Prayer Changes Things.

A good friend of mine posted a photo a few weeks ago on Instagram of her husband hanging a sign up above their sliding glass door that reads, "Prayer Changes Things". While she was posting to share with friends her newest craft (she stained the board, and put the vinyl lettering on it - and it looked good, I can attest!), I don't think she could have imagined that what she was posting was MEANT for me. I mean, someone up there, who knew what was going on in our lives WANTED me to see that... and so she posted.

Prayer changes things...

Prayer changes things.

Prayer changes things!

I feel like I've been repeating it for weeks now. Set back with a child's health, 'prayer changes things'. Financial setback, 'prayer changes things'. Emotional and physical setbacks, 'prayer changes things'. Pure exhaustion from all of the driving, activities, work, emotional drainage, lack of sleep, diaper changes, meal making, laundry, clients, and bottles to be washed.... 'Prayer changes things'.

And it does! I repeat, it really DOES change things!

There are still bottles in the sink, laundry to be done, projects to be completed, babies to be changed, work to be done, and meals to be made - but a whole lot of prayers have helped me see that it's all going to be okay.

Those dirty bottles represent a time in my life that I will cherish forever. A time when I have babies to hold and love, raise and enjoy. That new baby smell that never seems to last long enough, and an excuse to buy lots and lots of Johnson & Johnson's. The laundry can wait. A few days without my favorite pair of jeans (or the only ones that fit correctly) won't kill me. I have more important things to be worried about. Those meals to be made, will be ones that I will enjoy with my family - eating as we laugh, or relax, or share stories about the day. Hopefully those will be dinners that my kids will look back on and remember forever.

Everything has it's season, and sometimes life can be hard. Sometimes we are tested. Sometimes we are tested beyond what we think we can bear. But that's just not the truth, because 'prayer changes things'. And prayer has changed me.

What are some of the mantras that get you through your tough days?

Nesting. Making Room. Purging.

The Great Purge of 2013.

That's what the book would be called, if I were writing one right now. The nesting has begun, and I'm lightening our load. Anything in this house that we haven't touched, looked at, or used in the last year is getting tossed. (And by tossed I mean, donated, sold, trashed... any conceivable way of removing it from my home.)

Poor Jared came home to the madness today. It all started with a linen closet, then moved to the play room, then to the dreaded kitchen... which, may I ask, who has this much crap in their kitchens??? I feel like a hoarder. Everything from place mats we've never used, to the 16" Electric Skillet that's STILL.IN.THE.BOX.

Hoarder status.

I just can't take it anymore. Everything has to go. How can I make room for abundance with all of this junk laying around taking up space??? I've considered saving it for a garage sale, but I really can't keep it around just waiting for that to happen.

Next... the garage. Ohhhh Darrrrling!!! (He's going to love this.)

Anyone else out there ever feel like their house has just become a place to collect things, or is it just me?

FT% & Why it should be 100

**In full disclosure, my husband refuses to participate or condone any portion of this post.

This week Jared and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary. We're all still shocked he's put up with me this long. But hey, I make some pretty fantastic babies, so that could be why.

On a similar note, this was MY anniversary of being married to (and living with) a die-hard sports fanatic. If you've come from a family like mine, where a baseball game was occasionally on in the background at a family BBQ and not much more, then you can appreciate the huge accomplishment here. Sports fans are a unique breed - and it certainly takes some patience and understanding to learn to live with one. It's all about the compromise, right babe? We're still working on the fine print of our relationship-agreement with regard to sports (thanks Sheldon Cooper), but we've managed to make it work for the last 8 years already.

Since I wasn't really raised in a home with a gigantic sports fan, I've had to learn a LOT about sports over the years. Even when I was unwilling, some of it was sinking in (to the surprise of my husband) and I've slowly learned enough to carry on a conversation about football, basketball, and golf. Not quite enough to get into specific teams, or players necessarily, but I understand the main concept of the games... and their organizations.  Now, to the meat of why I am even talking about sports. Because I know you're wondering why I would ever post ANYTHING about sports on the family blog. 

It's the NBA Finals - Series Finale, Championship Game 7 tonight between the Miami Heat & the San Antonio Spurs. Like you didn't already know. It's kind of a big deal around our house. (Well, for Jared, because the rest of us will be in our jammie's tucked into bed - probably watching The Big Bang Theory while he's downstairs yelling at the television.)

