One of those days

So this week this far has been so crazy. I have been so stressed but last night during our churches revival I realized it is all in Gods hand. I am so blessed, as a mother and wife. Praise The Lord for his blessings!!

On a side note. How stinking cute is this. I mean how can anyone be stressed with this smiley face !!

To add to the stress Jase had his 9 month check up today!! The doctor said he was doing fantastic and is right where he needs to be. In Lou of Jases doctors appointment this morning I want to take a second to talk about how to find a pediatrician. I Love our doctor. She is amazing !!!

All though she was not our first choice. Weird right. I'll tell you the story. 

When Jase was first born we lived in a different location and planned on going to the closest pediatrician in the area. We went there for his first app, when we got there they thought he had a little hint of jaundice. So we had to get that tested. Blah blah blah. Next thing lead to next thing and jase had to be hospitalized to treat it. 

The doctor wanted him to go to the closest hospital, which if could be compared to anything in this world, it would be a grave yard. People go there to die. Literally. And I didn't want to go there when the next closest hospital has the best pediatric unit in Florida

So there's thAt short little story. So we started looking for a new pediatrician and we have found the most fantastic one. EVER. 

Steps to decide on a pediatrician 

1.) Make a list of things you want from a pediatrician.  If location is a huge factor for you something on your list would be something like " close to home"  or maybe promotes AAP guidelines. Which was most definitely NOT on my list haha

2.) Research and decide about vaccines and treatment. Some parents are against vaccinations, which is okay. If that's the case try and look for a doctor or read reviews and see if they would be supportive of that decision or not 

3.) Talk to your friends. More than likely you friends will have somehow the same views about things. I literally asked ever lady in our church to find out what doctor they used. I asked questions and really dug deep. This helps you to see how a doctor is. 

4.) Try it out. If you think you find the right office, go and try it out. The worst thing that could happen is you don't like it. I tried our doctors office, and we loved it. 

Reasons I love our pediatrician. 

- She has always showed such love and care toward our son

- explains everything to us, why it happens, different treatments, and tells us what she thinks

- Remembers her patients, and makes us feel like a friend

- Great staff in the office 

- Stays up to date on medical treatments and studies. 

- Is more liberal or open to different ideas, which I love (:

Mommy time

So my husband was preaching this morning and this great idea hit me. Yes sometimes my mind wonders a little. Lol. But I do listen just get side tracked sometimes hahah. Chris was talking about the power of prayer and how important it is to have an individual prayer life, and study life

Seriously how I feel sometimes !!!!

As a mom I know how stinking hard it is to have time to go to the bathroom, much longer sit down to read your bible or pray. But you have to make the commitment. 

After me and Jase get up for the day and he takes his first nap, that is when I usually read and pray. If I haven't got my house work done by then I may wait till his second nap but usually only if we get a late start if you keep saying " ill do it later" it will never get done. I promise. 

Where to start. Good question 

Our schedule is super hectic sometimes and usually never th same but for the most days this is what I do. 

Once Jase gets a sleep I either sit on my couch or dining room table. 

Do not sit somewhere super comfy. You'll get tired and think you can't read. 

I usually read around 3 chapters. 

Reading around 3 chapters daily will get you through the bible pretty quick. If you have something that work better for you , awesome!

After I read I pray

I suggest bringing your prayer list home from church and praying then, don't forget those missionaries. 

Great bible reading plan!!!!

It's so important to stay devoted to God as a mother. It's hard. I will be the first to admit but it's necessary for your walk with The Lord. Also once your child gets old enough to realize what your doing what a example and witness you will be. 

Mommy and God time is super important !!! If your struggling with this I would suggest expressing this to your spouse. Sometimes when I feel I just need to pray Chris is more than happy to watch Jase for a little. 

Don't start to big. Saying your going to read 5 chapters a day may burn you out. 

MOST IMPORTANTLY. GIVE IT TO GOD. You will surely fail if you don't. 

Get ready for summer!!

So today was a awesome day !! The sun was out, I took Jase on a nice walk in his awesome little car he loves !!!

This is the little car Jase has !! Obviously not the exact one because I'm sitting in bed and too lazy to get up. But seriously today was a great day. Onward from this, my dear friend K inspired me to get to thinking about this up coming spring. The dreaded two words. SPRING CLEANING. 

But I'm ready and going to get on the grind. I've been looking a round for some good spring cleaning list and organizing skills. I've also stumbled upon the natural cleaner band wagon. Which I may just jump on. We still will have to see (: but here are a couple things y'all can look forward to seeing in the next couple of weeks !!

Also what comes after spring, SUMMER, SUMMER, summer, did I mention summer??? So with that said I can't wait to do a post on summer swimwear. Which I recently just found the most modest and cutest swimwear ever. From dainty jewels, so don't forget to keep looking for this summer swimwear !!!!

