Homeschooling My Toddlers

I first thought about homeschooling when I was a teacher, because I could really see the inadequacy of effectively teaching every child. There were just too many students in a classroom to be able to give each the attention that they needed. So, back then it was just a thought in the back of my mind.

For the past few months, I have been reading a bit on homeschooling, just to get a better picture of it. Currently I am reading, Morning by Morning: How We Home-Schooled Our African American Sons to the Ivy League. So far it has been very thought-provoking. I am really enjoying reading this book. My husband is not on board with homeschooling as of yet, and I'm not sure that I am completely either, but it's something I am really thinking about.

Last week, I thought about the fact that while I am home with them, I can "homeschool" them now. Even though they are two and one, there are things that I can do with them each day or each week to help them develop intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. Of course I have been doing this anyways, but not in a focused, intentional way. A great resource that I have found is Hands On Homeschooling and Tot School, which provides me with a loose schedule of things to do with my kids each day during our homeschool time.

I think a great bulk of homeschooling toddlers can consist mainly of reading aloud and active play outside. There are so many teachable moments that can occur during this time. But, it's also great to have different and creative activities to engage them in on a daily basis. So far, it has been great to add more structure and focus to our days.

Back to School

It's been quite awhile since my last post, and I have been wanting to blog, but just wasn't sure of what to say. I have been busy due to taking a class toward my teacher recertification, and boy is it intensive. Many times I have thought of just quitting, but I'm trying to forge onward.

Once the kids start school, if I have to work, I would like to work in the school system. Then we would have the same hours. I've been observing high school classrooms, and the other day I had to teach a lesson, and get observed by an observer at the college I'm taking classes from. It was nerve wrecking, but I survived. I don't really want to be a teacher again, but it's a good back-up job in case of emergencies. I'm considering obtaining my master's in library science or school counseling to become a school librarian or school counselor. I cannot make up my mind on which one.

But, of course, I really just want to be home with my babies right now. School is a nice diversion sometimes, but it's been kind of stressful at times too. Women don't realize how lucky they are when they have a good, strong, hard-working husband who supports their decision to stay home.

Power of A Praying Wife

I always enjoy reading stories about love, marriage, and children. Especially about Christian couples, and how they were able to endure difficulties and overcome them. A couple of years ago I saw this story on CBN, and I was really touched by it. It was about Michael and Cammy Franzese. Michael Franzeze was a notorious mob leader, and he married Cammy, who was a Christian. She had no idea that he was in the mob while they courted, or even after they married. After a few years of marriage, she started to put two and two together, and realized that he was in the mob.

What was important to Michael was that Cammy didn't tell him to get out of the mob. She didn't tell him to either choose the mob, or their family together. Instead she prayed fervently, along with her mother, for Michael to get out of the mob. What followed is an inspiration, and to read more, go here.

Their story ministers to me, and shows how being a praying wife can bring miraculous results in a marriage.

Numb

I'm surprised at how much the passing of Michael Jackson has affected me. I felt a numbness for most of the day yesterday. Late in the evening it started to sink in, and I started crying. Of course I've never met Michael Jackson, but I felt like I had lost someone in my family or something.

My brothers, sister, and I used to watch The Jacksons: An American Dream movie a million times. We watched it so much together that we would say the words right along with the actors throughout most of the movie. I remember watching Thriller, and all of the other popular MJ videos in the 80's hundreds of times along with my siblings.

I'm sad that he's gone, and it still feels like it's not really true. He was a legend, and he will be truly missed. My prayers are with his family.

Three kids for three weeks

I haven't been blogging much lately, and it's because I have been too exhausted to do so. For the past three weeks I have been babysitting my 2 year old nephew, and, oh my goodness, what a treat! Ha!

Babysitting is a great way to earn money from home. . . if you have the patience. And, I don't think that I do. God still has a lot of work to do with me on that front. Caring for my own two children is one thing, but adding another child to the mix, an active toddler boy is another. This Friday is supposed to be my last day, and although I have enjoyed the extra money, I know that this is not something that I would like to continue doing in the future.

Caring for him reminded me of why mothers should take care of their own children. Because, no one is going to love and take care of them like you would. Except maybe your own mother. My mother thinks that my kids are hers by the way she acts with them, and how she is always telling me what to do with them.

