Wednesday Weekly

How old are you in your first memory?

Dry skin on a Newborn

My little one is 3 months now. She still has really bed cradle cap and her skin is super dry. She gets cracks by her ears that bleed and all she does is scratch, scratch, scratch! I am at a loss. I have tried many different things. Cetaphil lotion, sensitive skin soap, humidifier, aquaphor, I know this one sounds funny but gerber breast feeding stick, and bag balm. Nothings seems to be helping. Does anyone have some magic things that might help? I am willing to try just about anything. Especially if it will stop the itching! My poor baby doesn't need any more scratches!

Wednesday Weekly

What do you eat on Christmas Eve?

What Christmas tradition from your childhood will you pass on to your children?

Photo Block Ornaments

I can't resist posting another cute one! I just found this blog (I blame insomnia tonight!) and it has all sorts of cute craft ideas that are so easy anyone can do it! 

Last Minute Gift Idea?

How cute is this? I saw this on a blog and it's so easy and such a fun idea! 

Maybe next year-I have too many projects going myself but such a fun one for kids!

Wednesday Weekly

What is the first word that comes into your mind for each of the following?

1. reindeer

2. snow

3. egg nog

9 more days!

Do you have anything left to do before December the 25th??

Have you seen these cups?

My friend introduced me to these awesome disposable sippy cups. They are cute and affordable. Perfect for birthday parties, playdates, and such. I love them! They are called Hefty Zoo Pals Cups and Lids.

Pooping in the potty

I know that pooping is the harder part of potty training for most kids.  However, not for mine.  She's done great with pooping in her potty up until recently.  

Here's where it gets gross!

Her poop has totally changed consistency!  She has always been a soft pooper but solid enough to make potty training go fine.  But it's turned to absolute mush!  Let me tell you, diarrhea does not help potty training!!!!

Only a few things have changed in her diet but nothing big to make me think it would turn poop to diarrhea every single day!  She's eating a lot more peanut butter honey sandwiches and less milk lately.  She's also been wanting chocolate milk rather than plain milk.  I've eliminated a lot of fruit hoping that will help but it doesn't make sense to me that PBH sandwiches would do this.  

Any suggestions?  sorry for the details! 

Wednesday Weekly

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Give-Away Day

There are tons of blogs participating in a give-away for all sorts of crafts and what-not!  Enjoy!

Wednesday Weekly

What is one thing on your Christmas wish list this year?

Elder Wirthlin Passed Away

From the LDS.org Newsroom:
SALT LAKE CITY 2 December 2008 Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, the oldestliving apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,died last night, age 91.
Elder Wirthlin had gone to bed at his Salt Lake City home, and diedpeacefully at about 11:30 pm of causes incident to age. His oldestdaughter, Jane Wirthlin Parker, was present. A member of the familyhad been staying and caring for Elder Wirthlin, whose wife, ElisaYoung Rogers Wirthlin, died in 2006.
He had continued to work at his office right up until the Thanksgiving holiday.
Funeral arrangements will be announced.

Gifts for your kids

Last year I got some really great ideas from this blog for gifts for my toddler. One of my favorites was a wallet that I filled with gift cards (with no money on them) and pictures. I think that was Steph's idea, thanks! I actually used several ideas from others last year. I wondered if anyone has any creative ideas they are utilizing for their kids this year. One thing that I'm a bit excited about is a 4x6 photo album for my two year old filled with photos of all the people she loves. I think it will be a nice thing for her to look at in the car or at church. Happy gift giving!

Wednesday Weekly

Besides the feast, what other Thanksgiving traditions do you participate in?

Twilight Movie

Ok everyone who has seen the Twilight movie lets hear what your thoughts are.

Grandparent Gifts

What gift ideas do you have of things your kids can give their grandparents? I'm trying to come up with something fun for my some to do for our parents and am in desperate need of some great ideas! Last year we had him do canvas finger paintings that turned out super cute and now I need something else that will live up to that!

New blog

I just started a new blog for LDS women who are having fertility problems after already having children. It's called "Faith, Hope, and Sorrow." I've only posted once so far, and I haven't had a lot of time to play around with the settings, so if you (or anyone you know. Feel free to pass the word along) is interesting in contributing please e-mail me at eternityepi3 at g mail dot com.

http://faithhopeandsorrow.blogspot.com/

Black Friday

I participated in Black Friday for the first time last year. I just went out for a few hours in the afternoon. For those of you more experienced, I wondered what tips you have for being prepared for the big day. Where can your preview deals in advance?

So, I'm curious...

how many of you are going to see Twilight tonight???

potty break

Have you been in this situation?

You are going going going non-stop all day taking care of the kids when you realize your bladder is very full and that you have been ignoring the need to go for at least one hour. And you think, "Have I even tinkled today?"

Wednesday Weekly

Do you have a cell phone? If so, how long have you had one? What cell phone provider do you use?

Babysitters, Pay what?

I am not sure if we have had a post about this or not, but I had a friend email me today asking about what they should pay a babysitter. I just never know how to answer this question. I am lucky that I have very rarely had to pay a babysitter. So, my question is.... What do you all think is a fair and reasonable rate to pay a babysitter? Obviously I know that the more kids you have the more you pay, but what is the average per kid, etc?

Hurry Britax lovers!

More Update- Apparently some are being shipped, but most are being cancelled. My cowmooflauge has supposedly been shipped, so my fingers are crossed that it actually arrives. If so, that was a rockin deal! Hopefully you others get yours too!

Update.....I thought it might be too good to be true. Word on the babycheapskate blog is that Target said it was a pricing error and are not going to honor that price. Bummer.

Right now at Target.com, Granite colored Marathons are $42.99, free shipping. That is 85 percent off! It says they are currently out of stock, but will ship in mid December. The cowmooflauge colored ones are in stock for $59.99. Thats a sweet deal!

Wednesday Weekly

Are you cooking the turkey this year? If so, how will it be cooked and where will you be spending the holiday?

Uploading video to blog

Since most of you have your own personal blogs as well, I thought I'd ask for help with something. Ever since I got a new camera, I have not been able to upload short videos onto my blog. I have tried to mess around with adjusting the pixels, etc. and I just can't figure it out. I haven't had any problems with pictures uploading. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or if you have any suggestions. I really want to be able to upload videos!

Wednesday Weekly

If you like to listen to Christmas music, how soon do you usually start to listen to it?

Hope for our Country

I got a free sample of Real Simple magazine recently.  I love this magazine and wish I could get it all the time.  There was a section on politics and it took a different spin which I enjoyed. 

What are your hopes for our country?

It made me think.  It's not really about my crashing 401k or the war specifically for me.  It's that I want a place where I can safely and happily raise my children.  It's about economics and safety and morality all wrapped up in a place where I can raise happy children.  That's what I hope.

So...rather than start a big debate about who you voted for...

what are your hopes for our country??

Holiday Children's Books

I would like to place some holds on some great Thanksgiving and Christmas books at the library for my young ones. Do you have any favorites to share?

Birth Announcement: Autumn Frost Arrives Early

Autumn Frost Arrives Early

See photos of our new baby at: http://jocelynandsteve.bravehost.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 24, 2008

Danville, PA– Autumn Frost Christensen was born to Steve and Jocelyn Christensen on Friday, October 24, 2008 at 10:02 PM. She weighed 8 pounds 5 ounces and was 21 ½ inches long. Arriving eight days before her due date, "She is our sweet October surprise," says Jocelyn.

One thing that did not surprise Jocelyn was the news that she was in labor—she had been having contractions for a few days prior. Her midwife confirmed this at a regular appointment on Friday and sent her directly to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. After a long and exciting day of labor, Autumn found comfort in the arms of her mother.

"It's a girl!" announced Steve, confirming Guy and Jocelyn's hunch about the gender. Call it "mother/brother intuition," but this is the second time they have predicted the gender of the baby without the use of an ultrasound!

Steve and Jocelyn were overjoyed to meet their new daughter. The whole family was finally united the next day. Upon seeing baby Autumn, very attentive big sister Scarlett gleefully exclaimed, "Baby, baby!" and proceeded to tickle her toes. Meanwhile, older brother Guy was surprised by her small size, asserting, "She's so little." He also noticed Jocelyn's hospital attire and observed, "Mommy is a doctor!"

