Updated pics of the kids August 2014

How my life has changed since I started giving...

A few weeks ago, I noticed a huge amount of people posting on facebook about donations. I'm not sure if those types of posts have always been there and I just now noticed, or if it is a new trend. I'll be completely honest. When I first saw these coming across my newsfeed, I thought what I'm sure a lot of people think...
This isn't for people like me...
This is for rich people...
I can barely afford to feed my family, what makes these people think that I can just hand out money to their gofundme account...?

But then, I saw a post from a friend that said, "What if you just donate $1.."
I decided that I would.

 But not this paycheck! I will one day though.. I promise! 

It wasn't until I saw that that very friend who had her own gofundme decided to donate all her donations to another friend, that was when I finally realized that it was time. It was time for me to open my heart like she had done.

My very first form of giving was at church. I decided that I would finally tithe. I had the same opinions on tithing as I did on donating to gofundme. I thought it was only for the rich. My 10% at the time was only $15! However, I gave. 

Fast forward to later that week, our washing machine gave out. We called a mechanic that came out to assess the damage. He said we would be better off buying a new machine. As previously mentioned, we were only clearing about $150 a week at the time. There was no way we could afford that. I started shopping around and mentioned my issue to my mom. She said, "Oh! Your brother has a brand new machine just sitting in our shop! You can have it!"

 It was like a miracle! 

Fast forward two days later, Joel had already given up looking for work and decided we would just continue to do what we were doing. We would have to continue to struggle but him quitting school wouldn't be an option for us. Out of nowhere, he got a phone call. He was offered the postion at Coca Cola he had been turned down for a few weeks ago. This meant a DOUBLE in annual salary for us! My first concern, however, was about the kids' insurance. I was afraid they would lose their government provided insurance with Joel's change in salary. I called them and they said that the children would still be covered and we could choose whichever insurance we wanted for them. 

In one week, we had 3 things that helped us financially. I knew right then that I had to keep giving.

Call it karma, call it a blessing from God, but whatever you call it, IT IS WORKING for me. 

Since then, I have continued to give. I've given to church regularly, as well as two other extremely good causes. One of them is for my friend Zee whom is trying to afford life changing surgery. The other is the woman that was donated the other funds from my friend. I knew if it was that important to my friend, it must really mean something. She is a mother trying to afford a vehicle for her family. I'm linking both of these below.

 Just as my friend said,
"What if you just give $1?"

To donate to the mother that needs a vehicle

To donate to Zee's Surgery

My weight loss journey- Starting March 5 2014

My weight loss journey

Everyone that has seen me recently has taken notice in how much weight I've lost. I'm going to try to update this post regularly and keep updating. So far, I've lost 42lbs. I really take pride in the fact I can say I've done it by just eating healthy and going to the gym. I haven't used any wraps, pills, or quick fix methods. I cut way back on carbs, count calories, only drink water, and limit my sugar intake. I've been doing a lot of cardio, mostly on the elliptical, but plan to start doing more toning and weight training as I'm getting closer to my goal.
When I started I wore a size 20. I'm currently in a size 10-12. 

When I started I was 230lbs. I'm currently 188lbs. 

Here's a look back at how I've changed so far...

Christian's 5th Birthday Party-FROZEN THEME!

 Christian's 5th birthday party was a ton of fun! He chose a frozen theme. When I started shopping around, I was really disappointed that all I could find for frozen was pink! I had to make everything and work with what I could find. Overall, it was a success!

Ian's Farm Themed 2nd Birthday Party

Farmer Ian turns 2!

Ian's 2nd birthday was a cold one! We were very glad that we chose to have it indoors.

His cupcakes turned out exactly as I had hoped. My dad had his friend make them for the party.

The other decorations and favors came together nicely as well. We had little carrot candy and carrot thank you bags. Ian's Yaya made the yellow piggy pinata. We used Easter grass on the table to give it a cool look. Below the punch bowl, we had an assortment of farm animals.

I can't believe my baby is seriously 2 years old! Where, oh where, has the time gone?

DIY Fix-It-Felix Jr

Halloween 2013

I remember when I found out I was pregnant, I thought about being one of  those moms that home made everything from scratch. That thought didn't last long! I laughed at the very idea because I knew that I was far from handy OR crafty. Well, look at me now! 

There were several posts on Pinterest with DIY Fix it Felix and a couple for Wreck it Ralph but none that had everything I wanted to accomplish. I'm going to try to break it down as best as I can since I didn't really take pictures while I was making it. Please visit This Post to view DIY Wreck it Ralph.

Fix it Felix Jr.

