evening.

Moving day arrived yesterday, August 30th. We flew out of Hartford to our new home destination in Tennessee. I must say that the hotel room has been rather cramped with three kids, a dog, two guinea pigs and Brad and me. Not a way that I would desire to live on a day to day basis. However, I am grateful for the fact that we will only be here for about a week while we wait on our house closing date to arrive this coming Friday.

We could definitely be in worse circumstances. There are a ton of evacuees from Hurricane Gustav in the Memphis area right now. People have been checking in to hotels around here all day today and I really feel for them. I would much rather be in our situation than in this terrible situation. Not knowing whether you would even have a home tomorrow would be very disconcerting.

Today was not a wasted day as we visited Bellevue Baptist Church, which we have been told is the largest Southern Baptist Church in the nation. The kids really enjoyed it and it was not quite as overwhelming as we thought it would be. We may be going back for another visit in the future.

Moving Fun!

2008-08-14T07:37:00.000-07:00

It's amazing to me how fast the days fly by when you are in the midst of moving chaos! It seems like just yesterday when I found out we'd be relocating again. Here's how we've been spending our time lately.

I had my last Uppercase Living open house this past Thursday. I'm hoping that since we will be in a bigger city, I won't be driving an hour to two hours to do home shows. I'm now trying to get two shows closed before it really gets hectic.

Brad and I flew down to Memphis to go househunting this past weekend. We left the kids with two different sitters. Of course, we always joke that we have to move around every few years because it's the only time we get a weekend away! Ya know, most couples go to Bermuda or to an exotic destination. We, on the other hand, go to look for a house! Anyway, we successfully located a home and made an offer in one weekend. Seems like everything will go smoothly. Now, we are hoping that our own house will sell in a short amount of time.

When we got back from our trip, we had to schedule our new carpet to be put in the upstairs of our house. I felt that I was already moving. Furniture was taken apart and moved to different areas, bookshelves were cleared, etc. Then I had to spend the next day (yesterday) putting the entire upstairs back together. Today will be spent recleaning the entire house so that it will be "show worthy" and getting our house contract sent to the kids' new schools. Our moving date has been arranged, our flights have been booked and now the time is ticking. I hope that I have served God's purpose while being here for such a short time in Connecticut. I know that I've made several friends who I will hate to leave. But I'm really looking forward to going "home" to Tennessee!

Check out my favorite moving site at www.justmoved.org.

How God works . . .

2008-08-01T02:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a lot lately because our family has been in a "transitional thinking phase". Brad has accepted a position at a different hospital in Tennessee. Of course, we are so excited to be going back "home" but now the chaos starts. We have just a few weeks to plan our move, find a place to live, register the kids for school, etc. I've had a very sleepless night. I'm not usually up so early, but I haven't been able to fall back to sleep since 4:30 this morning. My mind keeps going over and over everything there is to do.

We know that this is definitely a God thing. I have been praying for some time that we would be able to move back down south -- and closer to family. Nothing against the northeast, but it's . . . different. Back in January/February when I was praying about this, I kept having the very definite thought of "July". I told Brad about it and that I strongly felt that God was trying to tell me that Brad would have a new job in July. Of course, we never know where that will lead but God has always blessed us through our moves in the past so although the human side of us is scared of the "new", we trust that God will always provide and place us where he wants us to be during that period of our life. So . . . even back in May, I reminded Brad that I felt with certainty that he would find a job in July. Around the same time, Brad was coming home from work one evening and was thinking about the stress of selling our home in a bad economy if a job should come along. He had the thought, "Don't worry about your house. It is taken care of." He later told me how that it was so strong of a thought, he knew it must be a God thing.

So all this to say . . . Brad accepted this job in July and our house will be taken care of by the company if it is not sold within six months. I'm overwhelmed with the feeling of graciousness. I can't say that I always feel that God is speaking to me but once again, His goodness never fails! I feel so unworthy and undeserving of such love, but I'm reminded once again of God's grace, His presence and His unfailing faithfulness.

Catching Up!

2008-07-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Wow! I feel that I am just now coming up for air since the summer started. Convention was a blast and I loved Minneapolis! Next year, convention will be held in Anaheim, California so I'm already looking forward to that. My FAVORITE part of convention is when they announced that demonstrators will be getting our own FREE websites as of the first part of August! I can't wait until customers no longer have to use my demonstrator number and token to log in to view the catalog. I will have my own URL! The NEW Fall/Winter Catalog is awesome -- tons of fun "off the wall" projects. I have about four shows scheduled in the next few weeks. Summer has been a little slow because of busy schedules, etc. so at this point, I don't think that I will be earning enough points to go on the cruise. BUT there's always next year!