Steve and Jocelyn named the baby Autumn Frost, because of their enduring love of the names both independently and in concert, and because she was born on a beautiful fall day that began with a frost-covered morning.

The family will return to their home in Lewisburg on Monday to begin their new life together!

###

Set your clocks

Just a reminder, daylight savings time ends. So if you're in a state that participates, don't forget to set your clock back before going to bed! :)

Voting

Did you vote early?

Wednesday Weekly

Have you ever seen a movie in theatres that you wished you hadn't seen in the theatre (or hadn't seen at all)? If so, which movie?

Family Home Evening Resource

You may already know that there is a new Nursery manual out. A friend of mine uses it for Family Home Evening and I thought that was a great idea. I tried it out tonight with our two year old and it went really well. I recommend it!

Pumpkin-carving Stencils

Nick Jr.

Disney

Midwives

Okay- it took me FOREVER, but I finally finished Midwives and I'm ready to talk about it!

Halloween!!

I just finished pulling together our costumes last night, and I'm anxious to hear what everyone else is being! And of course, I'd love to see pictures if you have them. I don't have pictures of ours, but as we are going to Disneyland next week for Mickey's Trick or Treat party, we went with a Disney theme.

Cecelia is being Nemo. I got a Nemo costume at the Disney Store after Halloween last year for just under $4! Paired with a cute orange and black Halloween outfit from Target and she's a pretty cute little fishy.

I'm being Tinkerbell. I went to Goodwill and bought a white tube top and white skirt. {I also bought a tan/skin coloured shirt so I will have the appearance of a strapless outfit} I found some $5 canvas ballet flats at Ross. I dyed the top, skirt and shoes green, cut the edge of the skirt so its jagged and attached big white pompoms to the shoes. Add wings and you've got Tink.

Scott is being Indiana Jones. His dad owns an Indy hat from Disneyland, so we went to Goodwill and got dark brown slacks and a tan shirt. Add a brown suede jacket Scott already owns and a pair of brown work shoes and he's a very convincing Indiana.


What about you girls? What fun costumes are you and/or your families wearing this year?

Wednesday Weekly: Salsa!

When it comes to salsa, do you prefer mild, medium, or hot?

What is your favorite store-bought brand?

Favorite restaurant salsa?

Do you have a homemade salsa recipe to share?

Early Bird

As a continuation of the sleeping discussion, do any of you have early birds? My 10 month old sleeps through the night, is a great napper, and puts himself to sleep with ease, but he typically gets up between 5:30 and 6:00am. At that point he is up for the day until nap time. I would love for him to extend his nights a little longer! He goes to bed at 8pm and we've tried making his bedtime a little later, but he has a hard time staying awake later and it doesn't seem to affect his wake-up time at all. Maybe he is just a natural early bird, but do you have any tricks to get your children to sleep in just a little bit longer?

Breastfeeding.

I am trying really hard to breast feed my baby. My first baby wouldn't latch on and it was frustrating so I gave up and pumped for three months and then just used formula after that. But this baby is really good at latching. It has been 2+ weeks and one side has toughened up but the other is still really sore with an open cut. I need some ideas of ways to heal it and toughen it up. I want the breastfeeding thing to work for me but if it is going to continue to be painful forever then I am going to give up. I have used lanolin, a doctor perscription, and gerber breast therapy stick. Any other ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I need advice!!

UPDATE: Kalli is doing so great! She no longer cries longer than 3-4 minutes if
she wakes up at all! I am so proud of her and myself- for sticking to it and doing it. Thank you all so much for the words of encouragement and your success stories! You ladies rock!

My eight month old daughter has decided in the last month and a half to stop sleeping very well at night. She used to sleep really well, sleep for 6-8 hours, wake up and eat and then sleep for 2-3 more hours. Well now she is back to waking up every 3-4 hours!! I know she doesn't need to nurse that often, but often I will find myself nursing her anyways just to get her back to sleep so I can sleep. So now I fear that this has created a habit with her and I don't know how to break it. So I am thinking of trying the 'cry it out' method, but nervous. I never had to do this with my son, he was always a good sleeper. So do I let her cry, but only for 15 minutes and then go comfort her? Do I let her cry until she is asleep? I had one person tell me this can instill abandonment issues with her. Yikes! I know I am probably over-worrying about this, but would love some insight. What has worked for other people????

October Book Club: Midwives

Alright, I'm still reading the October book!

One of my favourite things about our book club is it is making me move outside my "comfort zone" of reading (aka- no more chick-lit and Mary Higgins Clark or Nora Roberts!!) and read books that I wouldn't normally pick up off the shelf. And, I'm loving them!! I have found several new favourite books. The problem is, they are taking me longer to read than the "fluff" books like chick-lit! So, I'm still working on Midwives, but please feel free to start discussing. I'll be joining you all soon!!

Wednesday Weekly

How much of your Christmas shopping have you done so far?

Awesome CD Give Away!

If you would like the chance to win this CD (multiple winners)
go here and leave a comment!

This is an awesome new CD with great songs that both you and your kids will love. The tracklist includes: I'm A Believer; Rubber Ducky; Popcorn Popping; Sing, Sing a Song; When I See An Elephant Fly and some really great originals. To hear some samples go here.

$1 well spent for a toddler

Target One-spot delivers some treasures sometimes for only a $1. My daughter is two and her favorite part of library storytime is getting a stamp on her hand. She could stamp all day. Yesterday I found some monster pencil-top stampers at Target. I trained her to put the cap on after each use, and then using them was virtually mess-less. I couldn't figure out how to get them on top of a pencil, but it didn't seem necessary. Anyway, if you need a fun toy for your artistic tot, check out Target. Gotta love spending $1.

Wednesday Weekly

How many siblings do you have? If you're not an only child, where do you fall in the line up?

Awesome Giveaway

There is an awesome blog doing a "blog warming giveaway". Check it out and enter to win some way cute stuff!

Gift exchanges

Does your family gift exchange? How do you do it? A friend of mind told me the other day that her Mom called for a "green" gift exchange this year. They each give to one person, it must cost $5 or less, and must be made or bought at a garage sale or thrift store. How do you do it?

Give Away

In honor of conference I've got a give away on my blog.

What did ya'all think of conference? What messages stuck out to you?

Jogging Stroller Help!

I'm looking to buy a jogging stroller. Ideally, I'd like to find one on Craigslist, though I'm definitely not opposed to buying a new one. What should I be looking for? What brands are good?? I know several of you on here use one... Scott and I are getting ready to run a half marathon in January, and its just so hard to coordinate running since we have to find someone to watch Cecelia, or run by ourselves... so I'm thinking we should just take her along! Any ideas or help you girls can offer would be great! :D Thanks

Announcing the arrival of baby Schacher

Susan had her baby!!! Katelyn (middle name to be determined) Schacher arrived around 2pm this afternoon, Utah time. She is 8 days early, weighs 6 lbs exactly and is 19 inches long. She has lots of dark hair like her brother Cedric did when he was born. Susan was in activer labour for just under 4 hours and the doctor didn't even make it to deliver little Katelyn. Once Susan sends some pictures, I'll post those. *edit- pictures are here, obviously!*

Congratulations Susan, Eric & Cedric!!! We're so excited about your new arrival!

Children's museum Deal

Just read about an offer on www.babycheapskate.blogspot.com where if you buy an adult admission to a children's museum, your child is free. Unfortunatley the museum I wanted to go to was not on the list, but I noticed that cities where a lot of you live are on the list. Check it out!

Free Handbag!

My cute friend Natalie told me about this awesome drawing they are having at Handbag Planet. To celebrate the October 15, 2008 launch, they are giving away a free handbag every hour for 24 hours on the day of the launch. Sweet, huh? Make sure you sign up!

Wednesdsay Weekly

My ideal trick-or-treat bag would be filled with _______, _________, and ___________.

Frozen Meals?

I've been searching for a good cookbook with frozen meals in it for a while but I have yet to find one worth buying! Does anyone have any frozen meals they could share so that I can expand my horizons?