But anyways, caring for children in your home is a great way to earn money from home, and provide extra social interaction for your children. It's not really my cup of tea, but for some people it may be.

Right now I'm sleepy, and I'm about to go to bed. Next week I would like to talk about The Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood, and what I thought about the book. I'm almost finished with it.

Have a great rest of the week!

Being a Fascinating Woman

I read the book, Fascinating Womanhood, in 2004, a year after I graduated college, and when I read through the book I was simply amazed! It sounded so old-fashioned and wholesome, and, I loved it!!! The author, Helen Andelin, articulated so well about a woman's role, and what leads to ultimate happiness for a woman, and it resonated so well with me, because I instinctively knew these thngs in my heart. But reading the book was so inspiring and renewed within me the desire to become the best woman that I could be.

Earlier this week I stumbled upon The Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood, which you can download for free, and I have been reading it on my computer as I have time. Since I have been married, I usually reread through the book whenever I have a particular problem with something, and it inspires me to work on being the best woman and wife that I can be. I have been challenged and convicted while reading through this online resource to be a better wife to my husband.

How sad I was, however, when I learned that Helen Andelin had passed away on June 7th. I am thankful to her for writing such an inspiring and powerful book, and I hope that many women who want to help their marriage become the best that it can be, will read the book and learn from it, like I have.

I encourage you to read The Secrets of Fascinating Womanhood, and see if it is an inspiration to you. It shows how women actually work though Fascinating Womanhood and the results for them. So far I have enjoyed reading it, and I hope you will too.

Smallest BlessingsThursdays: Thankful To Be A Homemaker

It's Thankful Thursdays over at Southern Housewife's Blog, and I decided to participate. The blessing that I'm so thankful for today is being able to stay home with my children and care for them.

Yesterday, I happened upon the website, www.daycaresdontcare.org, and I felt extrememly grateful that my children don't have to to be in daycare. It's something that I purposed since I was younger, to not put my children into daycare.

For some reason it just made me open my eyes even more to the powerful impact that being at home with my children really makes. I felt sad for the many testimonials of the negative effects of daycare usage. But, I didn't need to read it to know. It just made me all the more thankful for the fact that I'm home with my babies, and get to love on them and teach them, and have fun with them throughout the day.

They get to enjoy being at home with Mommy, and being always near me. They get to have a sense of security in knowing that Mommy is always near, and I am so grateful for that, because extenuating circumstances could have reversed the situation. But, God has provided for me to be home with them and I am so thankful.

The pictures above are of me in a dress that I had stashed away for awhile. When I put it on I thought I looked like a 1950's housewife. How cute, I thought. I have felt so much more productive today, wearing a cute little dress around the house, even though I had absolutely nowhere to go today.

Mary Kay Lady

Over the weekend I attended a friend's Mary Kay business debut. It was her first home party, and it was actually quite a bit of fun.

My friend is a single mother of a school-age daughter, and she has told me that she is tired of the corporate world. She wants to find a way to earn money from home. So, she has ventured into selling Mary Kay.

I had never used a Mary Kay product before this party, but I must say that the products seem very nice. My favorite color is pink, so I love how most of the containers are a beautiful shade of pink. My friend talked to me about possibly becoming a Mary Kay lady as well.

It seems like a nice business venture. My main drawback is that you need $100 to start. As opposed to Avon, where you only need $10 to start. And, I have used Avon products since I was a little girl. My mother loved their skin creams, and bought all the various scents. I love them now, and am a dedicated Avon fan.

If you are looking to purchase some Mary Kay products online, my friend's website is www.marykay.com/metoyamonroe

Just wondering, have you or anyone you've known experienced much success with selling for Mary Kay or Avon? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Finding Fulfillment In My Duties as Wife and Mother

In my last post about staying home with the children, I mentioned how I'm learning more about the joy and beauty of being a good wife, mother, and homemaker. It is definitely a challenging job, and requires skill to do it all well.

The other day my husband said to me, "Being a wife is a hard job, isn't it?" I replied, "Isn't being a husband?" He went on to say that being a husband is a different kind of job. He's responsible for providing and going to work, but he doesn't consider his professional job to be a difficult job, but rather easygoing, laidback work. I, on the other hand, work hard cleaning, taking care of our home, the children and him. And, it's like labor kind of work, he said. Hard work. "I bet you didn't think it would be this hard when you wanted to be a stay at home mom, did you?", he asked me.