Things they don't tell pregnant women

I remember going to the hospital, being pregnant and thinking " when I leave I'm going to be the perfect mom". Well I think I'm a perfect mom. Lol. Just not the way I planned on it. Many things change for a women after giving birth. Physically and mentally. I'm going to be honest and tell you the things people don't tell you about after giving birth.

My labor was awesome, I really couldn't have dreamed for it to be any better. I was in labor for about 9 hours, I was induced which helped a lot with speed I guess. So your birth experience may alter a little due to your labor experience. So just feel it out.

• After you have your baby, your still fat. This may be different for some people but not for me. I still looked 6 months pregnant stomach wise. Plus they are pumping so much fluid in you that you sort of resemble a tomato. Don't worry. It will be fine. Tip: As soon as you feel comfortable to ,strap a girdle on. No joke. It helps the skin to tighten up faster and makes you feel better. I absolutely swear by this. It really helped me a lot. 
• Your body is beyond sore. I had a medicated birth, so some people say the epidural changes this, I'm not really sure. I'll let you know my next birth haha. I did not plan on being so sore. It's okay for you to need help to get out of bed or sit down. Do not !!! Be afraid to ask for help. That was one of my biggest mistakes 
• You bleed. Okay I guess this is obvious and a little gross but it's beyond true. Who knew you could bleed that much and long and still live. Lol. I bleed for about 6 weeks which is longer than usual but be prepared. It's okay though you can do it !!!
• Your leaky. This was an understatement for me. I had a rare problem, and really over produced. But even for normal producing moms you are gonna leak. Bring a couple bras, and don't be embarrassed. TV seems to make this whole experience seem like none of this happens, but they lie (: 

There are many tips and little tricks I picked up on after the whole post pardum experience.

1. Do not leave the hospital with out the squirt bottle. Seriously this thing will be your best friend when you have to go potty. It's awesome. You fill it with warm water and spray while you go potty. It helps soothe down there. 
2. Make your own pads. Not literally. But I took pads, misted them with water and witch hazel and froze them. They are great for the first couple of recovery days. 
3. Take stool softener. I know it sounds a little gross but you will be wishing you had if you didn't. I started taking it a long with Tylenol right after I gave birth. 

Winner winner chicken dinner

 we have this recipe that me and Chris absolutuley LOVE!!!! I did not come up with this recipe, I believe Chris's mom did !!!! I did make the name though haha

How to make Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: 

What you'll need: 

Chicken ( I used thighs because that's what we like, you can use any cut even a whole chicken)

Carrots

Rice

Chicken broth

Not pictured- Season salt

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

First pre heat your oven to 350. Place your chicken in high wall backing pan. Add a half a cup of chicken broth. Season your chicken. I use season salt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. You are open to season with what ever you like. I then place my chicken in the oven for about 30 minutes to get the juices out and ready. 

After cooking for about 30 minutes. Take your chicken out and add your rice. I usually don't measure, but I make sure then bottom of pan is covered, covered good. Hah. Then you want to add equal parts water and chicken broth. I added 2 cups of both. 

Once you add your liquids add your carrots. Stir your rice a little to make sure it's even. I then season the rice and chicken again, be very giving with the seasoning. The more the merrier. Place your pan in the oven. Boom!! Your done (:

I usually let it cook for about and hour, and check to make sure the rice is moist. My husband hates dry rice. I usually add another cup of broth and water

Let this cook for an hour and half to two and a half more hours. The more it cooks the more the rice soak ups the juice!!

This is a recipe I usually make on Sunday or Wednesday night because of church. I can make it ahead of time and place it in the oven. I have a cook timer on my oven so it's awesome. I put it in, go to church, and it's done when you get home. 

A little dangerous?? Not really since the church is about 10 foot from our house. If you don't feel comfortable doing it that way cook before church and leave it in the oven , and warm it up when you get home !!!

Jase is turning one !!

So I can't believe jase is going to turn one year old in less than 4 months !!!

I know I'm a little ahead if the game , but I am starting to plan for his first birthday party!!

It's a little crazy but we are going to go all out. Why? He is only turning 1?? Because I want too!!!!! Right now I'm trying to decide what theme I should choose for his party right now these are the things I'm thinking..

Mickey Mouse. ( we are Disney fanatics )

Vegitales ( Chris is insisting )

General 'one' theme

That's a lot of categories. Right??  I know I can't think of any thing else. It's hard to pick something for a one year old, they really don't like anything.  So I think I have found a way to find a theme.

You must realize you have to decorate for it. Don't pick something that is going to be to hard to decorate for or something no body will get. The worst thing is people saying , why did you pick that ??

How big do you want to go? Know how many people you want to be at the party. Just family? Inviting everyone in the neighborhood? 

How much do you want to spend ? I would love to do vegitales for jase' party but I'm afraid it's going to get to expensive. I don't think it would be easy to do DIY things for that theme. 