The kids had a wonderful time at camp and came home with lots of stinky clothes that needed to be washed. Fun! So we are all readjusting to life without trips and constant activity. Today we will spend the day at our little town beach in hopes of not getting sunburnt.

I'm off to the Uppercase Living Convention!!

2008-07-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! Tomorrow morning, I leave for the Uppercase Living convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I didn't attend last year since I had just started with Uppercase Living a couple of months prior to the convention. I'm hoping this will boost my business even more and that it will be a fun and rewarding experience. Can't wait to meet all the ladies I've become cyber friends with over the last year in my Uppercase Living Yahoo group!

Because Brad has to continue to work, we had to find places for the kids to go this week. We dropped Grant and Sydney off earlier today at their first sleepover week long camp! It's at a small Bible camp which is located just 20 minutes from us and they were very excited. A little wierd for mom and dad though. Luke is going to be attending a day camp at a nature center within 20 minutes of us every day. The kids are definitely growing up!

Well, I'm off to continue packing and getting ready for my trip. I hate flying and I'm sure I will be a bundle of nerves tomorrow. Just hope that all of my flights are on time and there isn't too much turbulence!

A Review of MagiQuest in Myrtle Beach

2008-07-03T16:15:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Myrtle Beach on June 20th for a week long trip. Yes, we drove all the way from Connecticut to Myrtle Beach!!! What was supposed to be a 13 1/2 hour drive turned into a 20 hour drive because of traffic, traffic, and a few stops here and there. I'm sorry, but you can't convince me that everyone is "hurting" because of gas prices. In fact, we decided that pretty much everyone must have been at Myrtle Beach because it was so busy.

The highlight of our beach trip was MagiQuest! Not sure who loved it more -- Brad or the kids. We spent many hours here. After choosing a wand (some are more expensive than others), you then have the option of choosing and customizing your own wand topper. Luke's was a dragon, Sydney's was a unicorn and Grant . . . hmmmm, I'm not sure what his was supposed to be. The wands are then programmed to gather information when they are pointed toward certain objects on your quest. We initially purchased 90 minutes of play time. You walk into a huge area and get to choose your "quests" from a screen. Then you have to follow clues to finding items to fulfill your quest. When items are found and the wand is pointed at the object needed, the object lights up. Once those items are gathered, you report back to the "screen". This reminded us of an interactive computer game in which you are gathering objects and advancing in levels. The only difference is that with MagiQuest you are walking and exercising. Very fun! There were a few frustrating times when the item would not recognize the wand or when the item was not properly "gathered". We would report back to the "screen" to find out that we never got the item. All in all, however, it was a really fun and rewarding type of entertainment. I was an observer, but Brad played right along with the kids and they all had a wonderful time. Now . . . next time we go to MagiQuest, the computer will have stored all information regarding the completed quests. There are also "Adventures", "Duels", etc. This will definitely be an ongoing event to look forward to in the future.

Lyme Disease has hit!

2008-06-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

Our daughter, Sydney, complained of a headache for several days last week. She NEVER complains of having a headache. Then on Friday she woke up with a stiff and sore neck. I took her to the doctor who then tested her for strep throat. The test came back negative. Our final step was to take her to have blood drawn.

We were informed yesterday that she has Lyme Disease -- all this before going on vacation!! Lyme Disease is almost like a common cold where we live, but I thought that perhaps we could avoid this terrible illness while living here. So she will be on a 28 day course of Ceftin. It's all we can do to get her to choke this medicine down. She really, REALLY hates it but has trouble swallowing pills.

Our younger son, Luke, had Ehrlichiosis in November this past year and was also treated for Lyme -- just in case. So it seems that we will have first hand experience with what ticks can do!!

We have more birds!

2008-06-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Our previous birds from the bird's nest on my front door wreath died several weeks ago. We think that it got too cold for them one night and that the mother was not there keeping them warm.

However, we have three bird's nests underneath our deck. During a recent wind and thunderstorm, one of the nests must have blown down with the baby birds inside. There had been four birds but we only found two birds on the ground this past Saturday. After doing a little research, we found out that we could gently pick the baby birds up and place them back in a nest. So we used one of the empty nests under the deck to place the baby birds in. Looks like their mother has returned and is still taking care of them. This is a picture of what they were doing after we put them back in the nest. I think they thought we were going to feed them too!