In many ways, I did think it would be hard. I remembered thinking how hard my mother and grandmother would work cooking dinner, and being in the kitchen for so long preparing an elaborate meal, the great effort that it took to keep the house cleaned, getting all of us kids ready to go to church, or anywhere, cleaning a mountain of dishes, etc. I used to think it seemed to be so boring to have to do all of that.

Until I had to do those things in my own home. After seeing how much having a clean home and delicious meals meant to my husband, I had a renewed sense of motivation for being a good homemaker. And, I actually started to enjoy cleaning. Not usually the act itself, but the results of cleaning usually recharged me, and made me feel so good and accomplished, and I enjoyed that feeling. Having a clean kitchen to walk into each morning is so refreshing! I've come to actually enjoy washing dishes, and find it to be a great time to relax and ponder on different things.

I'm starting to enjoy catering to my husband as well. I admit that I had to let some feministic ideas go. But, the more I made it a point to fix my husband's plate, to cook meals that I knew he enjoyed, to wash and fold his clothes, to rub his back, to look pretty for him, to do the different little things that I knew he liked, the more I enjoyed doing those things for him. I actually look forward to doing those things. I receive so much satisfaction from serving him.

Just like I receive so much satisfaction from having a clean and orderly home. I just think if you set your mind to achieving a task, the more you do it, the more you like doing it. It reminds me of a story a preacher once shared.

He said that a woman went to her pastor seeking help because she wanted to divorce her husband, and wanted to know what she should do, since she believed divorce was wrong, but felt it was impossible to remain married to her husband. Her pastor advised her that for the next three or four months she should cater to him and treat him as lovingly as possible. Then at the end, spring him with divorce papers, because he would never suspect it coming. She thought that it was a great idea, and went about treating her husband like he was a king. Well, at the end of the couple of months, the pastor saw the young lady again, and asked if she followed through with the divorce. She replied, "Divorce? Why would I divorce my husband, I realize just how much I love him. I definitely want to make things work."

The pastor knew she would come to this conclusion. The message behind it is that our mind follows our actions. She acted lovingly toward her husband, and her mind and emotions began to follow.

You can't just follow your emotions. Just because you don't feel like doing things, doesn't mean that you shouldn't. Do your duty, and your emotions will follow.

Staying At Home With The Kids Is Not a Bad Choice

While reading a new blog the other day, I happened upon a comment made to a post about being a stay at home mom. The lady said that she would not be disappointed if her daughter became a musician or artist, even though it's an unstable occupation, but she would be MOST disappointed if her daughter became a stay at home mom. She went on to say that she values and respects many stay at home moms, so she doesn't know why she feels that way.

Interesting. I was kind of stunned that she would say that she would be most disappointed if her daughter became a stay at home mom, like that is the worst that she could do with her life. The commenter is a working mother. Growing up, I have always been admonished by my parents and grandparents to "get your education." And, I did. The main reason was so that I would end up being successful, and have plenty of money to do the things that I wanted. I don't think my parents are disappointed that I'm a stay at home mother at this point. They look at it as a temporary situation because I have two small children at home.

In many ways, I have looked at it as a temporary situation, too. It is a financial struggle for me to stay at home. If I went back to teaching, I would have a guaranteed and stable income every month, and our lives would be financially very comfortable. But, at what cost to my children, at this juncture? I do work from home, but with two small and demanding children, I am not able to devote the time that I need to my work from home. If we only had these two children, then I would feel comfortable going back to teaching when my daughter enters school. But, what if I get pregnant again? Then, that's more years at home.

God has provided in wonderful ways so far, and I trust that He will continue to do so. I know that He will open doors as needed. Plus, I'm starting to really get into what being an excellent wife, mother, and homemaker is really about, and I'm eager to stay home and excel in the role that God has for me. More to come later about that. . .

Me Time

I have some time to myself to actually blog, and I'm excited!! Lately I've been thinking a lot about the whole "me" time thing. Before I had children, I read blog posts and articles about mothers needing me time to feel rejuvenated, and be better wives and mothers. Then, I read other blog posts about how selfish having me time was. One Christian mother of eight said that she doesn't seek out me time, because when she does, she finds that she just becomes more frustrated. Instead, she just tries to be patient, prays throughout the day, and God replenishes her. Eventually, at some point during the day, she has time to herself. I thought that was a good approach.