I think there are any things a parent must consider while planning a party. What was your child's theme ??  Are you crazy psycho like me about planning?? Hahah

Teething miracle!!!

So jase has just cut two more teeth !!!!! So that's a total of 4 little toothies(: ( all are on the bottom. )

So he was eating lunch, we'll he is eat lunch. I'm writing this as he eats and I have found a brilliant idea. 

I bought these little guys...

Originally for a chicken meal I make often. But I decided to give them to jase. The are really skinny, and I gave one to him chilled, straight from the fridge 

He obviously loved it!!!  But he really wasn't eating it. He chewed on it more. I'm sure it felt great in his gums plus it wasn't a sugary cracker or cookie like so many teething biscuits. 

Once he was kind of done with that I heated a couple up in the microwave with a little water, steaming them. 

I just heated them for a minute, then rinsed with cool water stopping the cooking and cooling them for jase. Them I have a couple to him. 

Once again he lived them. And these , the steamed carrots, are a lot easier for him to actually eat but still crisp for him to chew. 

I thought it was pretty neat I discovered this. Do y'all have any tricks like these ?? Let me know I would love to hear !!!

Homemade baby snacks

So tonight I was brave a made Jase some homemade baby treats!!! Which he loved. I found this recipe on Pinterest, but screen shot the recipe and can not find where I found it. 

I did not make this recipe 

If I by chance find the blog where I got this idea, I will create them 

So my son is 8 months and these are perfect for him, and super easy!!!

Recipe

Cheerios ( I got the regular brand, you could buy any brand you want)

Yogurt ( I used strawberry banana )

You'll need a cookie sheet, and a freezer. But I'm sure you have them on hand. 

So 1st I started by poring Cheerios on a baking sheet. I tried to only have one layer. You don't have to do this but I wanted to make sure every Cheerios was layered with yogurt 

I poured the yogurt on. Now I do not like yogurt so I was thinking I could just poor it on, but that didn't work so good because it was thicker than I expected. So I spooned the yogurt in a couple of spots and then mixed it all together. 

Once I got them coated I placed them in the freezer to help it harden. And your done !!!  

Jase loved them and it beats buying a thing of puffs everyday. Haha. So I'm hoping I can find some more recipes for Jase. Do any of you have a recipe you love??? Let me know. 

Valentines day!!!

Happy Valentines day guys(: me and my family do not do to much to celebrate but I want to wish y'all a happy holiday!!!

So me and my husband don't really buy each other gifts mainly because it's a little awkward. As y'all know I'm a stay at home mommy. So I have to ask my husband for money to buy him a gift. 

Yeah. It gets a little weird hahah. 

But there are some gifts for y'all this holiday!!!

At Starbucks

From 2-5 pm buy and latte get another equal or lesser latte free

At Krispy Kreme 

Buy one dozen glazed doughnuts get a dozen free

At Bath & Body Works

Get a free body spray with any purchase. 

We are on our way to town as we speak. Hopefully I get to get something for free. Hope y'all can score some free stuff as we'll!!!

Baby led weaning.

I have literally wrote this post three times, and have accidentally deleted it every time. Hopefully this time it's a success!!!!  

So I want to start out and say I am not super liberal or go against any guidelines but this post does go against the aap guidelines for children. You might love it. You might hate it. 

So let's gets started on baby led weaning. A.K.A. BLW. 

BLW is basically giving your child foods that are not neccisarly in a jar, but soft palatable table foods from the beginning. Hopefully that didn't sound like I was talking about the family dog

So basically as soon as I found that my son had an interest in food, I supplied the need. Haha. 

Something's to look at to know your child is ready

Reaching or grabbing for food on your plate. 

Staring at you while eating 

Making noises or camotion to get your attention for food. 

So once yo have witnessed your child's readiness, you might wonder why is this method better than others 

1.) Your child eats what you eat. No buying separate baby food, investing in a new purée machine. It's simply putting food from your plate to there's. 

2.) Your child can control what they eat. There is no guessing game of " do they like this?" They can feel that out for them selfs. Plus they control there intake. So no over eating or forcing your child to eat what they don't want. 

3.) Babies will establish great eating habits. They will be use to foods that have different taste and textures. They learn how to actually eat like a human. To chew , not just swallow there food. They have already established great hand cordnation to feed. It's awesome!!!' 

4.) No batteries included. Haha okay kinda funny. But still you don't have to carry around all those spoons, and jars. You don't have to wonder should I refrigerate this, has it been left out to long. 

So we started Jase around 4 months. Now this is not the same for every child. DO NOT. I REPEAT DO NOT be discouraged if your child is not showing signs of readiness. It will come. Every child develops differently. 

At 6 months. He was starting to learn how to self feed. I could put small things down and was confident he could do it. Which is awesome for a parent. You have so much love and appreciation for your child when they learn to do this 

Jase is 8 months now and eats almost everything!!! Except mashed potatoes. I know it's weird. But hey. He doesn't like them. 