Uppercase Living Father's Day Project Party

2008-06-11T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I recently reached one of my goals after being with Uppercase Living for only 14 months. I just promoted to Director on June 1st! Woo hoo! I have an awesome team of ladies -- 14 in my downline and 21 ladies overall. Can't wait until convention in Minneapolis. It's coming up July 7th-10th!

I recently tried a Project Party at my home and it went really well. We used one of my favorite Uppercase Living expressions, "Any Man Can Be a Father, but it Takes Someone Special To Be a Dad" to make this great gift for our husbands. My childrens' pictures hang from this particular piece. We had lots of fun and I must say that the finished result is wonderful!

Exciting Uppercase Living Announcements!

2008-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

The Summer Splash Incentive is going to be great! Hostesses receive triple-up rewards instead of double-up rewards. So basically any purchases that the hostess has made from me in the past 6 months will be tripled in total and added to their own open house. If someone has purchased $125 from me recently, she gets to add $375to her own Open House total!

Also, anyone who enrolls as a new demonstrator between now and July 31 gets either $25 off the Essentials Starter Kit or $50 off the Essentials Plus Starter Kit. AND these new demonstrators receive a $10 bonus commission for every $100 in personal sales which are submitted during this time.

Uppercase Living is really a wonderful company to be a part of right now! If you happen to be reading my blog and like what you see with the business opportunity information, now is the time to enroll! Don't forget to type in my Demonstrator ID: 469594 and token: WAHM when you enroll!

Uppercase Living goals!

2008-05-21T13:07:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm not quite giving up yet. I am a little over half way to earning the Uppercase Living incentive trip -- with many more potential points this month and next. I still have until August 31st to earn the Uppercase Living incentive cruise. However, I'm just not sure I want to spend my entire summer doing 20 more shows (LOL).

I am, however, just one step away from promoting to Director!! One of my downline ladies needs just one more person on her team in order to promote to a Senior Demonstrator. This will give me two Senior Demonstrators on my team which will help with my own promotion. I'm hoping to meet this goal by the end of May in order to attend the Leader dinner at convention this summer! Woo-hoo!

Snake Birthday Cake!

2008-05-08T11:56:00.000-07:00

Luke is turning 6 years old tomorrow and I can't believe it! We are having his party at an animal conservation center and the theme is "Turtles and Snakes, Oh My!" So I decided to dig down deep and find my creative side. I actually saw the instructions to this cake on the internet. I made a white bakery cake and then a buttercream frosting. Most everything in this cake (with the exception of the red frosting) is all natural so that Sydney can enjoy it too. I used all natural food colorings for the yellow and the gray, shaped a Starburst for the tongue and chocolate chips for the eyes. It turned out pretty cute if I must say so myself!

School program

2008-05-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

The kids were in a school musical program last night and I was able to get a few shots of them together. This one turned out really cute!

The birds have hatched

2008-05-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, we found two brand new baby birds in their nest. So far, the other two eggs have not hatched, but we so enjoy looking in on God's little creations every morning. Here is the best picture I have right now.

Birds in my wreath

2008-05-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Well, it looks as if we might have company. I opened my front door about two weeks ago only to discover a birds nest on my wreath. Not wanting to disturb it, I left it alone. The nest went from one egg to three. The kids are really enjoying peeking at it every day to see if the baby birds have hatched. Hasn't happened yet. We think it is a sparrow's nest because the momma bird looks like a sparrow when she quickly flies away when we open the door.

New Uppercase Living expressions on canvas

2008-04-23T09:07:00.001-07:00

Here is an example of an Uppercase Living expression on canvas. I first painted the canvas with a gold shimmery latex paint. I had ordered TWO expressions from Uppercase Living (one brown, one burgandy). I then separated the pieces to mix them up on the canvases, carefully measured and applied. They turned out beautiful! I then added a burgandy ribbon around the edges of the canvas.

Wow! I'm so behind!

2008-04-23T07:29:00.001-07:00

I really need to get better at this, but we have been out of town off and on for the past week. Our kids were on spring break and we traveled to Nashville, TN to visit a couple whom my husband and I have been close friends with since college. It was great to see them and their family. We also got to do a little site seeing in Nashville. We visited the state capitol and the Bicentinnial State Park. We took the kids to the Parthenon replica as well. I'm posting a few of our pictures from trip. The funny thing (or not so funny thing) is that the cold weather followed us from the north to the south and we were walking around in 45 degree weather! Thankfully, since we arrived home, the weather has been beautiful and we are thoroughly enjoying the sunshine!