Because this past week, as I have tried to seek out me time, it seems that at every opportunity, it fails to come! And, it leads to frustration on my part. That's why it's important to start each day out with God's word and prayer, to put our minds where they should be. I'm guilty of not doing that everyday, but it's my goal.

Yesterday, for example, I woke up early in the morning because that's when my son woke up. I didn't get one break yesterday until around 11:30 p.m. last night when my daughter went to sleep. No naptime break or anything. My son went down for his nap just as my daughter was awaking from hers. I wanted to scream, because it had already been a trying day. I'm trying not to claim the whole "terrible two's" that people talk about, but, boy, it seems like my 19 month old is headed that way. My husband and I are going to have to really be firm to prevent this from happening. I hope that the terrible two's aren't inevitable.

I used to want four children, two boys and two girls. For now, I think I'm pretty content with the one girl and one boy. I often wonder now, how in the world do people manage with three, four, five kids that are under school age? But, then I think to myself, well, the same way that I'm managing with my two kids. You kind of manage as you go along with trial and error, and ever growing patience. If I had three or four, I think God would give me the patience needed, and I would learn to manage it. I kind of wouldn't have much of a choice, but to figure out how to manage it.

Living Debt-Free On One Income

A great giveaway is going on at A High and Noble Calling blog. Leave a comment for a chance to win a great e-book, Living Debt Free on One Income.

I don't know about you, but I would love the chance to read this book, and glean more information on how to nip away at debt while living on one income. If you're interested, hop on over and leave a comment.

Work From Home Wednesday: Get Paid To Give Tips

It's another beautiful Wednesday, and I have another money earning opportunity to share. It's called DayTipper, and you get paid $1 for every tip that they accept. The number of tips that you can submit are limitless. I suggested five tips the other day to start out, and they accepted four of the them. So, I earned $4 for a few minutes of my time.

Daytipper lets you know within one to three days or so whether or not they accept your tip. After it's published your money is sent to your Paypal account. So, if you have some words of wisdom to share, go over to daytipper.com to share your tips and get paid!

Double Stroller

I'm so excited because yesterday I bought a double stroller for the kids, and I can't wait to use it. After church tomorrow we'll probably stroll around the neighborhood or around the park. I can't wait! It's crazy, but I LOVE shopping for my children. Growing up, I have always hated shopping, but after I had my son, I just loved shopping for him. And, I love shopping for my daughter. It's soooo much fun. I read in a magazine that Halle Berry said that she is addicted to shopping for her daughter Nahla, and I can completely understand!!

I researched and deliberated on the purchase. I realized there's no such thing as a perfect double stroller, and just bit the bullet and purchased one. I ended up getting the Baby Trend Double Jogging Stroller. I think we will all enjoy it. We'll see tomorrow.

Work From Home Wednesdays: Home Business

I just wanted to share an opportunity to earn some extra money from home through Thirty One Gifts. I have heard some great things about this company. I have looked to this company for buying cute items for my children, because their totes, bags, and other items are so pretty and cute, and you can have them monogrammed.

You can start a business selling their products. You can conduct home parties, sell through your own website, or simply through word of mouth. It seems like a fun business to have. Check out their website to learn more information about how to get started.

Femininity Revisited

I've been at home with my parents while finding a place for my family and I to dwell. We will be moving into a charming and pretty apartment complex in a week or so, and I'm quite excited. We will be living about 10 minutes from my parents, and I think it's going to be fun. Living in Alaska, while my family was in Georgia, was a HUGE adjustment for me. I have always been extrememly close to my parents and siblings, and it was hard being away from them. But, now, my new little family will be close to parents and siblings, and I'm excited about that. I think we'll have a swell time.

Ok. Now, a while back I posted about the importance of looking feminine and putting your best foot forward. Leave it to your parents to speak the truth with love. They told me basically that I need to step up my game. Stop looking so motherly. They admonished me that just because I have small children to look after, doesn't mean that I let myself go. . . which, of course, I didn't think I had, but apparently I was in denial. Excuses. . . well, most of my pre-second pregnancy clothes just don't fit anymore. So, I kind of stick with clothes that are somewhat loose fitting. And apparently, not so flattering.