Conference Activity Packet for Children

My friend emailed me a really cute Conference Activity Pack published by Deseret Book. It is free and can be emailed around, it just can't be mass produced and used for commercial purposes. Anyway... it has lots of fun activities. I don't know if you girls have seen it floating around, but I thought I'd offer it to you. If any of you are interested in having me email it on, either leave a comment with your email address, or email me at officerswife33@gmail.com. I'm excited for Cecelia to be old enough to enjoy things like this! :D

Relief Society Broadcast

Does anyone have any thoughts to share from Saturday night's Relief Society Broadcast?

WINNERS!!!

Here are the three winners of the hair clip giveaway. I am just going to put your user name because I don't know most of you. Please e-mail me with your address so I can mail out your hair clips! susan.schacher@yahoo.com and CONGRATS!!

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Winner #1

HEATHIE

Winner #2

CLAIRE

Winner #3

STACEY

Thanks everyone for participating this was a lot of fun! I may do it again sometime!

Baby shoes

So, my baby girl has decided to beat her brother's mark of walking at 10 months. She is walking by herself for numerous steps right now and is not quite 8 months. Yikes!! So, it is getting close to winter and the end of her barefoot days. I figure she will be totally walking within a month or so and I guess she will need some shoes. Anyone have any suggestions for good shoes for a young toddler just starting to walk? What about the Robeez (sp?)? Are those meant for walkers or will she need more support? I don't obviously plan on her doing any 5k's in the near future, but when we are out and about and she wants to walk, I want her in shoes (for better grip than just socks and also for warmth!). Also, I don't want to spend a fortune because she is still growing so fast. Thanks for any tips!

Wednesday Weekly

What is a gift that you remember being really excited about receiving when you were a kid?

Neighborhood Gifts

Yes, I realize that it's only September 22 and we have yet to celebrate Halloween and Thanksgiving, but I'm a big fan of planning ahead. We've moved recently and so I get to start fresh with my Christmastime traditions in my new home and neighborhood.

What have your favorite neighbor gifts been that you've given or received during the holiday season? Think unique, inexpensive, fun, edible or any of the above.

Sweet Ring

So, I've come upon this awesome website that posts tons of deals and freebies. My favorite thing about it is that it's updated frequently...like multiple times a day! How great is that?! The most recent post is for this cute ring that you can get at Oneida for $1.99. Hello!? That is a deal.

(P.S. Is this also the website where I found this deal.)

HAIR CLIP GIVEAWAY!

Here is the deal. I have gone overboard on making hair clips for my baby girl. Who is not even born yet!! I have almost made 200 hair clips and I do not need that many! I have sold some of them but I am not a serious seller, I keep it cheap, and do pick up only. So I still have tons of clips. I decided it would be fun to do a drawing on Sugar and Spice and give some of the hairclips away. The way it works is you have to leave a comment on this post by Friday September 26 at midnight to be entered into the drawing. The winners will be selected on Saturday morning and I will make a post of who wins! Each winner will get 3 hair clips for FREE!!! If you want to check out some of the ones I have made you can go to www.cutehairclips.blogspot.com. So leave a comment and you could win!!

London Britches Falling Down...

I'm having a pants issue with my almost 2 year old! Any jeans, corduroys, etc. fall right off her waist. Today she is even wearing size 18 mos. jeans. They are too short, but they still fall off her bum! I don't even want to think about what the next size is going to do! I know all brands are different, but we seem to have this problem across the board. I can't find any belts small enough to fit her, and I haven't found any pants with the adjustable waistbands, because I have heard of those. Anyone else have this problem? My daughter isn't even small for her age, she's in the 50th percentile for weight, so I have a hard time believing I'm the only one with this issue!

For All You Harry Potter Fans...

Here's a Christmas/Birthday/Just Because gift idea for you. The San Francisco Music Box Company has all four Hogwarts house snow globes on sale for $22.50 each that is 50% off!! What a deal, huh?

Where Do You Find Book Recommendations?

The books I've read for our book club have quickly become some of my favourites!! Where do you girls find the books you recommend? I've never even heard of most of the books on our list, but I'm thoroughly enjoying all of them! Thanks for all the suggestions.

Great time to shop school supplies

Now's a great time to shop for school supplies. We needed two more backpacks for our 72-hour kit and my hubby bought them for 75% off today at Target. Notebooks and other things are very cheap. Get them before they clear it all out for Halloween!

Wednesday Weekly

What is the last thing that you ate?

Ideas please!

Last week in Michigan was rainy and cold-and a good glimpse of what it's going to be like to be stuck inside this Winter. A friend of mine is doing pre-school at home this year with her four year old, and is having really good results. It has me thinking-I'd like to do some kind of structured learning time/play time this Winter with my two year old. Obviously she's too young to drill numbers and letters and stuff, but I thought we could work on things like colors, and do crafts, songs, etc. The problem is, I'm going to run out of ideas fast! Do any of you have ideas, or do you know of a good source, website, etc. to get ideas from?

Sarah's Quilt

Does anyone else know that there is a sequel to "These Is My Words"? It's called "Sarah's Quilt". I recommend this to anyone who really enjoyed "These Is My Words". I was so excited to find this at the library because, honestly, I was really sad when the first book ended. I wanted to read more about Sarah. This book starts about 4 years after the first ends and isn't even an entire year long, but it's intense! I'd love to talk about it with anyone else who reads it.

Kirkland Wipes from Costco

Are they any good? Someone told me a few years ago that they were kind of dry but I haven't heard anything since. I don't want to buy a huge box before knowing more about them. I am not afraid of the more generic brands. I buy Target wipes all the time.

Meetup.com

I met a gal at a park the other day who told me about this neat website called Meetup.com. You type in your zip code and all these groups show up wherein you can find others with similar interests in your area. She used the site to find a Mommy and Me group that meets together several times a week at parks, malls, people's houses, etc. in our hometown. The group has its own guidelines that make it safe and organized, and there are already like 45 moms who joined it. Pretty cool, huh? I ended up joining it too and it's sounds really fun! Anyway, I just thought I'd mention it for anyone who is interested in looking around their own area for opportunities to meet some friends of different faiths. Even though I love my cozy LDS network, it's also nice to talk to other people in my community and maybe even have an opportunity to share the gospel. Hopefully this will be a good way to do just that!

P.S. It's been awhile since I've posted (and I've missed you all!) and I just want to say I LOVE the new template! SO so cute.

P.P.S. In case you don't remember me, I used to be "tagteamo3." But now, due to my husband getting his own gmail account, I am just Lisa. :)

October Book Club

Well, we discussed the September and August books last month, so we won't have a discussion this month unless someone has read something they feel like chatting about! But I just wanted to remind everyone that October's book is Midwives by Chris Bohjalian. Make sure you've reserved your copy so we will be ready to discuss in a few weeks!

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup craisins
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups oatmeal
(a little less than) 1 bag white chocolate chips

Combine eggs, craisins, and vanilla and let stand for one hour, covered with plastic wrap. Cream together butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to sugar mixture. Mix well. Blend in egg-craisin mixture, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. Dough will be stiff. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

(Using a full bag of chocolate chips seems to be a little too much with all of the sweetness of the craisins as well. This is an adapted oatmeal raisin cookie recipe--thanks Mom!-- so you can experiment with how many craisins and chocolate chips you want to use.)

Wednesday Weekly

Do you call a carbonated beverage "soda", "pop", or "coke"?

Free Coupons

This week at Target, Easy Ups and Pull Ups are on sale. Someone gave me a $2 off coupon for Pull Ups and $1.50 off Easy Ups and my baby won't be needing them for awhile. Anyone want them? Email me or leave a comment and I will gladly stick them in the mail for you. I just hate throwing away coupons that someone might be able to use!

molly(dot)stump(at)gmail(dot)com

What to do with Big Brother?

