Saturday, January 29, 2011
Bathroom Decor Love...
I want to make some changes in my bathroom, and soo I have been searching for various pieces to inspire me, this is some of what I have come up with. I have links to each of these items.
#FeelGoodPost
Inspiration Board Love --
I have to give props to The Party Muse, she sparked my love of Inspiration Boards, and although this one is not hers, I am sure she will love it as much as I do. (I think??)
#things that make me wish I had a baby boy
Inspiration Board Created Here at augustafternoonprint. Kudos to her!!
#things that make me wish I had a baby boy
Inspiration Board Created Here at augustafternoonprint. Kudos to her!!
Finding my Niche..
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| The Plan is coming together ya'll. My Niche |
** I guess I should send a special Shout Out to my dh who is soo supportive of me in all my endeavors.. Thanks honey!!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Healthy Snack Ideas
Whole Wheat English Muffin with Peanut Butter
Cucumber Slices and Laughing Cow Cheese...
All Yummy Options.
The State of the Union Address: Just in case you didn't get a chance to watch it!!
In full: The President's State of the Union address to the 112th Congress
Last updated at 9:26 AM on 26th
Tonight I want to begin by congratulating the men and women of the 112th Congress, as well as your new Speaker, John Boehner. And as we mark this occasion, we are also mindful of the empty chair in this Chamber, and pray for the health of our colleague - and our friend - Gabby Giffords.
It's no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. The debates have been contentious; we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. And that's a good thing. That's what a robust democracy demands. That's what helps set us apart as a nation.
But there's a reason the tragedy in Tucson gave us pause. Amid all the noise and passions and rancour of our public debate, Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each of us is a part of something greater - something more consequential than party or political preference.
We are part of the American family. We believe that in a country where every race and faith and point of view can be found, we are still bound together as one people; that we share common hopes and a common creed; that the dreams of a little girl in Tucson are not so different than those of our own children, and that they all deserve the chance to be fulfilled.
'We are poised for progress': President Barack Obama makes a point during his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington. Behind him sit Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner
That, too, is what sets us apart as a nation.
Now, by itself, this simple recognition won't usher in a new era of co-operation. What comes of this moment is up to us. What comes of this moment will be determined not by whether we can sit together tonight, but whether we can work together tomorrow.
I believe we can. I believe we must. That's what the people who sent us here expect of us. With their votes, they've determined that governing will now be a shared responsibility between parties. New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will move forward together, or not at all - for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics.
At stake right now is not who wins the next election - after all, we just had an election. At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else. It's whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. It's whether we sustain the leadership that has made America not just a place on a map, but a light to the world.
We are poised for progress. Two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back. Corporate profits are up. The economy is growing again.
Detailed notes: Mr Obama's speech is printed in front of him. He also used two autocue screens, to his left and right, during his address to a joint session of Congress.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Great Sale!!
Be sure to stop by their site.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Sharing... Speech Help..
As a mom of a six year old child with a significant Speech Delay. I find myself constantly immersed in all things that I think would be beneficial to helping her with her articulation and development.
This weekend, I was extremely blessed, so I thought I would share the information that I came up with.
Tiga Talk - This an app, as well as a website where you can help your child with his or her Speech Development. My daughter is always asking to listen to my iPod, so for me I think she will enjoy this app, because it makes learning a game, while making her feel like she has a reason to use the iPod.
Mommy Speech Therapy Blog - I love this website, and yesterday she had a guest blogger, who was discussing Language Development Using Mobile Technology. The Guest Blogger, Sean Sweeney gave some amazing links, including the one I will share below.
This is a link to Several Speech Therapy Blogs and wesbsites, you can simply add to Google Reader. Speech Language Pathology Blog Bundle.
I really do feel like I am making progress, or at least learning different ways that I can help my baby be a success. So I hope that someone will find this information useful as well.
This weekend, I was extremely blessed, so I thought I would share the information that I came up with.