 Excuse those cereal treats. I do believe that's capt'n crunch. Hahah. That was his treat for being a big boy. 

He was eating eggs though for breakfast, and sipping on some water. This are some foods Jase loves and I would suggest for your child. 

Eggs 

Squash

Corn ( on the cob or whole kernel) 

Steamed carrots

Peas

Zucchini 

Broccoli

Bread

Bananas 

Peaches

How to be a submissive wife.

Me and my husband were talking after church, really just thanking God that we have each other. Also that we have a Christ like relationship, that I submit and he leads us. 

I find so many times that when you say that wives should submit, women get aggressive and angry. 

Submission does not mean being talked down too, or abused verbally or physically. It simply means obeying your husband. Your husband should show love in all his discussions, no matter what. 

Is it hard to be submissive? DUH!! We'll it is for me. I find myself wanting to snap back at something, or thinking " is he really making the right choice ?" But then I get convicted and realize my husband loves me and wants to lead me I. The right way. 

I was talking to a lady, who honestly is not very submitful and does many jobs I believe that are for my husband. She said that they had got saved after marriage and had already established routines and jobs for one another. My comment in that. Change!!!

It is never to late to give it to God and change your marriage. If you work, but your husband wants you to stay home, pray for a tender heart, and go with it. 

People have to much pride, like they can take care of there family without a husband. Which I am not saying is impossible, but why try when you have a husband who is wiling.  

If your husband is saved, and a follower of Christ, he should love you like Christ loves the church. Do you think Christ would intentionally lead you a stray? No. We'll neither will your husband. 

Love. Love. Love. Did I say love? Live your husband, and submission will come hand in hand. 

Want to be a stay at home mom??

So when I meet new people they all ways ask " do you work?" . Why yes, yes I do. I have the craziest job ever. I'm a stay at home mom.  Boom baby 

Being able to stay home with my child is the best thing ever. Is it stressful. Sometimes I wonder how I have not just ran away, and pulled out all my hair. 

I know a lot of women say, I wish I could stay home and homeschool my children. Then why don't you? I feel like if that is really a burden you have, you can make it work. It's not like we are rich, we are far from that but we sacrifice to make it work. We live on one salary, we don't live in a mansion, or have the nicest cars, or buy the nicest things. But to stay at home with my child is worth it. 

Most Americans think stay at home wives are lazy, don't do anything, blah blah blah blah

Being a stay at home mom entitles you to do so many things. Take care of the kids all day, clean, cook, then clean again because what you just cleaned is messy.  I don't think people give stay at home parents the credit deserved. 

God does. Read Proverbs 31. It talks about all the things mothers do while at home. I promise it isn't easy

But it's the best. I believe if you have children you should stay home, that's me. I truly understand women who do not. I'm not saying be uneducated, pre-cut wives and mothers.  I agree with furthering education and meeting goals. 

If you have the burden to stay home with your children and don't think you can financially handle it, pray about it. Do you need a brand new car? Do you have to buy that brand of make up? You would be amazed on the things you spend your money on. 

Love what you and do it with all your heart. No matter if your a stay at home mommy or not(:

How to deal with your post partum body

So your pregnant, standing in line at the grocery store and look over to see a couple magazines. The front covers all have pictures of a celebrity who just had a baby and has her pre- baby body back. Im going to tell you. It doesnt happen over night. No matter what any one says

I weighed around 115 lbs when I got pregnant with my son. I did not gain any weight until I was 6 months pregnant, but thats when it started. I ate healthy, not worse than I had before pregnancy. My weight I delievered was 158 lbs. Yes you read that right.

I remember coming home after I had my son, and my little sister in law ( she is 9) said " Why are you still fat ". I love her, but at that moment in time I wanted to through her in a deep, deep, deep pit.

I have always been 'small' and 'petite' and I had no idea how to deal with any of it. But I learned and I got over it, and now I am a couple lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight

These are somethings that I had to realize, and do to cope with my body

• I gave birth to a precious baby. Not a marshmallow, or small pillow or anything light and small. I have the right to be this big!!! Hahah well for a little bit. Pregnancy and labor is work, so you have to have the right close on. After that it's going to take some time to take off the clothes but you can do it. 
• It took 9 long months to gain that weight, it will take 9 months to loose it. We'll it took me that long hahah
• Be open with your spouse. I tried to hide and cover my body from him.  I didn't want him to see my fat roll, or my stretch marks. How could he love this hideous body? Well when I finally opened up, I found out he did. Your husbands will help you, encourage you, and give you the confidence you need. 
• Your married, and have a child. You DO NOT have to have the exact same body you had. Your not impressing other men, only your husband. Talk to him and see what he thinks about your body. 
• Do not try on your pre-pregnancy clothes. It's truly depressing. Just keep them away for a few months and you'll fit them again 

Some women do not have any problems after having children. I have a couple of friends that pop out babies and in the next week that look AWESOME. 