I am almost 36 weeks pregnant so baby will be coming soon. I am pretty sure that my Mom won't be here when I have the baby because she is coming two days after my due date. Because of this we have to make plans for what to do with my toddler. We already know that if I go into labor during the night then we have a couple of friends somewhat close by that could just come to our house to watch him. But if it is during the day we are not positive what we will do. So the whole preparing for baby coming has brought up some questions in my head. What did you do with your other child when you had your second? (we don't have family around) Did you take the other child to someone elses house or did you have someone come to your house? Did your husband go home after you had the baby to take care of your other child or did he still stay in the hospital with you? It's difficult to know what to plan especially when we don't have family near by to help out. I am also nervous because baby number 1 came so fast I barely made it to the hospital. If this one comes to fast what if we don't have time to take my son anywhere or to wait for someone to come to our house? Do we take him to the hospital? Okay maybe I am overly paranoid but just remember I am highly emotional from being pregnant and I also have anxiety when I am not pregnant, which doesn't help!

I also have been thinking about packing a bag for my son so that it's ready if we do take him to someones house. Today I was thinking of maybe putting some suprises in the bag. Some small cheap toys or treats. Any ideas of what I could put in there for a two year old boy?

Shower Time

So I was in the shower the other morning and my mother was watching the newborn and my sister was playing with the toddler and it dawned on me.  How am I going to do this next week when they all go home?????

When the big little one was a baby, she would hang out with me in her bouncy seat.  Now that she's older, she just wanders in and out or watches a show during my showers.  But what do I do with the other one?  If I wait until she's asleep, the older one could bother her or pull her basket off the bed. (she sleeps in a moses basket) If she's awake or in the bouncy seat, I could be watching her be bothered helpless from the shower while the older one tries to "gently" play with her. :)  

This is probably one of those problems that won't turn out to be a problem or I will turn into an afternoon shower-er while the older one naps.  but I really like my morning showers so let me know how you get clean with your little ones running around!!

Wednesday Weekly

What are three things you are afraid of?

Midnight Sun

Stephenie Meyer has posted her unedited draft of Midnight Sun--Edward's version of Twilight on her site.

Cow's Milk

My daughter is 17 months old and still nursing. I am totally ok with this, as I'm not quite ready to give up nursing yet, but I am concerned about the fact that she won't drink cow's milk. Whenever I hand her a cup of cow's milk, she takes a sip, then hands the cup back to me and "asks" for something else to drink... I know she needs the calcium, and up to this point I haven't wanted to fight her on the issue, but seeing as she is nursing less and less, and I know we'll be weaning in the next few months, I'd really like to get her drinking milk. I've tried giving her chocolate milk (something I'd rather she didn't drink often, but I wanted to see if that would work) and she didn't like it. I have also tried giving her milk over ice, since she loves all other drinks ice cold. She drank a few sips more this way, but still hardly drank any.

What suggestions do you girls have??

Nie Nie Day

I'm sure you girls have all heard about Nie Nie Day... its all over the internet right now! But I just wanted to post a reminder about all the auctions going on today to benefit Stephanie & Christian Nielson and family. Check out Design Mom for a listing of over 100 auctions going on around the blogging community today. Happy bidding!

Wednesday Weekly

What are the first three words/images that come to your mind when you think of RED?

Taking classes with a new baby and 2 year old.

I need opinions and fast. I am due Oct 16th and I already have a two year old. My husband is really pushing me to take two classes this semester so I can continue trying to finish my education. I want to finish but I really don't know that I can handle taking two classes this semester with a new baby coming half way through and having a toddler running around. The reason I would have to take two classes is to get financial aide. So I need opinions. Especially from Mom's with two babies. Do you think I will be able to handle it or am I crazy? Should I just put my foot down and say I am not going to take any classes to my husband, even if it causes conflict? By the way the only classes that are offered online that I can take are history and biology. Two pretty tough classes. Please give me your thoughts and advice. Classes start today!!

No no no no no no!

When we get in social settings, my (almost) two year old, says no repeatedly to any child! If someone is following her up the stairs on the playground, she says no no no no no. If a baby is playing with a toy 10 feet away from her, she says no no no no no. Most of the time, the other child is not playing with something that is even hers! It drives me bananas. I have taken this word completely out of my vocabulary, but the problem still exists. Is this a time-out worthy behavior? We give time-outs for other things and they are effective, but I don't know if I am up to giving time-outs like when we are at library storytime and she's saying no to the other kids under the parachute. But is that what I need to do? Do I punish her by taking her away from the fun activity and then have to watch twenty other moms stare at me as I drag a screaming toddler out of the room? HELP!

Any suggestions for cheap dates?

My husband and I TRY to go on dates twice a month, but sometimes it's hard on the budget. Do any of you have any great cheap date ideas? What's your favorite date?

Coupon Site

I know a lot of you like to look at the different coupon sites on the web. I found a pretty cool blog with coupons for all sorts of different places. They are printable coupons which I like. I am more of an instore shopper than internet shopper. Anyway the site is http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/ Check it out. My favorite coupons are the children's place and gymboree ones especially if you are shopping at the outlets!

Frustrating feeding

My 6 month old is refusing to eat baby food. I read through the posts in the parenting section about it and got some great ideas, thanks everyone. I'll try my best to persevere, it's just so frustrating when he'll turn his head or spit out the food. I'm wondering though, do you think it would be okay to give him soft cut up foods like sweet potatoes, reg. potatoes, carrots or some other food? He has two front bottom teeth, not that he knows how to use them yet. I may get one of those net pacifier things that food can be put into so he can chew and get the juice. I'm also thinking about starting with baby puffs. Can he eat crackers or teething biscuits yet? I have a toddler but he was such a good eater, he didn't put up a fight at anything.

Wednesday Weekly

What's been your favorite summer olympic sport to watch thus far in Beijing?

Request from the church

I just found this request from Church Public Affairs and thought I'd pass it along. CPA has asked that we post our experience with food storage on blogs, facebook, youtube, etc and then send a link to their office. Thought it may be something many of us would want to do.

Moby Wrap

I really want to get a moby wrap to use when I have my second baby(which is in two months from yesterday!). I have tried one on and really like them. Plus so many people have them out here in Utah they must be worth the money, Right? Do any of you have a moby? What do you think about them? I am also wondering if anyone knows the cheapest site to buy one from. I found one sale for $35 and free shipping that ends tomorrow but I wanted to see if anyone knew of anywhere cheaper. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. I Love You- August Book Club

Alright... I've been meaning to post this for the past 14 days! Who was able to read P.S. I Love You for our August discussion? I know we've discussed a couple other books already this month, and I have to tell you, I am loving it! I love to read and I'm really enjoying the discussions we have about books as well as all the great book recommendations I get from you girls.

So what did you all think of P.S. I Love You? I've mentioned before that it is one of my favourite books. And Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors. I'm excited to hear what everyone else thought of the book.

Ready to Discuss: Jodi Picoult "Change of Heart"

Any of you who have read a Jodi Picoult book know that she loves to add some twists and turns. I'd hate to ruin the book for anyone who hasn't read it, so I'm going to leave my thoughts in the comments. Just want you to be aware that there will be spoilers in the comments, so read at your own risk!

Cord Blood Banking

I've been curious about cord blood banking since I had my first girl in 2006.  It seemed like it might be a fad back then, but it's definitely still around.  I have read some but definitely not a ton.  I understand the benefits, but I also have always assumed it cost a ton to bank your child's cord blood.  In recent reading, I learned a few things.  It costs around $1500 up front to bank cord blood and about $100/year to keep it preserved.  However, I also learned that you can donate your child's cord blood to a public non-profit bank that anyone can benefit from.  We didn't bank baby #1's blood and there's this teeny part of my brain that thinks, someday she or her siblings will need it and we will be kicking ourselves that we didn't do this "insurance" if you will.  I'm pleased with the idea of donating it though so someone out there can use baby #2's if they need it.

I'm curious though.  Stem cells are a hot topic in politics and religion even.  How do you feel about cord blood banking?

Anyone have any personal experience with it? 

What do you feel the pros and cons are?

Would you do it if the money weren't a factor?   

New Jodi Picoult

Are any of you girls reading the new Jodi Picoult novel? Change of Heart? I would LOVE to have someone to discuss it with as I'm reading... any takers?

Wednesday Weekly

What's your favorite meal that you/your spouse make?

What's your favorite meal that your mom/dad made when you were growing up?

These is My Words Revisited...Again!