Supplies and Cost

Fix it Felix was a cheap and easy DIY project but it was a bit tedious. The first thing I got was the shirt, for $12 at Children's Place, and the boots were $10 at Walmart. I got long sleeved because if it's cold I can roll the sleeves down. I figured those items he'll be able to wear again as well! He already had jeans, hammer, and the hat, which was a bit off color but I think it still looks good. I bought a blue bandana from Hobby Lobby for 69 cents. The belt buckle was about a dollar and the strap that I used for the belt was a dollar a yard (I only needed 1 yard). I bought a canvas pouch that would tie around the waist, also at Hobby Lobby, for $2. Finally, I got a piece of yellow felt for 23 cents at Walmart, some white puffy paint for $2, and gold spray paint for about $6. If you're still adding, I'll help you out! That totals $34.92. If you exclude the fact that I would have bought the shirt and boots anyway since he can wear them all fall/winter, that's only 12.92!! This tiger costume I had considered is $37 on Amazon BEFORE shipping. I think I did pretty good!

How I did it

The hat: Felt cut out the Fix it Felix logo (as best as I could!) hand sewn on in the corners so I can later take it off and reuse the hat.

The belt: The belt was made from a strap I got at Hobby Lobby. All I did was attach the buckle by folding it around and under and hand sewing it in place. I made the hole where I wanted it using a small screwdriver. I then cut the pockets from the canvas pouch I got at Hobby Lobby. I cut them down a lot because the full sized pocket was way too big for his little legs! I sewed around the edge with a zig zag stitch to prevent fraying and sewed them in place on the belt. I also used an extra strip of the strap to make a hammer holder. I hand stitched it on but looking back, I could have done it much faster with the machine.

The patch: I typed up the font on the computer and printed it out. I then cut a single layer from the bandana. It is thin enough you can see the font through the bandana when you place the paper underneath. I didn't bother trying to trace it, I went straight at it with the puffy paint and it turned out GREAT! I then sewed the patch to a square of canvas (leftover from the pouch for the pockets). I sewed using a tight zigzag stitch and did it in the oval shape like I wanted. I didn't do it perfect. At all. I've only been sewing for about a month and usually straight lines. Don't stress over it. I then cut it out along the edge and hand sewed it on the shirt. I got lucky and had a thread that was EXACT to the bandana color so you couldn't see how little I actually sewed and how spacey it was. I wanted to be able to cut it off and reuse the shirt later. 

The hammer: 

Learn from my mistakes. 

Only do one layer of paint.
(Doing more will cause it to remain tacky and not dry properly)
Don't paint it on a plate
(It will stick and pull off the paint which will make you do MORE layers)
Let it dry overnight before touching
(Or you'll get fingerprints)
Don't let them play with the hammer until halloween
(they'll pound the paint right off)

Now, with all that being said, I ended up having to buy another hammer and start all over. Luckily, big lots had a tool kit for $7 which they will play with again and again. This new hammer had a little hole in the bottom and I put a small screwdriver in it to hold it while I spray painted it and then blow dried it on low cool for about 10 minutes and then propped it up to dry overnight. 

Well, I think that about covers it! I have decided against the gloves since it'll be enough fight for him to keep the hat on and not throw the hammer. I hope you all enjoy! Please visit This Link for Wreck it Ralph DIY.

DIY Wreck-it-Ralph

Halloween 2013 Part 2

 I had originally planned on having Wreck it Ralph and Fix it Felix all in one post but Fix it Felix was pretty tedious and required a rather large post. Please Click here to view the Fix it Felix DIY blog post. 

DIY Wreck it Ralph 

Supplies and Cost

After doing Fix it Felix, this one was a breeze! First thing's first, I had to find a pair of overalls. That was the hardest part! I ended up getting these from a friend for FREE. They're size 24 months. This is my 4 and a half year old son. He typically wears a size 5. They were too short but I was cutting them off at the bottom anyway so it didn't matter. Keep that in mind if you can't find any in the size you need. Then I got: a hunter green tshirt ($4 at walmart), an orange tshirt($4 at walmart), 3 buttons(already had), dark brown RIT dye($2.50 at walmart)for the overalls, a light blue sharpie, and a red sharpie(73 cents each). If you're still adding, I'll help you out! That totals $11.95. Consider the fact he'll wear the hunter green shirt again and that brings it down to $7.95! This ninja turtle he'd also considered is nearly $40! I saved a TON of money on this one. Even if you had to purchase the overalls, you're still coming out much cheaper with this DIY project than the typical cost of a costume.

How I did it

The overalls: The ones I bought were khaki colored so it wasn't very difficult to go darker. If I had bought blue jean ones I would have bleached them first. I dyed in the washer and had great results. I cut the strap off the back so it wouldn't dangle down and bother him and I cut the bottoms to give them a frayed look. I did all cutting before the dying/washing process so it gave it a more tattered look. I also jagged up the knees a bit and cut the pockets off that were on them. After all that, I hand sewed down the front because it naturally wanted to stay up, not flop over like it should. It only took a couple stitches. 

