A City Life For Me

Yesterday I was featured at the Imperfect Homemaker .  I shared some ideas for frugal role-playing with preschoolers.  My kids love to dress up but it can be expensive to get all of the accessories!  Go check out some frugal/free ideas to fuel the dress-up lover in your home!

Today I’m guest posting over at the Imperfect Homemaker .  Though you already know about the twinsies, they are the basis for my topic.  Here's a snippet of my post… On October 4, 2012 I went to the doctor to confirm my third pregnancy. Little did I know that when I left the office that day, I would enter a new season of life. You see, the doctor informed me that I was not only expecting our third child, but also our fourth…I was having twins! With this news came the realization that we needed to find a new apartment so that I wouldn’t be climbing three flights of stairs, my husband needed a new job making more money, and we needed a new vehicle that could hold four car seats. Life with four children ages three and under was definitely a season of life that I didn’t anticipate ever walking through! Click to continue reading…

Today I’m guest posting over at the Imperfect Homemaker about a craft I made with the kids a couple of weeks ago.  Head over here to check it out!

I recently started following the Gypsy Mama blog.  I would like to try and start participating in her Five Minute Friday Meme .  Here’s how it works, in her words… “Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays. We set a timer, throw caution to the winds and try to remember what it was like to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. Want to play Five Minute Friday? It’s easy peasy! Write for 5 minutes flat on the prompt- no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking Link back here and invite others to join in. Meet & encourage someone who linked up before you. OK, are you ready? Give us your best five minutes on: Good-Bye…” Go: During the last couple of weeks I said “good-bye” to my business.  Started out of an addiction {for lack of a better word} to cloth diapering, Ben and I began Doable Diapers in August, 2010.  It was my home based business, and it launched me even further into t...

This is a little late in coming, but I wanted to condense 2011 by listing my favorite blog posts!  Here are my top picks, in several categories… Homemaking: My Homemaking Binder – we are still using this system! T-Shirt Skirts – I had so much fun sewing for Elaine! Nursery Organization – I was featured at IHeart Organizing! Random Posts: Sledding at Owl’s Head Park The Tree that Saves Grandpa Painting Elaine’s Toes Nolan’s Newborn Pics What’s In A Name? – I think this is my absolute favorite post of the year.  Don’t know why…I just enjoyed writing it! The Height of Sisterly Love… Cake and i-keem A New York City Spectacular The Feast of Tabernacles It was a year with several big family events.  Here are the highlights, in chronological order: Kenny & Becky’s Wedding Meredith’s Graduation It’s A Boy! Elaine Meets Nolan Remembering Gramps Danielle’s Wedding It’s A Family Affair...

I purchased a little pair of handmade pants from my blogger friend Marah ( Diary of a Devil Dog Wife ) for Nolan to wear home from the hospital.  Unfortunately, they were too big for him when he was born.  Additionally it was very hot in June, so Nolan didn’t end up wearing any pants at all!  Finally the weather is cooling off.  Nolan is chunking up, and we are loving these reversible easy diaper change pants !

…random lessons from the life of a NYC mommy… :: Sleep is not overrated.  I’ve been getting more of it since Nolan has slept through the night (7+ hours) every night this week.  ::  Elaine is too smart for her own good…sometimes.  She helped herself to a screwdriver to try to open the battery compartment on Nolan’s play gym (when she couldn’t get the music to come on).  Unfortunately, Nolan was right underneath her.  Fortunately, Mommy walked in just in time! :: Elaine watches everything .  She has started nursing her baby doll this week.  Then she burps Betsy.  Just like I do with Nolan. :: The news reporters and weather forecasters are not always right.  Hurricane Irene was a bust, at least in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  They totally played it up too big.  Ben was told by a reliable source this week that they were trying to make up for botching the snow removal from the Dec. 26th blizzard last year.  We had rain, and ...

It’s been a while since I posted a Thankful Thursday post.  I’ve kinda fallen off in my blogging lately.  I was sorting through pictures and catching up on things this week.  I came across the pictures from my Colorado visit in March.  I was thinking about many things, so today I have a conglomeration for my Thankful Thursday post.  I hope my thoughts come out in an understandable fashion! First, I am thankful for my parents who have paid for us to fly out and visit several times since Elaine was born.  Now, I realize they have hidden motives.  They really want to see the grandkid, not me!  But I have benefited from the visits and their generosity. I grew up living near one set of grandparents, and seeing the other set of grandparents on a fairly regular basis.  It is different for our family now to be away from everyone familiar as we live and minister in New York City.  This makes me so thankful for our church family who have h...

So I know that I am biased because I am the mommy, but I just think Elaine has been especially cute lately.  Every day she discovers something new or surprises me.  Even Ben said this morning, “Baby Girl you are so cute!” Here’s a couple of random shots…I captured them for my diaper blog , but I am saving them until I am actually carrying this product to sell. I love this shot because of the light coming in and the concentrated expression on her face!   Don’t worry Mom.  I won’t fall.  I can stand up by myself!   Yup.  Pretty much she is always happy!