I probably shouldn't re-repost a discussion on this book but I have to give props to Tiffany for recommending this book!!  I actually checked it out twice but kept getting side-tracked on my reading.  This time, I read it in 3 days, it was so wonderful!!! I have to echo everything Claire said. It was wonderful and if you were a slacker like me, you should still read it! 

I reminded me of the Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas (who also wrote the Persian Pickle Club) and reminded me as well how much I love historical fiction!!

Punch

Does anyone have a great punch recipe?

Breaking Dawn Discussion

If you haven't finished reading, don't worry, I'm sure we'll all be willing to discuss it again! :)

So...what did you think?

Were you satisfied?  Not?

What did you think of how things ended?

What surprised you? Or what did you predict early on?

I was satisfied and enjoyed it and obviously devoured it :) but I was also a little disappointed with a few things.  I'll expound more in comments later.

Breaking Dawn

Are we really supposed to wait until September to discuss this book???? :)

Just kidding! Maybe I'll finally finish the last one!

Biggest Loser: Final Weigh In

AHHH!! I can't believe I forgot to post the final weigh in!! My brother in law is getting married on Friday so I am crazy busy putting together the guest book, getting music ready and making the wedding cake. And yesterday his fiance went through the temple... its been a busy, busy week.

So! How did everyone do? Use the comment section to post your success stories! I want to hear how you did, what you learned, what works for you, what doesn't... tell it all! I don't know about everyone else, but I'm certainly looking forward to reading your stories!

Fathers and Daughters

Sorry, I just had to share this beautiful picture of my daughter and husband.

Wednesday Weekly

1. Three things you're great at:

2. Three things you're not so great at:

Instilling Self Esteem

I have always had low self-esteem for as long as I can remember.  When I was a little girl, I was always the "I can't girl".  I know a lot of the roots of my own self-esteem problems, but now that I'm raising my own little girl, it's been on my mind a lot.

When I scold her, I worry that it's breaking her little spirit.  When I boost her up, I worry that I could push too far in the other direction too.  How do you build self esteem without turning your kid into a boastful, prideful thing?  How do you teach humility without making them feel scolded? How do you do you strike a balance?  I would love for my children to grow up with strong, healthy spirits and not have the same doubts that I was always plagued with.  The world is hard enough as it is and getting tougher to live in with high standards and I want my children to be armed with all the confidence necessary to stand up for what's right.   

Have you found good resources?  Are there books I should read? Am I the only one that worries about this? 

Pinecone

Hey girlies... I don't know how many of you have heard of Pinecone. Its an online survey company that is usually quite hard to get into. You have to come across one of their banners on a random site, sign up, hope to get accepted! The banners are hard to find, and you aren't suppose to advertise that you find one or you can get in trouble...

But, for the first time since I've been a Pinecone participant (over 2 years now) they are allowing us to email our friends and allow them to sign up. I don't get anything for referring you, other than the warm fuzzy feeling of sharing in the money making!! The surveys are easy. You get paid right away. I usually get my checks within a week of completing the survey. Scott is always excited when the checks come in the mail. He says "Look honey! More money from the Pinecone people." Occasionally they will send you products to test. Its a great company to do work for. I would say I average $15 a month. Not a ton, but that's still enough to buy a package of diapers and wipes!!

If any of you are interested in signing up, email me at officerswife33 at gmail dot com and I will forward you the link. Then sign up and start earning a little money!

Sweet Deal

Hi girls! I wanted to fill you in on this awesome sale I happened upon. It's at http://www.childrensplace.com/ and I scored some darling clothes for both of my kids for cheap, cheap, cheap!

Take an additional 50% off selected styles. The pickins' are getting pretty slim, so check it out quick!

P.S. Use the discount promo code: FA78 and you can get an additional 15% off!

Favorite Musical

What is every one's favorite musical? I used to be a huge musical theatre buff when I was single (and had money to attend musicals/buy cds) but I've really fallen behind. Plus my tastes have changed. When we moved out here I gave away half of my cd collection and now I'm wanting to rebuild it with musicals that are a bit more clean and uplifting.

I'd say my favorites are Aida and Les Mis! Though I have a lot of close runner ups!

Cheap Toy Storage

Right now I use our changing table for all of my sons toys. I am going to need the changing table again for little girl stuff and I am trying to figure out the best way to organize my toys. Oh and the cheapest way. Does anyone have any great ideas that doesn't cost to much? How are your children's toys organized? Also how do you decide whether or not to get rid of toys. Sometimes I think we have to many toys but I can't ever decide what I would get rid of! I would appreciate ideas!!

Biggest Loser: Week 11 Weigh In

One more week to go!! I'm so close to my goal weight... but far enough away that I don't think this one week will be quite enough! How about everyone else? I know a few girls have reached the goals they've set. Share your progress!

Wednesday Weekly

What is your favorite Girl Scout cookie?

Go Get Yourself a Jamba Juice!

Too good to be true!

Go to this site and get a BOGO coupon for a Jamba Juice.

Here's the clincher: it expires July 30th so hurry!! 

Hospital Bag Musts

I'm on my baby countdown! 21 days!  It's time to pull all the gear out, wash it, get it ready and pack the bag!

Last time, I took a big bag of stuff for labor and afterward and didn't use half of it and wished I'd put other stuff in.  I used the ipod but didn't use the magazines.  I wished I'd had my own toothbrush (the hospital issue ones were weird!) stuff like that.  

What were your essentials?  What was your lifesaver or did you wish you'd had?

Biggest Loser: Week 10 Weigh In

Week 10 is done! Only 2 weeks to go. How close is everyone to reaching their goals? Start thinking about the things you've learned and what you've accomplished throughout the weeks of Biggest Loser. I want to hear everyone's success stories in 2 weeks.

Wednesday Weekly

If you could have any view outside your bedroom window, what would it be?

Cloth Diapers?

Right now I have a 2 year old and a baby on the way and have been freaking out about how much I will soon be spending on diapers for the two of them. I remember my parents talking about using cloth diapers when I was a kid, and I have to admit it never sounded like something I would want to do. Recently however, we have had to use diaper covers on top of my sons overnight diapers to prevent leaking and it has gotten me thinking about switching the disposable diaper with a cloth diaper, since the disposable diaper isn't doing the job, and maybe even trying to use cloth diapers instead of disposable during the day for him and our baby to come. Have any of you tried cloth diapers? What did you think? If it is a huge ordeal, I have to admit that I probably won't stick with cloth, so I don't want to invest money into it until I feel comfortable that it won't be too bad, some of the cloth diapers look really easy to use.

Cheap book tip!

FYI, the Kohls Cares for Kids books this month are the Eric Carle books (Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See, etc.) That means they are nice hardcover books for $5 each. They have four different ones. I picked up the two my daughter doesn't have yet today, for early birthday or Christmas gifts. She loves the Eric Carle books. It might not be an absolute steal, but I thought it was a good deal, and it's for a good cause. Just thought I'd share!

Kids' shoes

Just wondering what you guys are willing to pay for kids' shoes, and where you find the best deals. My daughter is going on two, and is outgrowing the baby section at Target, which used to be my favorite place to buy her shoes. They were usually around $12 regular price! I like shoes that are cute, but also comfortable for her. I hate to spend a lot, because they outgrow them so fast. I see shoes that are good brands go on sale for twenty something, and I'm just wondering if that's a good price, or can I find something cheaper???

Free Huggies Wipes

I saw a link on Baby Cheapskate to an offer for free Huggies wipes. Just wanted to pass the info along!

Blenders and food processers

I don't own a blender or a food processer. I would like to be able to make smoothies, baby food, and vegetable purees (like in Jessica's Seinfeld's book, Deceptively Delicious). Would it be best for me to own both or could I do it all efficiently with just a blender? Any recommendations on specific brands of either of these?

Bike trailers/joggers

I am in the market for a bike trailer. I jog a lot, too so I want to purchase a bike trailer that also can convert into a jogging stroller. I've done a little bit of research and it seems that there are several price points (under $200, $200-500, and over $500). Of course I want to spend under $200 but I wonder if that is realistic. I jog or walk three miles 3-5 time a week. Once I get a trailer I plan on biking at least a few times a week (for fun and for errands).