The shirts: The hunter green shirt goes underneath with no editing necessary. I did roll up the sleeves since the orange shirt sleeves are cut, so you couldn't see the green at the sleeve. The orange shirt I cut a jagged sleeve and I cut the neck to give it that v-neck look. I then hand sewed on the buttons to make it look like they were really a part of the shirt. It looks really good, I think! To do the plaid, I drew light blue lines like checkerboard pattern and then lightly colored in the top row with the red. I didn't do it very thick or heavy and didn't fill it in completely. This gave it the plaid color look of Wreck it Ralph's shirt. It wasn't necessary to color the bottom row as it's covered by the overalls. 

That's it! 

No, really. That's really it! I threw in a little hair gel and spiked his hair up. I will probably let him wear flip flops when we trick or treat for safety but for halloween costumes (in our church) I'll just let him run barefooted. Be sure to check out the DIY Fix it Felix Blog Post!!

Forcing a child to take a picture with Santa

My children and I were walking through the mall a few days ago and saw Santa Claus sitting on his "throne" waiting to take pictures with all the boys and girls. My oldest son, Christian, asked if he could go over and say hi, to which I agreed. Santa was very nice to him and Christian was excited he got a chance to talk to him. Ian, my youngest son, was not as impressed. He clung to me in fear. I assured him that he didn't have to go talk to Santa and that "bubba" would be just fine and be right back! I could see the relief wash over his little face. Christian quickly came back and we moved on to the next store. A few minutes later we heard a child SCREAMING in absolute terror! As we got closer it became obvious, she was being forced to sit on Santa's lap. She was screaming for her mommy and daddy and they were laughing and telling her it was okay, "Sit still and smile!" they said. I immediately felt my stomach turn. I couldn't believe what they were putting this child through just for a picture! It isn't just them, though. Oh, no. The internet is littered with "Santa picture fails". But, what are we teaching our children by doing this?

We are teaching them that they can't say no when people want to touch them... 

Trust me, I know this may seem extreme to some of you but really, follow me here. We're trying to look at this from a child's point of view. All your child knows is, "I don't like the looks of this guy. He is a stranger. I don't want to go near him".  As a parent it is your job to teach your child that NOBODY is allowed to touch them without their permission. When your child is afraid of Santa, they're essentially saying that they don't want to touch Santa and do not want Santa touching them. We should give them that respect. What if someone bigger and stronger than you forced you to sit in a strange man's lap? 

We are teaching them that we don't respect their fears...

Think about your biggest fear. What are you most afraid of? Spiders? Mice? Closed spaces? Snakes? Losing your child? Now imaging someone forcing this on you. Covering you in spiders, if that's your fear. Locking you in a closet if you're afraid of closed spaces...etc. Your child's fear, in this situation, is being held down to sit with this big, hairy stranger. It may seem silly to you, but there are people out there that probably think your fear is silly. That doesn't make your fear any less terrifying. That doesn't make it okay to subject you to your fear. As a parent, you're supposed to protect your child. If a loud noise frightens them, you hug them close and tell them it's okay. It is no different when they're afraid of Santa. Respect their fears, you would want someone to respect yours. 

We are teaching them to blindly follow directions...

This often rubs parents the wrong way. I know I hear parents all the time say, "Because I said so, that's why!" What does a child learn from that statement? I try to always explain to my children why I'm telling them to do something. Teaching your child to follow directions without ever questioning why can be dangerous. A friend, who asked to remain anonymous, shared her story with me. She told me that for years her grandfather molested her. He told her she had to do what he said. He told her that she should respect her elders and that she should follow directions or she would get in trouble. As an adult, she looks back and wishes she would have said no and told someone sooner. However, she had always been told to follow directions and not to question them. She thought she was doing the right thing. I know it can get exhausting hearing your child ask, "why" all day long. But appreciate that they are learning about the world around them. They are learning boundaries. They are learning that they can question authority, because sometimes even people that they're supposed to listen to, may tell them to do something they shouldn't have to do. When you're telling your child to sit on a stranger's lap, to "sit still and smile!", you're teaching them much more than you may have intended to. 

But.. it's a tradition! 

What exactly is the tradition? Having a really nice Christmas picture made every year? That's great! That sounds like a wonderful tradition. Why does it have to include Santa? Will you stop the tradition when your child stops believing in Santa? There are TONS of other options for Christmas photos that don't include Santa. Pinterest has lots of ideas! Is it really a nice picture when the child has puffy red eyes and tears streaming down their face? Is your obligatory photo really worth your child's sense of safety and security?