We were home for two days and then I had three Uppercase Living shows in Massachusetts! We traveled as a family to Springfield, MA where we visited the Springfield Science Museum. One of the highlights was visiting the Dr. Seuss National Memorial (Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield). The kids really enjoyed this leg of our trip but we are all very happy to be home.

So . . . I am in the midst of closing four shows and have two more coming up this weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-09T08:20:00.001-07:00

E-Mealz

2008-04-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

So . . . for all of you busy mothers (and dads) out there who find 5 pm dinner time sneaking up on you, I have discovered E-Mealz! It costs $1.25 a week ($15 for 3 months). I will have someone actually planning my dinners for me AND my actual grocery list as well! I'm really excited about this and hope that it will simplify my life. The nice thing about it is that there is very little to no repetition on the dinners, which means that my family and I aren't going to tire of the same thing over and over and . . . . well, you get the point. Anyway, check out the link below!

My first completed knitting project!

2008-04-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, I decided that I wanted to learn knitting. I'd like to learn how to crochet as well. So I finally took the plunge on March 11 and took a wonderful one hour class with Lisa, my teacher, at a yarn store nearby. So . . . I've been slowly working on my little hat project for the past few weeks and went in today to learn how to finish it off. Here is a picture of my first project. The hat will be a gift for my 20 month old nephew, Ethan. Kelli, you need to start talking to Ethan now about keeping hats on his head so he can proudly show it off!

Oh, the Love of a Guinea Pig

2008-03-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

My 9 year old daughter is in love with her guinea pig. She and my 5 year old son acquired these cuddly creatures a few weeks ago. Sydney had been begging for a pet for a couple of years. We already have a shih-tzu. However, she has wanted something to call her own. We had delayed getting an additional pet for as long as possible I think. After doing a lot of research on hamsters versus guinea pigs, we decided that a guinea pig would be more of what she is wanting in a pet -- soft, cuddly, small, doesn't run away from you, not vicious. Anyway, Coconut is her guinea pig and Luke has a guinea pig named Lizzie. The two little ladies live in a cage which we made from a design we saw on http://www.cavygages.com/. The cage stays in Sydney's room and she is responsible for cleaning it out and keeping the area clean. I think she would live in the "pig pen" herself if we'd allow her to. Here is a picture I took yesterday of Sydney and Coconut. It was taken with my new camera! I finally decided on the Canon S5 IS because it isn't so complicated that I can't figure it out. Yet it is the closest to an SLR camera I can find.

Thinking Back on Easter

2008-03-25T06:45:00.000-07:00

Easter was not our typical Easter this year. It didn't even feel like Easter. First of all, it is too COLD in the northeast to FEEL like an Easter holiday! Grant (our 11 year old son) was in a big Easter production on Saturday and Sunday at the church we've been attending. He had one of the main roles in a song. Well, lo and behold, who wakes up vomiting on Saturday morning? At first I thought that this stomach virus would move in and out quickly. However, he was still sick in the early afternoon. Not wanting to spread such a terrible thing to anyone else, I called the people in charge to let them know of the circumstances and to forewarn them that Grant may not be able to attend. Thankfully, prayers went up from us and the people at church and by 2:00 or 2:30 that afternoon, Grant was starting to feel better. Although he was late for the rehearsal before the performance, poor Grant finally made it in -- weary but alive. God is a great God and answered our prayers! Grant ended up doing well during all three performances and is finally starting to perk up this morning. The Easter production was really awesome and I'm glad that he got to take part in such a ministry.

Sunday evening we spontaneously arranged an after dark Easter egg hunt for our kids and a few neighbor friends. I think it was a big hit and we will probably be doing it again next year. The kids had flashlights and even though we didn't wait until pitch dark, it was fun for them to look for the eggs in the "almost" dark circumstances.

We didn't color eggs this year because of our busy schedule and we didn't even make our traditional Resurrection Rolls. Maybe next year . . .

Resurrection Rolls

Ingredients:
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 large marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon
Sugar

Directions:
Give each child one triangle shaped section of crescent roll. This represents the tomb.
Each child takes one marshmallow which represents the body of Christ.
Dip the marshmallow in the butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.
Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow.
Make sure all seams are pinched together well. (Otherwise the marshmallow will "ooze" out of the seams)
Bake according to package directions.
Cool.
Break open the tomb and the body of Christ is no longer there!!
Celebrate God's love!