Tiga Talk - This an app, as well as a website where you can help your child with his or her Speech Development. My daughter is always asking to listen to my iPod, so for me I think she will enjoy this app, because it makes learning a game, while making her feel like she has a reason to use the iPod.
Mommy Speech Therapy Blog - I love this website, and yesterday she had a guest blogger, who was discussing Language Development Using Mobile Technology. The Guest Blogger, Sean Sweeney gave some amazing links, including the one I will share below.
This is a link to Several Speech Therapy Blogs and wesbsites, you can simply add to Google Reader. Speech Language Pathology Blog Bundle.
I really do feel like I am making progress, or at least learning different ways that I can help my baby be a success. So I hope that someone will find this information useful as well.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Our Love...
My husband has gotten into photography over the last two years. For Christmas he got a new camera with all the fixings.. Here is some of his latest works. He used my wedding shoes and our rings.. as his subject.. I love them. They will be getting added to the wedding albums.. What do you all think??
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Valentine's Day Already....
Hubby spoiled me soo much over the holidays, I really want to make Valentine's Day Special. Any non-cliche suggestions?
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5
Monday, January 17, 2011
Gym Bucks..
I am a big fan of GYMBOREE, for my little girls. I just love the way they pull their outfits together. Well, at Christmas I spent a good deal of money with them, and earned Gym Bucks. So, I had $25 off of a $50 order.
So after going back and forth, I bought these two outfits for Jai-Madison. I think I can use any one of these for her Picture Day. What do you guys think??
So after going back and forth, I bought these two outfits for Jai-Madison. I think I can use any one of these for her Picture Day. What do you guys think??
"We Shall Overcome" - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Words can never adequately express the profound sacrifice that Martin Luther King Jr, and his family made on the behalf of all Americans. This is my small tribute to him.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Pinwheel Party Favors!!
In my hunt for Pinwheels for my Baby Girls First Birthday Party, I ran across this Inspiration Board. I love it, so I just thought I would share.
These pinwheels are available for purchase on Etsy, Here.
Valentine's Cookies
http://www.thedecoratedcookieblog.com/2011/01/sprinkles-and-hearts-and-marshmallows.html
FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2011
sprinkles and hearts and marshmallows
Remember way back when, Wednesday, when I posted on those mod rose marshmallow pops and chocolate heart cookies? If you have forgotten since, Wednesday, here is the link. I was going to offer these up as an "easier, quicker" decorating method, but those mod roses were so easy and quick already, this will just have to pass as an "alternate" decorating method.
I found THESE tiny little heart sprinkles at Michaels.
To make the marshmallow pops, I skewered a marshmallow with a lollipop stick, dunked the marshmallow in a glass of water, shook off the excess, then coated with sprinkles. To make the cookies, I cut and baked hearts from my chocolate cookie dough, made frosting and tinted it white with Americolor soft gel paste (Bright White), and prepared a frosting bag with a coupler and size "4" decorating tip, tying closed tightly with a rubber band. Working with one cookie at a time, I piped an outline, then piped back and forth in a zig zag motion to totally cover the cookie with icing. Immediately, coat with sprinkles and turn over to remove excess. Find lollipop sticks, frosting bags, couplers, decorating tips, sprinkles, and heart cutters (probably, this time of year) at the craft store. For more tips on finding supplies, click HERE.
** This blog is in my Google Reader. I love it.. Do you all think I can be this ambitious.. I am sure gonna try!! Thanks Decorated Cookie..
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Winter Storm 2011 - Atlanta
After a whole week of being stuck at home with the kids, I saw this picture and it made me smile.. Just looked like a grown up good time.
Can you tell I am missing my girlfriends, and my wine??
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| Grown Up Fun!! Also, I am including some pics of the weather here, can you believe I live in Georgia!!    |
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
I'm In Love!!
I found these Valentine's Day Inspiration Boards while searching on Google Image. They are not mine. But, I loved them and had to share.