One thing I swear by is putting a girdle on right after birth. It helped my skin shrink back, and my tummy stay tone. Plus it helps with your confidence the first couple of weeks

Love you body. No matter how big, tall, wide , stretched, or torn they are. It will not matter when you look back. Labor is our job. Women up and get over it (; hahah

How to stockpile diapers...

 

As you all know I love to coupon, especially when it comes to things I have to buy anyways. So in going to show you how I have never paid full price for diapers or wipes. That's right NEVER!!!!

Doing this has saved our family more money than anything. The hard part is to know what size to buy but I will post what my son went through to kind of give you something to go by.  I ONLY buy the packs of diapers, not the boxes. I do this because most of the time a package if diapers has a lower per diaper cost than the box diapers. Ladies I know we all have smart phones, while in store get it out and do the math. That should be rule #1. 

So thus is my sons Diaper usage for the first 12 months. 

Newborn: Around 6 packs ( 216 diapers)

Size 1: Around 4 packs (160 diapers)

Size 2: Around 16 packs (640 diapers) 

Size 3: Around 19 packs (680 diapers)

As far as wipes I have not paid for them since Jase has been born due to couponing. My stockpile for baby wipes has been compleat lay free, or money makers which is even better. 

Thus is my wipe stock pile which I am beyond proud of, and has saved us SO MUCH money. 

Tips and Tricks for a diaper stockpile

1. Be cautious of diaper size

        I'm talking about brand wise. I have come to find that pampers run bigger than huggies, and things of that nature. So be cautious of the size and use the smaller ones first. 

2. Notice the package size

       You wil come to find that the bigger the diaper the less that are in the pack. So try to find the cheapest brand , but with the most diapers. It really is just simple math 

3. Know what your paying for. 

       Find a price per diaper that you are willing to pay, and do not go over it. I do not pay over .13 or .14 cent s a diaper. If you set a price it's more likely that you will not go over it. 

4. Be open to different brands 

       I understand if the brand breaks your baby out , or you don't like the chemicals in that brand. But luckily Jase can use almost any diaper, so we save a lot of money on store brands as well. Try them out if you don't like them, then you know. 

Do you save on diapers?? We'll you better start. 

10 things to know before you conceive.

I remember the first couple of months of my pregnancy through post partum I thought why didn't I know this before I got pregnant. So here are the top 10 things you should know before you conceive

1.) Motherhood is a tough job - I'm not discouraging pregnancy at all but more often than not I see teenagers, and frankly immature women thinking motherhood is easy. There wrong! It's a full time job. But I promise you it is most deffinitley the best job any women could have

2.) Your body will change- No matter what body shape you have it is made to change, that is the beauty of pregnancy and womenhood. Many wome find there self depressed about body changes and such but that's what we are made for. God intended on it being this way 

3.) Your marriage will change- not negatively, but most certainly change. You find yourself now spending a lot of time together, talking with each other and enjoying each other's company. But when a baby arrives conversations change from what movie to watch, to what stroller to by. Quality time is finally getting to lay down for the night. It is truly an amazing experience but different 

4.) People will say the weirdest things- I truly believe I got my feelings hurt so many times during my pregnancy,plus I was extra hormonal lol. I remember when a church member asked me if I was having twins when I was 7 months pregnant. No. No I'm not 

5.) There are a million ways to have a baby- I rember reading about all the different birthplans women had. There are different positions to labor in, different medicines, different doctors, different places to have the baby. Before conceiving I thought you just showed up and pushed quiet frankly. 

6.) You must have tough skin - I could not tell you all the people that wanted to give me advice and tell me how to do things with my child.  I know deep inside they had good intentions but to me it just broke me apart. So you have to be ready for all the rude comments. 

7.)  You have to stand strong- Once you and your husband make a decision about how you are going to raise or do something with your child, stick to it. People will try to talk you out of anything, because it wasn't the way they did it. As long as it works and pleases God then so be it. 

8.) You will have to sacrifice- Not only your time but your self.  I had this notion that my baby was going to be such a good sleeper that I could pamper myself while he slept. NOT. Your going to be sleepy, stinky, crazy hair , but it's okay. That's motherhood , and really the greatest part. 

9.) No baby is like the one in your books- I read every article, book, blog that I could about being a first time mother. The things I needed, how I should start early with a schedule. Blah blah blah. Your baby is unique and you are going to have to find out what works. Do not be set in any way

10.) You are host to a miracle- You will truly know the feeling of this until after your pregnancy. It is amazing how you can nurture and grow this sweet little innocent child from inside of you. I tell people constantly how if you do not believe in God, have a child then you will

11.) I know I said 10 but man this is just eating at. You do not have to be rich and have everything in order to have a child. I hear so many people say we want to wait till we are financially stable. Your wrong. God will provide, I'm proof. My husband is a pastor like seriously. 

How to love your child.