Any insights to share? I am willing to pay up to $500, but of course would like to get by with less (my bike didn't even cost that much!). What brand/model do you have that you love?

Biggest Loser Challenge

How did everyone do last week? About trying something new with food? Report in a comment.

This week's challenge: Hydration!!! Drink at least eight 8 ounce servings of water each day. Soda, juice, etc. don't count.

What are some benefits of staying well hydrated?

• More energy, power and endurance
• Stay cooler, feel better
• Go farther and faster
• Work harder, burn more calories.

As you exercise, keep in mind the following hydration tips:

• Drink early -- about 2 hours before exercise.
• Drink often -- continually sip fluids rather than gulp them down infrequently.
• Add sport/energy drinks -- they help restore carbohydrates and electrolytes.
• Drink after -- Post-exercise hydration gets your fluid levels back to normal and can help with recovery.
• Finally, make sure your fluids are close at hand. When you're 2 miles into a hike, your water bottle is not much good to you sitting in your car.

Wednesday Weekly

Vanilla, Chocolate, or Swirl?

Biggest Loser: Week 9 Weigh In

Only 3 more weeks to go!! I don't know about you girls, but I am close to my goal and so motivated to actually accomplish it! Any progress made this week?

Returning Bottles

Two different people have told me in the past few days that they brought their Avent bottles into Babies R Us and were given an in-store credit to buy BPA-free bottles. I threw my Avent bottles away and just bought the Born Free bottles (free of BPA), but it would have been awesome to get some in-store credit to buy them! Just wanted to pass this along.

Being LDS - New Blog to Share with Friends

Hello Sugar & Spice Sisters!

After reading the article in this month's Ensign about using the Internet to share the gospel, I decided to start my own blog to let my friends know how being a member of the church has blessed my life. My goal is to share my testimony and explain simple gospel principles through my own experiences. I would love it if you would visit my blog and let me know if you have any suggestions for my site (i.e. content and execution, topic ideas) Also, feel free to share this blog or any of my posts with your friends. Happy Blogging, Jocelyn

http://beinglds.blogspot.com/

Video Camera Help

We are thinking about buying a video camera for our anniversary and I don't even know where to start looking! I know we want something small... we have a dinosaur sized one! That's what we want to get away from. So I was hoping you girls could help me out... What kind of video cameras do you have? What do you like or dislike about them? Thanks!!

Biggest Loser Challenge (better late than never!)

Hi everyone!

I'm sorry for not posting challenges the last 2 Thursdays! I just moved to another state and had to wait for internet service. Anyway, now I'm back in full force and ready to issue another challenge.

Even though I am posting this challenge late I think we all can complete it before next Thursday. This week's challenge is to try something new with food. You decide what that means and report back next week. You could try a new fruit or vegetable. You could try a new recipe (hopefully low cal or low fat or in some way healthy). Try using whole wheat flour in your cookies or bread you make. Try switching to brown rice or whole wheat spaghetti.

This is an easy challenge (I am still unpacking...) and I look forward to seeing what we come up with!

More of "These is My Words"

Oh. My. Goodness. I just finished reading "These is My Words". AWESOME recommendation Tiffany. I'm going to leave my thoughts in a comment, so as not to ruin it for anyone else!!

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A

If anyone's looking for something fun (and kind of crazy) to do with your family tonight, Chick-fil-A is holding their annual Cow Appreciation Day. Dress up like a cow from head to toe and get a free combo meal. Kids get a free kids meal, I believe. Details here and here.

Edward fans

Okay, so I ran across this and thought it was pretty funny.

http://mormonhusbands.blogspot.com/2008/02/truth-about-edward-from-twilight.html

Good thing Jacob is my fave...

Biggest Loser: Week 8 Weigh In

I'm a day late, but better late than never, right! And I'm sure you are all anxiously awaiting the chance to update us on your weight loss!! So lets hear it...

Wednesday Weekly

What was your favorite TV show when you were in elementary school?

One coupon crazy woman!

Ok, I just got back from Target and I spent a grand total of $14.75. Want to know what I got for that price?
3 jumbo packs(40 count) of Pampers size 3 diapers (on sale this week for $8.49/each)
3 value packs (231 count) of Pampers wipes (not on sale for $5.99/each)
and a $5 target gift card

Thanks to coupons, manufacturer and target web coupons and the greatest blog in the world next to this one:
http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com

You can see how it is done under the entry Top Diaper and Formula Deals of the week.

I love coupons!

Tell me it's just a phase!

AAaaaaghhhh! My 21 mos old, who's never really struggled with shyness or stranger anxiety, is regressing in nursery! She used to LOVE it, and cried when she had to leave. Now she won't stay in there without my husband or I. She completely freaks out. I'm okay with her crying for a few minutes, but the nursery leaders bring her to me right away. I don't know what to do! I keep hoping it's just a phase, but I'm wondering what will make the phase end??? Needless to say, Church has been miserable for us the past few weeks. Have any of your children gone through phases like this? Any particular tips to get through it? Tell me there's an end in sight!

Book Club... List for Coming Months

Alright... I've put together a very short list of books to read for upcoming months... Please, please, please feel free to leave comments with other books you'd like to read (or if you object to any of the books that I've posted!)

For August discussion: P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
For September discussion: Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer (I don't know how many of you are Twilight fans... if not enough people have read the first three books, we'll change this book out, so let me know!)
For October discussion: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
For November discussion: Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
For December discussion: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Alright... that's all I've got for now! The one other book that was suggested a few times is A Thousand Splendid Suns, but it sounds like a bunch of you have already read that... do you just want to start a discussion on it right now, or are there enough people who haven't read it that it needs to be put on the list?

Wednesday Weekly

Hmmm...this is kind of lame, but I feel like asking it anyway!

What is your favorite patriotic song?

making things easier

My husband seems to always be thinking of things to make life with little ones a little easier. We let my toddler drink one of those drinkable yogurts with a straw but it usually ends with a mess. Tonight he stuck the straw through the foil top to keep it covered. Simple, yet I would have never thought of that. Here are a few other things I have learned from him that you may benefit from:

1. Most cars have an arrow pointing to the side of the car that the gas tank is on right where you read how full your tank is. My car actually doesn't have it, but most do!

2. You know how it's so hard to butter untoasted bread sometimes? When my husband makes grilled cheese, he puts the pat of butter in the warmed pan and then rubs the piece of bread onto the melted butter.

3. Lastly, for the perfect toddler banana hold, he peels the banana then cuts off the long peels with scissors.


Thanks for always making my life better, honey!

Biggest Loser: Week 7 Weigh In

Week 7 is over! Is our Biggest Loser challenge just zooming by for anyone else? I can't believe its been 7 weeks already! Where's everyone at?

These is My Words Discussion

Happy July everyone! I FINALLY got my copy of These is My Words and finished it last night (I couldn't put it down). I loved this book and hope that you all did too. I'm going to post some discussion questions in the comments...and everyone feel free to just say how you felt about the book too. You don't really have to answer the questions. (I know I'm posting this early, but I'm going out of town soon so I wanted to get it out there before I leave. :) )

So what book did we decide we're going to discuss in August?

What's in a Name?

Another mommy blog I belong to had an interesting conversation going about "naming conventions". I loved reading everyone's responses so I thought I'd ask the S&S girls... do you have a method to naming your children? Do you look for a certain type of name, whether it be ethnicity, meaning, time period, etc? I'd love to hear how your children got their names...

For us, we wanted names with family ties, that aren't too trendy and somewhat old fashioned (we like to call them classic!). Of course, it seemed that right as I got pregnant the old fashion names made a comeback and several of the names we like are becoming quite popular. Olivia is one that we really love and will probably never use! Our little girl is named Cecelia Shannon. Cecelia is my great grandmother and Shannon is the name of Scott's older sister who passed away when she was only 2.5 months old. I love that we have stories to share with Cecelia regarding why her name is so special. I hope that as she learns about the two great women she is named after that she will feel a special bond with them and be proud to carry their names.