I am soo turning into my Mommy!!
It's Snow Day #2, and this is how I started my day!! I normally reserve this tea for summer, but since I want to feel warm inside and out... I pulled this out today!!
Guest Blog: Keeping All the Balls in the Air - The Initial Goodbye by Kori Gaff
Intro: Kori is one of my "she-roes", simply because I have watched her over the last six years that I have known her, tackle whatever life throws at her with such poise and grace. I applaud all military spouses for their ability to literally "keep all the balls in the air". But, she holds a special place in my heart, because she is my friend. I asked her to Guest Blog because I don't think that most people fully appreciate the sacrifices that the families make as well as the military personnel, and, also because she makes it look soo easy.
Shes an incredible woman, a force to be reckoned with, a mother, a wife, a rose by any other name...
I have been lucky enough to get her to commit to a 4 part series on deployments and getting through them. In each post she will give suggestions, and let you know how it went and how she is dealing with it.
A. The initial goodbye
B. In the swing of things
C. Getting ready for the return
D. Readjusting to his return
Kori:
I am a 33 yr old mother of 2, step mother of 1. My husband and I have been married for 10 years, he has been a Marine for 17.
I have to say that I wasn't completely oblivious to what this lifestyle had in store for me when I entered it. I was an Air Force brat (which means I was the kid of someone in the Air Force). So I knew about moving a lot, I knew that service members can go away (to where ever) for long periods of time. That being said, there is a huge difference between being a kid and going through it and being an adult going through it.
The kind (please note the sarcasm) people in charge decided that part of the unit should leave 2 weeks before Christmas. My husband being part of that group. So for the second Christmas in a row I had to be mommy and daddy for my kids. Holding it all together and making the holiday season a fun time for them.
Right now I am pretty much still in the "this sucks" stage of deployment. Cause lets face it, deployments suck. But you have to get past that, no matter how hard that may seem. So right now for me its about planning and routine. My son is in kindergarten, so the routine of the school year is (mostly) my friend. We have a set time frame for things. He goes to and gets out of school at set times, and that alone seems to help time go by. I also try to plan 1 thing a week to look forward to. It may be a birthday party, or dinner at a friends house. I write it on the calendar, point it out to the kids and we get excited as that day gets closer. If I'm lucky every couple of months there is something big to look forward to. Someone coming to visit, maybe my mom or dad, or a friend of the family. It's great for all of us, it means a break for me, and it's something exciting and different for the kids.
There are days that I marvel at my ability to do this. There are bad days, where it feels like I'm counting the seconds until the kids bedtime and I can have a glass of wine and relax or just let myself feel bad. Those days happen, it's not always easy to be strong and have it all together. When I have bad days there are a couple of things that I do to pull myself out of it. I am finding this time around that exercise is helping. It clears my head and the endorphins help make me feel better. This is a new thing for me, so I'll keep you posted on how long I last with it. TALK, talk to friends, talk to family, talk to anyone willing to listen and be supportive. I also make sure I talk to someone who will be supportive but will also say, okay, time to suck it up and move on. Faith also plays a big part for me. You can attend church, talk to a pastor/priest (whomever). I prefer just to converse with God in my own home. I can be sad, or beligerant, whatever spirit moves me at that moment and let God have it, so to speak. At the end of the day there are only so many things that I can really control, when I've reached my limit (probably even before that), its time to give it to God.
I feel that I have to be strong for 4 people. I am strong for my kids, of course, they need to know its okay to miss daddy and to be sad, but we are going to be just fine. Momma has this under control. I have to have it together for myself, I do not function well when I feel out of control for to long. There are times you have to put on your big girl panties and just suck it up. I also have to be strong for my husband. He is off doing who knows what, he needs to know that I am okay and that things at home are going to run as they normally do, or as close to it as possible. Sure I let him know that I (we) miss him and he knows that some days are better than others but at the end of the day the most important thing is that he knows other then that we love him, is that he doesn't need to worry, cause I've got this.