Hey everyone.  Just wanted to let you know that my laptop finally gave up the ghost, and we are in the process of transferring files, pictures, and music to a desktop computer.  So…I will be “gone” for a few days, but I have lots to share when I come back! Until then…

“Saturday Linkage” is not going to be a weekly feature on my blog, but occasionally as I find interesting articles in the blogosphere I want to pass them on to you. :: Do babies know the difference between good and evil at just 6 months old?   I found this article to be an interesting read. :: New Pampers diapers under Federal investigation for causing chemical burns .  For all my mommy friends in the blogosphere! :: We have homemade pizza every Friday night from this recipe.  (from Money Saving Mom) .  Ben said it’s the best! :: I used this tutorial to create a custom blog header in blogger this week (maybe you already know how to do that, but I had to learn.  I used Gimp software) :: Money Saving Mom’s coupon database (you can search by expiration date & coupon source) :: Coupon Tom coupon database by Jill Cataldo (you can search by items generically or brand specific – this is my favorite coupon database) :: Modern hymnwriters Keith & Kristy...

I blogged before about my guest post over at The Cloth Diaper Blog .  One of my “articles” is featured again today.  I have several others waiting in line to be published.  I have earned a free Rumparooz diaper, and I’m halfway to my second diaper…just for Guest Blogging!  You can view my newest article here .  Since this isn’t a cloth diapering blog, I won’t bother you any more about articles…y’all probably find it boring!

A few weeks ago I won a weekly cloth diaper giveaway called Feed Your Stash Friday over at Cloth Diaper Blog .  CDB is operated by my local diaper store, Diaper Junction.   When I picked up my prize I was told that they would like me to write a review of the product for their blog.  So I did.  Today my article is featured on Cloth Diaper Blog …I’m a guest blogger!  Whoo  hoo!  You can read my article here , if you’re interested in diapers and such, or if you’re just curious.

One of the blogs I read daily (and it has helped me learn how to save a LOT of money) is MoneySavingMom.   Recently she has been “hosting” via the blogosphere a freezer cooking day each month.  As I was growing up my mom frequently did once-a-month-cooking (OAMC).  I know it can save time and money, but I didn’t think I had the freezer space to do it. We have been “eating from the pantry” through the month of February and the result is a very empty refrigerator and almost empty freezer.  So I decided to try a freezer cooking day this month and see how it goes. Here’s my plan: Sloppy Joes (two batches, from Sherry Godby – I think it may be from the original OAM Cookbook) Chicken Tetrazinni (from MoneySavingMom) Stuffed Shells (from Sissy Hamilton) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (from MoneySavingMom) – we are going to use these instead of cookies in Ben’s lunches Pizza Dough (two batches, makes six pizzas, from MoneySavingMom) We’ll see how it goes!...

I just found a great new blog called Baby Good Buys .  To make this find even sweeter, they are giving away two Fuzzi Bunz diapers to one lucky winner.  These are the cloth diaper that I have chosen to use with our baby, in addition to traditional pre-fold diapers.  There is a great review and some more information about Fuzzi Bunz if you would like to check out her site, and enter to win yourself if you have babies at home!  

  I just discovered Windows Live Writer to make blogging easier!  My pictures are inserted in a flash, and they don’t mess up the spacing in my paragraphs anymore!  Plus I can do cool things…like turn this picture of my parents into a polaroid!  Pretty cool stuff…

I have finally launched my new blog. I have been desiring to start a devotional blog for some time, but I have not taken the time to actually get it going. So...today I was finally able to begin. The blog is called Polished Palaces , based on Psalm 144:12 - "That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:" I have not decided the frequency of my posts at Polished Palaces . The first three devotionals are schedule to post - one today, one tomorrow, and one on February 2nd. These three devotionals cover the theme topic and introduce the blog. I have in mind what I would like to do for my first "series" but I don't have it on paper yet. Perhaps it will be of some benefit to somebody, somewhere. And if not, it has been beneficial to me to probe deeper into God's Word and write some things down.

It is the perfect morning to curl up by the fire with my Bible or a good novel and a cuppa hot latte and be lazy! It is cold and damp outside, and the faintest hint of snowflakes are sort of half-falling from the sky. I think there are about three total snowflakes, but they bring the promise of a possible more real snow. Especially considering the high today is in the mid 30s, and the low is 28. We are supposed to get snow all day, but since it is VA, probably no accumulation. When Ben called me to say it was trying to snow, I ran outside...in my pajamas...and flipflops . I guess Virginia Beach is the only place where I would run to see snow in my beach attire. Well, I don't have a fire, and I don't have a latte, but I have some tea, and my Bible, some I'm going to go be lazy! Let me leave you with the sweetest little outfit - Grosgrain has been doing costumes in their giveaways for Halloween, so there haven't been any to catch my eye. But I think this outfit is adorabl...

I think this is a super cute little girl's dress. It makes me wish that I had kids already. (Just kidding, Ben :-) View the grosgrain blog by clicking the link below: Train Stop Shirt Dress GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!