Abundance

I just finished reading "A New Earth" by Echart Tolle. You may have heard of it from Oprah. My sister recommended it to me and I really loved it. There were so many moments where I thought, "Wow, that is so true", or "That totally makes sense". He definitely put new ideas into my mind as well. I haven't had a chance to watch the Oprah podcasts along with it, but if you have time and are interested, that is highly recommended from my sister.

Here is an excerpt that really hit me. Perhaps it can give you a little extra inspiration this week:

"Who you think you are is also intimately connected with how you see yourself treated by others. Many people complain that others do not treat them well enough. 'I don't get any respect, attention, recognition, acknowledgement," they say. 'I'm being taken for granted.' When people are kind, they suspect hidden motives. 'Others want to manipulate me, take advantage of me. Nobody loves me.'

Who they think they are is this: 'I am a needy little me' whose needs are not being met.' This basic misperception of who they are creates dysfunction in all their relationships. They believe they have nothing to give and that the world or other people are withholding from them what they need. Their entire reality is based on an illusory sense of who they are. It sabotages situations, mars all relationships. If the thought of lack-whether it be money,recognition, or love-has become part of who you think you are, you will always experience lack. Rather than acknowledge the good that is already in your life, all you see is lack. Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance. The fact is: Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding from the world. (emphasis added) You are withholding it because deep down you think you are small and that you have nothing to give.

Try this for a couple of weeks and see how it changes your reality: Whatever you think people are withholding from you-praise, appreciation, loving care, and so on-give it to them. You don't have it? Just act as if you had it, and it will come. Then, soon after you start giving, you will start receiving. You cannot receive what you don't give. Outflow determines inflow. Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you already have, but unless you allow it to flow out, you won't even know that you have it. This includes abundance. The law that outflow determines inflow is expressed by Jesus in this powerful image: "Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap."

Another Blog to Share

Is it still "favourite website June"? Cause I found another one to share... for all you with little girls, this is a fun blog! www.shedoeshair.blogspot.com. Its a collection of photos of fun hairstyles for little girls. My daughter is still mostly "hair impared" though I like to hope that I'll eventually get to do fun things like this!! For now, we just use ky-jelly to stick homemade bows to her head! One day though, one day, I'll be able to put her hair in pigtails! Hopefully before she goes to kindergarten... :D

SYTYCD

Just curious if anyone watches So You Think You Can Dance on Fox. So far this is the best year yet!

Biggest Loser Challenge - Track what you eat

I know... it seems that no one likes to track what they eat. With weight loss, knowing what you are eating is vital!!! We tend to think that we eat less than we actually are.

So this week's challenge is to track what you eat. Every. Single. Thing. Write it down.

You don't have to figure out the calorie amount. The challenge is to track every single thing you put in your mouth as well as the quantity (handful, 1/2 cup, etc.)

Let's see if becoming more aware of what we eat will help us break through the plateaus... or jump start a loss!

(I know it is hard, I know it isn't fun. Do it anyway.)

How did everyone do with the push up challenge?

Wednesday Weekly

Are you a side sleeper, back sleeper, or belly sleeper?

Biggest Loser: Week 6 Weigh In

Half way mark... where's everyone at with their weight loss? What's working for you and what isn't? What changes do you plan on making in the next 6 weeks to get closer to your goal?

Hurry great deal ends soon!

I have found this great deal on babycenter.com! There is a section that offers great deals and free stuff and there I found a deal for diapers.com. Right now, if you spend 50$ or more, your shipping is free and you get 10$ off your price! So, I have already done this once and it is awesome. I got 220 size 2 diapers (luvs), a pack of little swimmers and a box of nursing pads for 41$ shipped right to my door! (It was 51$ before the 10$ off) I would spend over 50$ on that at walmart and have to drive there! You can only use this discount once(for new customers) so this time I have to be sneaky and have my mom order it and have it delivered to her house and just pay her. Still worth it to me! Diapers.com has lots of stuff like diapers, wipes, toys, pacifiers, everything for baby! It says the deal is expiring soon, so hurry up! When you are placing your order on diapers.com, once you have reached 50$ your free shipping comes automatically but to get the 10$ off you need to type in BCENTER in the promotion code box. Hope this helps someone save a little money and a trip to the store!

Awesome Website

I don't know if you girls are familiar with www.simplemom.net, but she is AWESOME!! I absolutely love her blog. She always seems to be writing about stuff that totally pertains to me. And sometimes, I wonder if she's Mormon! :D She just did a serious of articles about money management that I thought were awesome. She talks a lot about Dave Ramsey and his plan for a debt free life. I highly recomment checking her out, and let me know what you think of her blog!

Play Dough recipe

I made play dough for the first time with my 20 mos old this week, and it was a huge hit! I wasn't sure if she would be old enough, but she definitely was. After all, you don't have to be very old to make a mess! And actually, as far as the mess factor goes- it wasn't bad at all. Super easy clean up and no staining! I even enjoyed it. I would be intently shaping animals and stuff, without even realizing it! Anyway, there are tons of simple recipes out there. I just looked for one that I already had the ingredients for, and found one in a recipe book one of my previous wards had compiled. A couple of you gals requested the recipe on my personal blog, so I thought I'd just post it for all of you!

3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups salt
5 tbsp. cream of tartar
3 cups water
4 tbsp oil
(I added food coloring to make it a fun color)

Mix ingredients in pan on medium heat, and stir until thick. Cool on cookie sheet.

I know there's lots of fun recipes out there for things like "flubber" or silly putty, or even different kinds of playdough. Feel free to share if you have one you love!

Easy Mac!

My daughter asks for mac'a'noodles practically everyday...twice a day. But I get a little sick of it. I have resisted trying Easy Mac because it seems more expensive and frivolous but I've seen how easy and convenient it is. So, when it was on sale this week, I got some. So worth the money! the only problem is she actually could eat a package and half or more at one sitting! If you have a noodle fanatic like mine, it is so worth it! If you haven't tried it, go for it!

S&S Make Over

Sugar and Spice has gotten a make over! Hopefully everyone likes it, and finds it easy to view, but if you have any problems, PLEASE let me know!! I'm still new to this whole html thing, so there could be some bugs, but I'd be happy to fix them.


Let me know what you think, and most importantly, what needs to be changed!

Biggest Loser Challenge: Push ups!

Alright ladies!!! How did the 10% challenge go? Who did it?

I have a confession - last week was so busy I didn't even remember I issued the challenge until Sunday. Nice. After that, I tried to cut my calorie intake by 10%. That meant eliminating an extra 150 calories a day. I'll just say that I love those 150 calories. They were hard to give up.

This week's challenge is to do push ups. I learned this at an aerobics class we had at my church building. Instead of doing them on the floor, we did them against the stage. Stand away from the stage about 3 feet (maybe less for shorter people), place hands a little more than shoulder width apart on the edge of the stage. Do pushups - your chest should almost touch the stage as you lower. Do 3 sets of 10. The further out your feet are from the stage, the more difficult the push up.

I thought this was a great way to do push ups. For some reason it is less intimidating than a floor push up. It was easier for me to have correct form (make sure your bum isn't sticking high in the air! You should keep your body as straight as possible).

So the challenge is this: when you are in the kitchen, waiting for water to boil, food to warm up in the microwave, whatever, do these push ups against your kitchen counter. Really try and push yourself (hahaha, no pun intended) - don't just do one or two, but try at least 5 at a time. Do these throughout the day, when you are in the kitchen.

Report back next week. CAN WE PUSH IT??? YES, WE CAN!!!

Wednesday Weekly

How do you like to celebrate the 4th of July?

header

Does anyone want to design a new header or anything else to "spice" up S&S?

Biggest Loser: Week 5 Weigh In

Week 5... next week will be our halfway point! How's everyone doing?

Youth Fireside Part 2

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone has given so far. I really like the idea of an anonymous Q and A session. One of the things I've decided to incorporate is a list of suggestions for fun and creative dates. I hear stories from friends and fam out in Utah all the time about creative dates they have gone on, but that's something that simply does not exist out here. Kids pair off and get serious and exclusive really young here. Dating consists of watching movies (unsupervised) at each other's houses! So, I'm hoping that you guys can tell me about some of the dates you went on before you were married, or dates you have heard of, so I can help the youth learn the right way to date! Thanks again for all the help!