Sheree's Favorite Quotes from this post: - "I feel that I have to be strong for 4 people. I am strong for my kids, of course, they need to know its okay to miss daddy and to be sad, but we are going to be just fine. Momma has this under control."
Shes an incredible woman, a force to be reckoned with, a mother, a wife, a rose by any other name...
I have been lucky enough to get her to commit to a 4 part series on deployments and getting through them. In each post she will give suggestions, and let you know how it went and how she is dealing with it.
A. The initial goodbye
B. In the swing of things
C. Getting ready for the return
D. Readjusting to his return
Kori:
I am a 33 yr old mother of 2, step mother of 1. My husband and I have been married for 10 years, he has been a Marine for 17.
I have to say that I wasn't completely oblivious to what this lifestyle had in store for me when I entered it. I was an Air Force brat (which means I was the kid of someone in the Air Force). So I knew about moving a lot, I knew that service members can go away (to where ever) for long periods of time. That being said, there is a huge difference between being a kid and going through it and being an adult going through it.
The kind (please note the sarcasm) people in charge decided that part of the unit should leave 2 weeks before Christmas. My husband being part of that group. So for the second Christmas in a row I had to be mommy and daddy for my kids. Holding it all together and making the holiday season a fun time for them.
Right now I am pretty much still in the "this sucks" stage of deployment. Cause lets face it, deployments suck. But you have to get past that, no matter how hard that may seem. So right now for me its about planning and routine. My son is in kindergarten, so the routine of the school year is (mostly) my friend. We have a set time frame for things. He goes to and gets out of school at set times, and that alone seems to help time go by. I also try to plan 1 thing a week to look forward to. It may be a birthday party, or dinner at a friends house. I write it on the calendar, point it out to the kids and we get excited as that day gets closer. If I'm lucky every couple of months there is something big to look forward to. Someone coming to visit, maybe my mom or dad, or a friend of the family. It's great for all of us, it means a break for me, and it's something exciting and different for the kids.
There are days that I marvel at my ability to do this. There are bad days, where it feels like I'm counting the seconds until the kids bedtime and I can have a glass of wine and relax or just let myself feel bad. Those days happen, it's not always easy to be strong and have it all together. When I have bad days there are a couple of things that I do to pull myself out of it. I am finding this time around that exercise is helping. It clears my head and the endorphins help make me feel better. This is a new thing for me, so I'll keep you posted on how long I last with it. TALK, talk to friends, talk to family, talk to anyone willing to listen and be supportive. I also make sure I talk to someone who will be supportive but will also say, okay, time to suck it up and move on. Faith also plays a big part for me. You can attend church, talk to a pastor/priest (whomever). I prefer just to converse with God in my own home. I can be sad, or beligerant, whatever spirit moves me at that moment and let God have it, so to speak. At the end of the day there are only so many things that I can really control, when I've reached my limit (probably even before that), its time to give it to God.
I feel that I have to be strong for 4 people. I am strong for my kids, of course, they need to know its okay to miss daddy and to be sad, but we are going to be just fine. Momma has this under control. I have to have it together for myself, I do not function well when I feel out of control for to long. There are times you have to put on your big girl panties and just suck it up. I also have to be strong for my husband. He is off doing who knows what, he needs to know that I am okay and that things at home are going to run as they normally do, or as close to it as possible. Sure I let him know that I (we) miss him and he knows that some days are better than others but at the end of the day the most important thing is that he knows other then that we love him, is that he doesn't need to worry, cause I've got this.
Sheree's Favorite Quotes from this post: - "I feel that I have to be strong for 4 people. I am strong for my kids, of course, they need to know its okay to miss daddy and to be sad, but we are going to be just fine. Momma has this under control."
Monday, January 10, 2011
Getting ready for Valentine's Day!!
Thanks to the The Party Muse. I found these awesome free printables to make Jai-Madison's Valentine's Extra Special.