A healthy dose of spinach and blueberries in pancakes

2008-03-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

One of my exciting finds in the past few months is "The Sneaky Chef" cookbook by Missy Chase Lapine. I also own "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfeld (Jerry Seinfeld's wife). My kids have no idea what I sneak into their foods these days. Although my middle child will eat just about anything you give her, my two boys have never been as accepting of vegetables. So I turned to The Sneaky Chef for a little bit of help. The basic concept is to spend a little bit of time each week pureeing foods which you will later put into your main recipe.

One of the purees which I seem to use up quite quickly is the PURPLE PUREE. Basically, you take 3 cups of raw baby spinach leaves, wash them up and boil them in a medium pot. I make sure and cram my measuring cup full instead of loosely putting the spinach leaves in there. After the water comes to a boil, you turn the heat on low and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, fill the bowl of your food processor with 1 1/2 cups of frozen blueberries (rinse them off in cold water to thaw a little). Once the blueberries are in your food processor, add the cooked spinach, 1 tsp. of lemon juice and around 3 tablespoons of water. Puree away! You can keep the puree in your fridge for up to two days, but I usually place 1/4 cup portions in my freezer in sealed plastic baggies to use at a later time.

So here is one of my kids' FAVORITE breakfast meals!

Cocoa Chocolate Chip Pancakes

3/4 cups flour blend (1 c. all purpose flour, 1 c. whole wheat flour, & 1 c. wheat germ)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/4 c. milk (I use whole milk)

1 large egg

1/4 c. Purple Puree

2 tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup

1/4 c. chocolate chips

Mix together flour blend, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together the vanilla, milk, egg, Purple Puree, honey (or maple syrup). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones until just blended. Add a little milk if batter is too thick. Add the chocolate chips and mix lightly.

Well, there you have it! If you don't have "The Sneaky Chef" cookbook, I would highly recommend it (and no, I'm not being paid to advertise). I just love it and so do my kids!

In Search of a Camera

2008-03-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

I usually consider myself to be relatively technologically savvy. However, in searching for a new camera, I feel a little bit overwhelmed.

For example, there are regular digital cameras and there are SLR cameras. These are Single Lens Reflex cameras. So should I spend $350+ on a regular digital camera or $650+ on an SLR camera? What type should I be looking at if my main photography experience includes taking pictures of my kids along with vacation pictures?

I'm an avid scrapbooker and realized recently that my Kodak EasyShare V530 is just not cutting it! When taking pictures indoors, my pictures turn out dark and fuzzy. I'm losing great opportunities for my scrapbook album!

So I am now trying to decide between the Canon Powershot Pro Series S5 IS and the Nikon D50. I'm keeping in mind the fact that I need something uncomplicated, yet reliable. Oh, it's all so overwhelming!

My business goals

2008-03-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

I wasn't exactly sure as to how it would go when I enrolled as a Demonstrator for Uppercase Living last year, but I must say that I'm truly loving it. Not only do I love the products, but I love the fact that it has made me set some goals for myself. Right now, I am trying to earn a cruise for my husband and me. All expenses are paid for including airfare and gratuities for the both of us. Now . . . I know that some of you who know me may be laughing. The only cruise we've ever taken was to Mexico (which I won at my husband's company banquet) and I became so terribly sea sick! Of course, we were having 10-12 foot wave swells against the boat. I couldn't even walk straight and felt like I was living out "The Perfect Storm". However, the shore excursions were lots of fun! I even snorkeled, which was a big accomplishment for me since I can't swim and am terribly afraid of the water.

So why am I trying to earn this cruise?? Well, for one thing my husband doesn't usually take much time off from work. If we had to actually purchase the cruise, I would get this scenario . . . "I don't know if I can take time off work", "We have better things to spend our money on", "vacations are too expensive and then they're over". But if I EARN the cruise through all my hard work, how could he ever so no?? I will have definitely worked for it. The cruise incentive period ends on August 31. I am almost half way to where I need to be. I figure that if I am at the half way point by the end of April, I will definitely keep shooting for the goal. Besides, I am getting the word out about Uppercase Living. I am making new friends and making our car payment (which is most important to my husband). I am adding new ladies to my team and inspiring others with our products. I love it!

I'm ready to blog!

2008-03-18T07:39:00.000-07:00

I have finally succeeded in getting my blog up and running. Jen from The Trendy Mommy Blog Designs did a wonderful job in customizing my page and getting me started -- and it was VERY affordable. I would highly recommend her to anyone!

I haven't ever really "blogged" before so I'll add this to my list of new experiences. Hopefully, I will have something beneficial and fun to add to the blogging world. I hope to be able to talk about my wonderful family a little along with my fun businesses! And I'm definitely looking forward to making some new blogging friends.

Here is a photo of my three very beautiful children!