I have become a conspiracy theorist. I'm not a huge one (I don't believe 9/11 was staged - please people, get a grip), but on occasion, I have been known to throw out a good theory. And most of the time, they revolve around sports and their organizations. I had a pretty good theory going about Peyton Manning's final season and eventual exodus with the Colts going for a while. I even had a few NFL fans on board with me. Sure, they have a passion that I just don't have but sometimes you can still get them to think about things logically. Sports organizations seem similar to wall street, in that there are a few head honchos who are making boat loads of money and can pull a lot of strings. The major difference between David Stern (the NBA Commissioner) and Joe Cassano (the guy credited for bringing down AIG) is that the government enforces more regulations and speed bumps on Cassano than they do on Stern. Really, since the NBA is a business entity the government really isn't too concerned about what they are doing so long as they make a lot of money and pay their taxes. (But let's be honest, the government is letting Cassano off scott-free too, so...)

I don't want to talk about the corruption on Wall Street, I just wanted to draw a parallel to the NBA and how there really isn't anyone looking over David Stern's shoulder, and if he REALLY wanted to, he could pull a few strings to get what's best for him. For example, I think that the individual teams are responsible for getting themselves to the playoffs (hopefully), but once the teams are determined Stern chooses who is winning what and when - all in an effort to draw more money in at the end. Because if you think about it, if the Pacers had beat out Miami in the last series and it ended up being Pacers vs. Spurs in the championship series, they would have missed out on a larger market of fans (who either love or hate Miami). As my husband calls them "fringe fans". The Miami Heat are loved & hated all at the same time, and I'm sure they sell a heck of a lot more T-Shirts and promotional crap, bring in higher ratings on TV, and for goodness sake who doesn't want to watch (and subsequently complain about) crybaby LBJ? We're going to see who wins tonight - but just know that my vote is for the Heat. One way or another, either the Spurs just don't play good enough defense, or the refs call a very tight game for the Heat... We'll talk again in the morning. (But not if I'm wrong and the Spurs walk away with the title for a 6th time in a decade.)

SPEAKING OF LBJ- I have a bigger beef with the NBA than just my conspiracies surrounding the Championships. FREE THROWS. 

I'll say it again, because it gets me really fired up. FREE THROWS. If you get paid as much as Lebron James to play in the National Basketball Association, then you should be hitting a much higher FT% than .776! You've been a professional for NINE YEARS. You've been playing basketball for much longer than that. WHY CAN'T YOU HIT DARN NEAR EVERY FREE THROW?! THAT'S YOUR JOB!

I apply this frustration to every single NBA player equally. Not just LBJ. The hubs has arguments against it like:

"There are 30,000 people screaming at him."  - So? It's his job. Every job has pressure, but we're still expected to perform. How about the fact that in his nine years in the NBA he's played roughly 738 Games (82 regular season games x 9 seasons), NOT including the 112 possible games he has played in the 7 seasons he's made it to the playoffs. In 738 games of pressure, he hasn't figured out a way to not hear the screaming fans? Or feel the immense pressure? Because I'm guessing he's a lot less nervous than he was back in 2003-2004 with the Cavaliers. 

"There's more pressure riding on him." -- See answer above.

"Basketball players have to be trained and practiced in many skills not just free throws. They play defense, offense..." --

I have some serious issues with this, can you tell? I just think for the amount of money that they are getting paid, and the fact that most of them have played basketball their entire lives, there should be no excuse for them to miss a free throw. Ever. It's unacceptable. Here are a couple more for you to chew on.

Dwyane Wade - FT% - .756% (Playoffs Average)
Tim Duncan - FT% - .693% (Career Season Average)
Manu Ginobili - FT% - .871 (2011-2012 Season Average) He wins an award for breaking the 80% mark.

I just MIGHT be getting to the portion of my pregnancy where I can't filter anymore. It's a possibility. But with the NBA Finals in my house over the past few weeks, I can't help but mention some of the things that have been on my mind. Feel free to leave your comments below. But don't be too harsh, because after all, I'm not a sports fanatic, I only live with one.

Apologies to my husband for having to put up with this for as long as he has. :-) 

Hot Vinegar.

So, if you're anyone who knows me even kind of well, you'll know that I LOVE vinegar. I often tell people (especially my husband) that someday Vinegar will likely be the cure for cancer. Think I'm kidding? Not. Soooooo not kidding.