Here are some pics from Last Year's Valentine Festivities..
Here are some pics from Last Year's Valentine Festivities..
A Solution...
"The Snood"
So, maybe the winter wasn't a great time to cut my hair. But, I found a solution to the cold head and neck problem. What do you guys think?
So, maybe the winter wasn't a great time to cut my hair. But, I found a solution to the cold head and neck problem. What do you guys think?
The Green Way I start my day!!
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5
Friday, January 7, 2011
App Friday: The Wonderous World of Apps
Well, if you know me any at all. You will know that I am a Gadget Girl. Without my dh to reign me in, I suspect I would have every new device that comes out on the market. Well, right now my new favorite toys are my HTC Evo (4g Phone), and my Android Tablet. While strolling through the Market, I came across (2) apps that speak to my need to organize.
So, I just thought I would share. The first one is - SpringPad (available on both the I-Pad, and through the Android Network). It is an organization tool that will help you to keep all your information for whatever project you are working on in one place. It is amazing. You can use it for business, for running your household, really for whatever, tickles your fancy!! The second app is Google Goggles, this app just makes searching for things soo much easier. **Google Goggles is downloadable image recognition application created by Google Inc. It is currently found in the Google Labs as a beta version. Currently, it is used for searches based on pictures taken by handheld devices. ...
Check them out, and let us know how you like them. Stay tuned for more fun and useful apps!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
You say goodbye.. I say helllo.. Welcoming 2011!!
2010 was a good year, as with any year it came with its fair share of rain fall, but that's to be expected. I started off the year robust LOL and preparing for the birth of baby #3. As Spring approached so did she, making her grand and highly anticipated arrival on March 29th.
As you can imagine the two months of maternity leave flew by and it was time to return to the work force and leave my babies in someone else's hands. That transition was made easier by the fact that my dh works from home 3 days of the week , and could lend a hand when needed.
Then we had Jaime's Graduation from Pre-School, a proud day for us all.
Before you knew it, it was time for school. A starting High School and J starting Kindergarten and all the anxieties that involved for both mother and children. The school year progressed quickly as it always does, at least for the parents. And, the holidays were upon us. I cooked my first turkey this year, and it came out great, and then Christmas was here. We were blessed to be able to celebrate our first holiday in our own home.
On a business note:
Pregnancy forced me to put Signature Stylus into watermark mode, running in the faded background. I simply had to take the time to focus on my family.
Essentially I put the business in research mode, I tried to read as much as I could, make contact with vendors that had similar visions and support them. All the while trying to pair down my personal concierge company to one that would serve a niche market. Not that I wouldn't still offer my services to everyone but I wanted a Target demographic.
During 2011,I plan to blog more, and take you all on this journey with me to strategically make SS a household name and get us back in the news!!
Lastly, since starting this blog, I have had the distinct priviledge of having some guest bloggers. If you missed when they ran initially, please go back and read about their visions and their successes below.
Guest Blogger Post:
Changing Spaces Design
The Party Muse
Mommy Stands Up
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| Baby Morgan |
Then we had Jaime's Graduation from Pre-School, a proud day for us all.
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| Jaime's Graduation |
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| First day of school |
Pregnancy forced me to put Signature Stylus into watermark mode, running in the faded background. I simply had to take the time to focus on my family.
Essentially I put the business in research mode, I tried to read as much as I could, make contact with vendors that had similar visions and support them. All the while trying to pair down my personal concierge company to one that would serve a niche market. Not that I wouldn't still offer my services to everyone but I wanted a Target demographic.
During 2011,I plan to blog more, and take you all on this journey with me to strategically make SS a household name and get us back in the news!!
Lastly, since starting this blog, I have had the distinct priviledge of having some guest bloggers. If you missed when they ran initially, please go back and read about their visions and their successes below.
Guest Blogger Post:
Changing Spaces Design
The Party Muse
Mommy Stands Up
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