Some days seem so busy, it's ridiculous. I'm cleaning this, feeding Jase, have to wash this, then do that. Some times it's an overload and I get stressed. Then Jase desides it's the perfect time to throw a fit, so my anger and frustration gets thrown own to him. STOPPPPPP

I have to stop my self and realize he is a child, so innocent and pure. If I have to stop everything and care for him, it will be okay. Here are 5 steps to show love toward your child in difficult times. 

1.) Stop, realize the situation, then act: When I'm needing to get things done and this happens I just have to stop. Take a breather, if he is crying, let him cry for a second and realize what I'm going to do. This helps me calm down a little and helps when I approach him.  If there are dishes to wash, they will be there in a hour, clothes to fold, I promise they will not disappear ( even though that would be nice lol. 

2.) Give them complete attention: There children, not a grown person, they need unconditional love. I'm grown and still need it. If you have to walk out side to get them calmed down, DO IT!!! If you have to sit on the floor and pretend to race, which I find my self doing daily, DO IT. Forget everything else and focus on your child. Not your tv show, or your phone, or a good book. 

3.) Fix there problem: If they act like there hungry, but you just fed them, feed him again they might be growing. If they can't get there toy out of the toy box, show them a funny way to get it out. If they are lonely, then be there friend. There is obviously something they want so help them out. Many parents forget that a child watches you all day long, they will pick up on what you do, so be energetic and funny, not aggregated and grumpy. 

4.) Never let them see defeat: If there still fussing and you just don't know what to do, don't show defeat. Breathe in and out and realize it's okay. God blessed you with a beautiful child, and he would never give you something you couldn't handle. I know your tired, and worn out, and haven't taken a good shower in days but it's going to be fine, they don't know that. If you seem frustrated with them they will be frustrated with you. You get what you give in a sense. 

5.) Solve the problem with love: No matter the outcome, love is the solution. If your child is over due for a nap and needs to sleep, then lay him down and leave the room. Granted I don't mean for a new born, but for example my son. If I know he needs a nap, I feed him and lay him down for an hour. If he gets up and cries before then I let him cry. Sometimes showing love is not always happy, but in reinforcement and routine. I wouldn't love my son if I didn't want what was best for him. So if your child needs something they don't like, it's okay do it anyways

These are things I use. They may not work for everyone, but they work for us. Some parents might not agree, but we do. So next time you still have your pajamas on at 3:00, haven't laid out dinner, still haven't mad the bed, and have friends coming over in an hour ,embrace the moments you have with your child no matter the circumstances. 

What's up with the bottle???

When feeding Jase at church or in a public place I always get some mom,grandma, or women come up to me and ask " Thats an odd bottle, what is that?" I then go into a long memorized speech about the bottles I use. I just recently started exclusive formula with Jase because I was pregnant and thought to myself, I really need a break with breast feeding. As you know a couple weeks later I miscarried our sweet little baby. Although I know God has a plan I hated I stopped breast feeding. I am a strong promoter of breast feeding , but that's another post..lol

These are the awesome bottles I use. They are called tommee yippee. These bottles are suggested for mothers that are switching from breast to bottle, which is awesome. Jase took right to this bottle. They are also BPA free. Which basically means no harmful chemicals. Also for you green moms these bottles can be recycled, which is truly green!!!

Also the specific bottles I use from them have a anti-colic reducer built in. Granted Jase is over that stage it still is a awesome accessory. As well as the built in thermometer. If the contents exceeds 98 degrees the color changes from blue to red, which in my opinion is a awesome feature

To keep bragging on this bottle. It has a unique shape which helps mom be closer to baby when feeding as well as baby is more pro-active in holding it.  But the most AWESOME feature is that most of the bottles are 9oz. So the same bottle you feed your newborn with my 8 month old drinks out of. So it is deffinitley long lasting. 

This brand is now ranging out on there products. Not only do they have bottles, but dippy cups, spoons, breast pumps, bottle warmers. I feel like every month I see something new. My son has the bottles, dippy cup ( with no handles) , spoons, and pacifiers. Which I love!!! Have I mentioned I love there products. Lol.  So these are the bottles my family uses, have any great bottles you lie ? Let me know. Have any questions? Comment below!! Wanna buy these products?? Visit http://www.tommeetippee.us/department/baby-bottles/

This is sweet baby Jase holding his own bottle, going night-night with his tommee tippee bottle (:

Family Grocery Budget

I have always thought our grocery budget was normal until I started talking to some ladies at church. My family is made up of 3. Me. My husband. & Baby Jase. But we have people over for dinner at least two times a week so our menu has to range for a number of people. 

These are some steps I use to plan my grocery trip to stay on budget for our family. 

1.) Make a set budget: every families budget is going to be different because of different incomes, family members, prices. Our budget is around $40 a week. Some people that sounds a little cheap but I'm telling you it's do- able. So talk to your spouse about how much you can spend a week, start with an amount and if you see you need more or less adjust from there. 