Vinegar is especially good for cleaning. Floors. Walls. Showers. Toilets. Car seats. Carpet. Laundry. You name it, vinegar can clean it. Vinegar mixed with other things are great too. Like Dawn Dish Soap. I would rave on Dawn too, except that I'm pretty sure it's only good as a glue for getting that vinegar to stick heartily to my shower walls without dripping off before it does it's business.

HOT VINEGAR. If you don't know this already, heated up vinegar is twice as effective as the already amazing not-hot vinegar. 3 minutes in the microwave and you have yourself a cleaner that will kill all things gross. And I'm not messing around either. Did I mention that it does all of the heavy lifting for you too? No more using "elbow grease" like your mom once told you.

Still don't believe me? Test some of these for yourself. You know I have.

#1 - Clean that awful hard water ring around the toilet. You know the one I mean, it's just above the water level. (Hey, we don't all have water softeners.) Use 4 Cups HOT (I mean boiling) Distilled Vinegar, pour into toilet, and let it sit overnight. Walah. Water stain? What water stain?

#2 - Soap Scum a problem in your pretty white shower? It used to be in mine. Not anymore! Take 1:1 ratio (I like 1 Cup of each) Dawn Dish Soap & Vinegar, and lightly shake in a spray bottle. I would suggest that you use the original blue Dawn, but the others work pretty well too. Once it's slightly mixed and foamy, spray all over the inside of your shower. Let it sit for an hour (or overnight if it's reallllllly bad), and then just wipe down with a rag and rinse. Totally not playing with you, there are people out there who are willing to prove it to you - not me, you're not going to see the inside of my shower on a before picture. (Click here, and then stop judging her, you know yours is bad too.)

After your once a week scrub and sanitize, I suggest just keeping a bottle of Vinegar right there in the shower to spray it down after each shower. Sure, it's not the best smell in the world, but once you see how well it keeps your shower clean you'll learn to love it. (I can.not.stand. the smell of bleach anymore!)

#3 - Remove carpet stains. Even OLD ones. I posted about this on my FB page a few weeks ago, because it was so simple I felt dumb not thinking of it before. I used it to remove PURPLE ICEY from my WHITE CARPET. And Jared didn't even know anything had happened. It was THAT good. I'll direct you here for the directions, but all you need is some vinegar, water, baking soda, and then some tools like your iron and some white towels. Get crackin', you know you have some spots to clean.

#4 - Clean your windows, walls, etc. Just heat it up, put it in a spray bottle, and go to town! My mirrors should always be pristine. (They totally aren't) Even though I know better.

#5 - Put it in your steam mop. I don't know why I didn't consider this earlier, but it's actually GOOD for the steam mop! It keeps it "gunk free" from the hard water. Not to mention, if you have laminate floors like me, the vinegar will keep your floors from getting even a little bit spotty from the water. Just a healthy splash in the tank with the water should do.

#6 - ANTS. Do you have them? I do. I think my house was built on an ant hill. Seriously. We know that we have a crack in our foundation (What, we went floor-less for a few months, no big deal), and I swear the ants use the crack as an avenue into our home. Guess what though? They don't like white distilled vinegar! Ha! Spray it around doors, window sills, any opening where they like to intrude. They'll stay away, I promise.

#7 - Deodorize your garbage disposal. Pour down 1/2 Cup Baking Soda, and 1/2 Cup Vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes (or more if you're me, because I've walked away and forgotten about it). Turn on the disposal and rinse down with alternating hot and cold. A few drops of lemon oil is great for a fresh scent too, but not required.

#8 - Cut through the grease on your Microwave Hood, Hood Fan, or Cabinets above your stove with a Sponge soaked in vinegar. It may just be easiest to heat up some vinegar on the stove, and then put it into one of those brushes with the handle you can fill with vinegar. It won't take much scrubbing, and that grease will be gone. Take THAT EasyOff!

#9 - Ring around the sink faucet. Do you have one? I get it occasionally on my kitchen sink since it's stainless steel builder-grade. Soak some paper towels in vinegar, and wrap them tightly around the base of your faucet. Let it sit over night, and the ring will be gone in the morning.

#10 - Get rid of calcium buildup on your shower heads! Fill a ziplock bag half way with vinegar, wrap it around the shower head, and secure with a rubber band. By the time you take your next shower, you'll be asking "Build up? What build up?"