More Book Club Questions

Alright... So far, here are the suggested books I've pulled from the comments. If you have others in mind please let me know!!

* A Thousand Splendid Suns
* Persian Pickle Club

I know a bunch of us have read different Jodi Picoult books (19 minutes, Plain Truth, My Sister's Keeper) and I'm wondering what you girls think of reading books like that for book club? I know some of them have a little bit of foul language so I didn't know what your thoughts are on reading those type of books. To be completely honest, I'm a speed reader, I skim books so more often than not, I don't realize there is swearing unless someone else points it out to me... I know that not everyone is that way and I don't want to choose or suggest books that will offend anyone, so let me know what your thoughts are! And of course, keep suggesting books.

I think for now we will all read "These Is My Words" in June, to discuss in July, so we have a little bit of time, but the faster we can come up with a list the better, so we can all get on the waiting list for the books!

Happy Reading everyone!

Youth Fireside

Help! My husband and I were chosen by the youth to do a youth fireside at the end of the month. Apparently they think we are "cool." I'm flattered to be chosen, but quite afraid they're going to be disappointed. While my husband and I are very content with our little life, I don't consider us to have exeptionally exciting lives or life stories, nor are we necessarily especially hilarious or entertaining people. We're just...average! Anyway, we were told we could do the fireside on ANY topic. Ugh. I hate not having guidance! The YM president did say it might be nice to gear it towards dating since we were a couple. I know a lot of you have callings, or have had callings with the youth, and I am hoping you might have some ideas for topics that have been a hit with the youth, and on how I can make it a fun, interesting fireside-yet something they can benefit from! I don't just want to "talk" at them. I was trying to think of a game format, or a Q and A session, or something to switch it up a little! HELP! I have to uphold this uh,"cool" image!!! lol

Alright Twilight Fans...

I just finished "Eclipse", book 3 in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. I put a post about it on my personal blog and was surprised that people were either fans of Jacob or fans of Edward, having never discussed the books with anyone before. So now I'm really curious. Who is it for you? Jacob or Edward?

Plagiocephaly (aka "Flat Head") in Infants

I had to attend a mandatory inservice on this topic last night, for work, and I found it really interesting. I apologize if this is information you've all heard, but I know I've had a few friends go through it with their children lately. And I figured if I'm a neonatal nurse, and a mom, and I can still learn from it, than hopefully some of you can as well! So this is info, in my own words, but taken from a lecture given by Vicki Caine, a Physical Therapist from Pediatric Rehab.

Since the "Back to Sleep" campaign, there has been a large increase in infants with flat spots on the backs, and sides of the back of the head. It can range in severity, and in the most severe cases you may have seen these babies wearing helmets. There can be other medical causes, but back sleeping is the largest contributor. What really made this stand out to me was when Vicki pointed out that the newborn brain is literally growing 24/7. If the head is lying against something, the brain can't push the skull out in that area, so it pushes it out in the areas that aren't lying against a flat surface instead. When you put that into perspective with how much a newborn sleeps in a 24 hour period, and that most of them lay in the same position when sleeping, all of a sudden it makes perfect sense why flat spots are so common.

Research has shown that sleeping on the back is safest. So what can we do about it? You can encourage your baby to look to both sides by switching up what sides you give care from. (Most of us tend to always change diapers, bottle feed, etc. from a certain side.) Don't always lay them with their head at a specific end of the crib, changing table, etc. Also, limit time in bouncy seats, infant carriers, and swings, as they are still putting pressure on the back of the infant's head. When you are holding your baby, try to snuggle them upright, or at least so their bellies are against you. It's okay for your baby to sleep on their belly if you are right there! One suggestion she made was to carry your baby around in a sling against you, in an upright position sometimes instead of always putting them in a bouncy seat or swing. Last but not least, we all know the importance of tummy time! Don't give up, even if your baby hates it. Try to make it a fun time, by getting on the floor with them, putting toys and a mirror in front of them, etc.


Sorry if that seemed like common sense, but I thought it was a good reminder! My little one wasn't a baby that was content to lie still for long anyway, but I will definitely use these tips with the next one!

Potty Training

So I know we recently had a post about potty training but I have more questions. My son is only 22 months and today he went potty on the toilet 3 times! I didn't think that I was potty training him yet! I still am not sure. Do you think that I should potty train him? What are some ideas you have to help me out? Also I thought boys took longer to potty train because they don't gain control until they are a little older, has anyone heard that before or know anything about it? Any comments and answers to questions would be greatly appreciated!!

Book Club

Alrighty Book Club members... we've been running into a problem recently! We are all waiting weeks or months to get ahold of book club books! Aubrey had an awesome idea so I thought I'd post it... she suggested we come up with books more ahead of time so that we all have chance to place them on hold, get a copy, then read it!! So, if you are part of the book club, and even if you aren't... please leave a comment with the name or names of books you want to read. Then we can make a list of the books we will be reading in the upcoming months, and we'll (hopefully) all be able to get a copy with plenty of time to read it and think about it, before discussing!

Biggest Loser: Challenge - 10%

Alright ladies!!!! How did the Core Challenge work for everyone? Strengthening one's core is very important to overall health and fitness - it influences our posture, our form, and strengthens our tummies and backs.

I have been thinking for a bit about what kind of challenges to make. Coming up with 12 challenges is a challenge!!

This week's challenge is about 10%. I challenge each of you to do something 10% more or 10% less for an entire week. Here are some examples:

• Eat 10% more veggies and fruits
• Increase your cardio workout time by 10%
• Consume 10% fewer calories
• Sleep 10% longer (unfortunately this usually means going to bed earlier rather than later)

You decide what the activity is - just make sure you keep the 10% rule.

Would you go?

I just moved back to the state where I went to high school. I graduated ten years ago. I never thought I'd be faced with this dilemma since I lived all the way in Minnesota. But I'm here now and there's a ten year reunion coming up. I haven't been even tempted before this week but now I'm starting to feel guilty. I didn't enjoy high school. I survived it. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way (and I know I need to get over it-it's been ten years!) but I don't have a strong desire to rub shoulders with a bunch of people who I wasn't that close with. There will be a few friends there and definitely some people I wouldn't mind seeing but I'm just not that enthralled. It's made me curious. If you were in the area, would you go to yours?

ps-I already RSVP'ed so there's no turning back, I was just curious if my feelings are common.

Wednesday Weekly

What's your favorite flavor of pie?

Book Club for June

Okay, so just so you know I haven't totally forgotten about our book club discussion for These is My Words this month...I just have one problem: I've been on a waiting list for this book for the past month and a half at my library! So...I can't really discuss it yet. Hopefully I get it soon and you all will forgive me as being the worst discussion director for not reading my own book yet...

Also, I'm not sure who regularly participates in Book Club who hasn't picked a book yet. So...if you would like to pick the book for July...just let me know and I'll edit this post to announce the book chooser. :) Thanks ladies! :)

How to Achieve Your Childhood Dreams

Have you heard of this guy? He was on Oprah today and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My Mom told me about him being on NPR a few weeks ago but I forgot his name and never looked him up. I was so glad to stumble on his inspiring talk today.

At his "last lecture" he shared "How to Achieve Your Childhood Dreams". It always strikes me how often these bits of wisdom are really just taking us back to the things we're taught at church every week. Be honest. Be grateful. Love your parents and families. Repentance was even in there as he talked about apologizing and trying to make things right. What also struck me was how at peace he was with his fate and his current status. He has three kids under the age of 5! I'm not sure I would be that secure and I admire him for it.

Enjoy his thoughts!

Foil

I just received a forwarded e-mail about foil that I thought was interesting. Something I didn't know!

"I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to remember. Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when you are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over. The darn roll always comes out at the wrong time.

Well, I would like to share this with you. Yesterday I went to throw out an empty Reynolds foil box and for some reason I turned it and looked at the end of the box. And written on the end it said, "Press here to lock end". Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. How long has this little locking tab been there? I then looked at a generic brand of aluminum foil and it had one, too. I then looked at a box of Saran wrap and it had one too! Ican't count the number of times the Saran warp roll has jumped out when I was trying to cover something up."