2.) Plan ahead: this is how I plan my shopping trip. I right down the meals I will want to be having for the week which is about 7-12. I think write down all the things I need to make the recipe. After that I go through the pantry and fridge and see what I already have to make sure I do not over buy

3.) Utalize leftovers: weird tip for a budget. But do you make a dish, that you know you will have leftovers? I do. For example I make a chicken dish on top of rice. We always have chicken left over. So I plan it that I can cook the chicken dish one meal, then the next I use the left over chicken to make a pot-pie!!!

4.) Make only one trip to the grocery store: I plan weekly for my shopping trips. I know some women that plan for 3 months which is awesome!! I only have room for about a month and plus we don't have the finances to buy that much In advanced. But find out how long you want to plan. Go shopping and do not return to the store again. The more trips you make the more chance that you will buy things you do not need. 

5.) Pay with cash: I will admit i do not stick to this all the time, but the more you do the better you will budget. I have learned if I pay with my card I spend a little extra. A little sometimes is all the difference. If you go to the store with $30 in cash that's what you have, and you can not spend any more. 

These are some stradagies I use to make sure I do not go over my budget. The first time you go to the store, and things don't work out. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. Try again next week and I'm sure you will get it. If you have questions on how much you should spend on a meal, or what I cook, or how could I possibly cook good meals on this budget ?? Ask away. 

Fool proof way to find Prince Charming

I was talking to my best friend and she suggested me let my readers know about mine and Chris's love story. How it started, my life before. So I started thinking about it, then I realized I know exactly how I caught my greatest catch....

Through my God, with out him I would be lost, desperate, and alone. When I was 15 years old God started really dealing with my heart. I should probably mention that right before this time I was back sliding, being a terrible ' bearer of Christ' and influencing people in the wrong ways. But God started working on my heart

1.) Have a strong relationship with The Lord: How can you do anything with out Him? You can't. So seek God , acquire a loving relationship with him. Pray, study, read and give your heart to God. It was when I said " Lord I'm giving you my heart, every piece of it. Do what you will with it. Send me a husband Lord in your sweet time, until then God I will give my whole heart to you" that is when God started to change everything. 

2.)From here God started working in me and so e where deep inside I just knew I wanted to marry a preacher, a man in fire for God. Truly I think that I thought a preacher was the only person that was going to keep my accountable as a wife, do to my previous relationships. So my pastor told me to make a list of things I wanted in a husband. My list if I recall right had things such as loving, wants children, saved, a virgin.  Once you make a list stick to it. If you let your self develop feelings for someone who does not have all your qualities, your settling, and I assure you it will not work, that is NOT your Prince Charming. 

3.) Once you find a potential Prince Charming , do not, I repeat DO NOT let your guard down. I'm not talking emotionally but I guess physically. So often I hear our teens and young people at church talking about they kissed this person or that person. DONT. Love does not form from the lips, or hands and such, it forms in the heart.  Once you are married and are with the one you love you look back and wish you could have saved every kiss, every time you held hands for this one special person. Think I'm wrong? Well that's how it was for me, I'm sure it would be the same way for any other person

4.) Lastly, once you form a bond/ relationship with this person put it all in Gods hands. Your his child and I am positive he will take care of you. In my case my relationship with Chris was very fast to people of this world. But for me it was perfect. We Got married young, but it was all in Gods timing.maybe it's The Lords will for you to get married in 5 years who knows maybe 10. God knows what's right. I can say I have been there searching for a perfect man to sweep me off my feet, let me tell you I never found him till I found the most perfect man Jesus Christ. If your tired of waiting seek God, if your hurt God will heal you. 

I can say now I have my Prince Charming, 2 and a half years ago I would have never thought I would be able to say that. God can do miraculous weather they are in your timing or not, you just have to give it all to him

             

I will let yall in on our love story. These are some pictures from the day Chris asked me to be his wife. Oh how we have changed in this short time. Seems just like yesterday, this is proof ladies, Mr. Prince Charming does exist.

Are you ready?

Are you ready to begin the journey into the world of couponing( que the suspenseful music). 

I caution you friend do not have anxiety or get discouraged if you don't understand something, that's why I am here. Ask questions!!! So to start I think I might start to break down couponers  lingo. To be one, you have to talk like one

BOGO: Buy one, get one.  Will usually end with “free” or “half off” meaning buy one, get one half off, or buy one get one free.

 B1G1, B2G1: Another way to write ‘buy one, get one’.  The “B” stands for “buy”, the G stands for “get”.  The numbers indicate how many of a product you must buy to qualify and the number of products you get when you redeem the coupon or offer.  B1G1= Buy one, get one.  B2G1= Buy two, get one B2G2= Buy two, get two 

Catalina: Sometimes abbreviated as “CAT”, Catalina coupon machines located at register, dispense long receipt-like coupons that may be used on a future purpchase.  Catalinas, refer to the coupons themselves which may be manufacturer or store coupons.  Some Catalina coupons are advertised and some are generated based on consumer behavior.