#11 - Clean the inside of your appliances. 1/2 Cup Vinegar in with a load of dishes in the dishwasher (or alone) will clean the inside of your dishwasher. 1/2 Cup in a rinse load in your clothes washer, and your washer will be clean. 1 Cup brought to a rolling boil in the microwave, and the vapors will help loosen the hardened food, so all you'll have to do it wipe it out!

#12 - 1/2 Cup of Vinegar in your rinse cycle with your towels, and you'll have the softest towels on the block. Not only will it soften your fabrics (natural fabric softener!) but it will strip the previous residue from your old fabric softener, without ruining your fabrics! BONUS: It also brightens whites and colors, and removes the "dinge" from your blacks! Now go make your clothes look new again! (Careful on those dark wash jeans you just purchased though, it WILL remove that extra dye that you're probably planning on leaving in for a few wears.)

#13 - Remove wrinkles while ironing. 1 Part vinegar to 3 parts water, in a spray bottle. Bye, Bye Wrinkles. (Or just put it directly in your iron, it's good for it anyway, right?)

#14 - Diaper Rash. Ugh. Dreaded Diaper Rash. We've all experienced it (or at least, our kids have). A few tablespoons of vinegar in your baby's bath water will help clear it right up!

Just a good reason to show you my Mr. Handsome again. 

#15 - WEEEDS! This has been one of my favorite uses! Spray the weeds in your garden (careful, don't get your Hastas) and they will be dead by the next morning! No joke! It works!

Check out a few of these pinterest pins. (ALL of which I have tested and found to be true - and you know I wouldn't lie to you about a good Pinterest Pin.)

101 Uses for Vinegar! 
101 MORE Uses for Vinegar! 

Okay guys, so now that I've convinced you that my love for Vinegar is not crazy, somebody go buy me this book or this one. (Or tell my husband that he needs to buy it for me, that works too.)

SEE? It probably will cure cancer someday.

By the way, Heinz is not paying me to post about my love of vinegar. But hey, Heinz People, if you read this - you can pay me in copious bottles of vinegar. I like all kinds. ...and you're welcome. 

The Magic of Pre-School

We had our first Parent Teacher Conferences ever. Shudder. Panic. Shakes. Nervousness.

"What will they say? Will they tell  us how unruly she is, and how she has an attitude that could move a mountain? How she doesn't share the toys, and refuses to clean up? The way she talks incessantly and refuses to sit and pay attention?"

Our little table cleaner! (New chore at home too!) 

"I'm sure those are all of the things MY parents experienced throughout my schooling days, so why wouldn't it happen to me too? Maybe we should just skip it." My husband rolls his eyes at me as we load the kids into the car to go to their Bobbi & Pawpaw's house (Grandma & Grandpa). Drop off kids. Head for school.

We're 5 minutes late! Panic again. Everyone knows you're not supposed to be late when dealing with teachers. "They're probably running late anyhow." Jared tells me.

I'm not sure if it's my own schooling experiences that have led me to have such anxiety when it comes to my child at school, but whatever it is I think it's getting out of control. They were running just a few minutes behind, which worked out well, and we weren't scolded by her teacher. In fact, she might be one of the nicest people we've ever met - and surprisingly, she told us only good things about McKinley. I didn't see that coming at all. She gave us pictures of M doing some of the activities that they have done, and filled in a few of the missing pieces from the stories M had shared with me. She reassured me that all of the kids M had told me about were actually real people too. Relief. She even told us that M likes to have a chore, and chooses table-washer as her chore most days. She's such a creature of habit, my little one.

Somebody loves art. We have no idea where she got that.
 *Sarcasm*

Okay, so maybe my fears of Parent Teacher Conferences were a tad bit unnecessary, and maybe they were a little unwarranted. I'm guessing that I'm not alone in this though, and that there are other crazy mothers out there who get a little anxious when it comes time to talk about how their children are acting when we aren't around to snap our fingers and make the "mom look". If I am, don't tell me. I don't want to know.

There really is something magical about pre-school. I'm not sure who's growing more, she or I.

The Earth! 

Okay, so now I'm going to brag on my child a little, so if that will make you nauseous you may want to look away. Her teachers are angels, and they took some pictures for us which I am now going to share...

Clean-up! 

Playing with Blocks

The Pledge of Allegiance

Science is fun!

Show 'n Tell. She loves music. You can tell who dressed her before school that day. It wasn't me. 

Soccer!

Spelling her name. 

Writing Center 

I'm so grateful for a good first experience with school. We're pretty blessed. Now, on to holding our breath that next year is as smooth as this one!