Double Coupons: Select stores always double coupons up to a certain value, usually $0.50.  If your store doubles coupons up to $0.50 off, any coupon $0.50 or under will be doubled in value.  Coupons $0.51 or greater will be worth face value, no doubling.  You do not need to present two coupons for one item.  Each coupon will be worth twice the value.  Other stores may double coupons on a particular week day, usually a slower day like Tuesday.  Other stores may offer physical store ‘twice-the-value’ coupons.  Even other stores may feature double coupons on a special promo week basis and will advertise this in their weekly ad. 

EXP: Expires or Expiration Date

MFR: Manufacturer abreviation.

OOP: Out-of-Pocket; refers to the amount of money you will pay a store to make your purchase.  Does not include and after-purchase savings, coupons or rebates. 

OYNO: On Your Next Order.  Store promos such as Spend $25, save $10 on your next shopping order.  

OYNO refers to savings that you will not see on your first transaction, but that may be applied to your next purchase.  Most OYNO coupons have no minimum purchase.  If you spend $25 and receive a coupon worth $10 off your next order, there is no minimum purchase on that next order.  If you spend and value over $10, you may redeem your coupon.  If you spend under $10, you may use your coupon, but will forfeit the difference. 

One Coupon per Customer: Limits you to only using one “like” coupon per customer or person, per shopping trip. 

One Coupon per Day: Limits you to only using one “like” coupon in a 24 hour period. One Coupon per Purchase:  Refers to your ability to use one coupon per item.  Meant to enforce the point that you may not use two of the exact same coupon for one item.

 One Coupon per Shopping Trip: Limits you to only using one “like” coupon per shopping trip.  If you change locations, then it’s a new shopping trip and you can you another “like” coupon. One Coupon per Transaction: Limits you to only using one of this coupon per transaction.  You may request to do separate transactions.  Example:  If you have 5 coupons that read “one coupon per transaction” you may request to separate into 5 transactions and pay 5 times. 

WYB:  When You Buy.  Some sales or coupons require purchase of multiple items.  When reporting a deal on KCL, we always include a final price.  Example:  Buy 2 Mint Milano cookies $2.00 each, use 2 $1.00/2 coupons, Final Price: $1.50 each, WYB 2.  You must buy 2 in order to use the $1.00/2 coupon, so the final price states “WYB 2″. 

YMMV: Your Mileage May Vary.  A phrase used to describe that an experience one shopper has may differ from your experience.  One store may allow you to stack additional promos and another location may not do the same.  Some stores, such as that ‘one’ SuperCenter, who do not have a universally enforced coupon policy will often let one customer do one thing and another do something completely different.  If we receive an email from a reader with a great shopping scenario, we might report it and say, YMMV until we see if stores nationwide are allowing the same scenario. 

These are some basic phrases used in the couponing world. For me detailed explanations and more words you can visit thekrazykouponlady.com for extra help if needed. On e you have an understanding of these words things will start flowing a little smoother. If you are a couponer yourself and think any other words would be helpful to a newbie just comment below and I will see to it, as well as if anyone has questions at all feel free to let me know. Your almost ready to get to saving !!!

Why not pants... Modest is hottest!!

If you have ever met me and my family, we look normal, but over time people seem to realize that I always wear dresses or skirts. I was recently asked " Do you not wear pants because of conviction or your religion". Today I'm gonna set it straight. 

I wear skirts about 95% of the time. This is because of PERSONAL conviction. Not because of religion, nor laws, nor demands. Have I always wore skirts/ dressed modest? No. Am I ashamed at the things I have let people see me in?You better believe it. Just like my blog name , I strive to be a virtuous women ( although I have not always had that mindset) there for I try to dress modest. When my husband preaches he uses the phrase " if Jesus looked at you, would he be pleased?" . I truly feel like that's the tender heart we should have,especially   as women. 

My family bases our beliefs on bible principles , as my husband is an independent baptist preacher. Do all baptist dress like me? No. Really the majority does not. I feel God has laid on my heart that modesty should be a women's main idea when getting dressed. Now does modesty mean frumpy, baggy, black & brown , eww ? NOOOO. that's the hardest point to get through some times. I love colors, different styles, bling jewelry!! I'm telling you that being modest does not mean being drab, modest is hottest(;

Just because you wear pants does not mean I don't think your modest. Please don't think that. God deals with everyone in there own ways. I wear skirts, but many of my friends do not. But even if you don't I still believe modesty should be shown in your apparel. Don't believe me, that wine should be modest 

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30 KJV)"

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; (1 Timothy 2:9 KJV)"

That seems pretty straight forward to me. (: I'm glad God convicted my heart , to strive to be a modest, virtuous women. Do I fail? You better believe it , but thank you Lord for your grace and forgiveness.