So, when my husband sees me in a couple of days, hopefully he will be wowed by the new me who puts forth extra effort to look nice. Hair nice and neat, nicely applied make-up, a feminine outfit that complements my new shape. I'm sure that he will be pleased.

It's important to be feminine and feel beautiful on the inside and out. And, it helps you have a better outlook on life. Putting forth the extra time and effort to look feminine and pretty each day goes a long way.

Work At Home Mom Interviews

For today's Work from home Wednesday post, I wanted to share a great website filled with interviews with Work at home moms. It's called The Work At Home Mom Spot, and you can go to it here..

I love reading about other work from home mothers who are following their passions, and earning money from home to help make ends meet.

Fyi: If you are still interested in writing for about.com, there are some great new topics to choose from. Go here for the topics that they need guides for.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Grandmother

My grandmother is a lady that I truly love, adore, and admire. I would like to be like her as a homemaker and woman. She is such an inspiration. I went to visit her over the weekend, and I realize that I need to do that much more often. She's 83 years old, but she looks like she's in her sixties. She has smooth skin, and a beautiful spirit. Everyone loves my grandmother because she is so sweet and kind, and always looking to give to others.

My mother told me that growing up my grandmother was involved in various clubs and organizations for women, and they would have meetings at different members' homes monthly, or however often they met. And, she said that the women were always so delighted when their meetings were at my grandmother's home, because they knew that they had wonderful, tasty food awaiting them. My grandmother's cooking is legendary in the town that my mother grew up in. Everyone knows how well my grandmother can cook and bake.

Even more so, the ladies loved what an excellent homemaker my grandmother was. They would say that she was so neat and clean that they could eat off of her floors. Now, that's a compliment! Grandmother was and is always hospitable. She always has a fresh pitcher of sweet tea in the refrigerator and a delicious cake on the countertop that beckons to be eaten, no matter what diet you may be on.

My grandmother is beautiful on the inside and out, and she inspires and encourages people around her everywhere she goes. She's such a positive and loving person. And, she's quick to share the good news of the gospel to those who will listen.

She has often talked proudly of the fact that she inspired my late grandfather to change. He was a rough and tough manly man, who was not a Christian, and she fondly told of how she firmly laid down the law with him at the beginning of their marriage, and told him that she would not tolerate disrespect and mistreatment from him. Gradually, as the years passed, he grew stronger and stronger in his walk with the Lord. My grandfather was a highly respected man who was known for his integrity and excellent work ethic. He was a great provider, and he treated my grandmother with respect and love.

They were married for more than fifty years, and she is always encouraging me to love my husband, and be a good wife. She always says, "Married life is a good life. It's what you make it." I just wanted to share a bit about my grandmother, because I love her so, and she inspires me in so many ways. I hope to one day be the excellent homemaker and woman that she is, and inspire and uplift as many people as she has. She is a true Titus 2 lady!

Work From Home Wednesdays: Another Online Writing Opportunity

Today I want to share another online writing opportunity. It is Demand Studios. Demand Studios is a company that pays freelance writers, copywriters, transcribers, title proofers, and filmmakers to contribute to their site.

I applied for the freelance writing section. There are a ton of topics to choose from. Each month you have a limit of 15 articles that you can write in the beginning. As time progresses, you have the ability to write more articles. The upfront payment for most articles is $15.

Now, the sad thing about it is that I applied to write for Demand Studios months ago, and waited for an email from them letting me know that I was accepted. Today, I just happened to go to their website and check the status of my application, and I was accepted. I don't know how long I've been accepted. I just happened to check. That's money that I could have been earning! Oh, well. I've heard some great things about Demand Studios. Check it out and see if it's something that you would be interested in.

Have a happy Wednesday!!

Getting Tough as a Parent

My son is doing much better at church. I have continued to work on disciplining him consistently, and at the first offense. When I taught school it made me not want to have sons, because I thought that boys were just a huge headache!! Almost all of the boys that I taught were so unruly and overactive.

When I was a kid growing up I surmised that the kids who behaved the best seemed to have mean parents, and the ones that were disrespectful had parents that were really nice. I wondered about that, and figured out that only mean parents had good kids. When I say mean, I mean parents that did not take any stuff from their kids, and the kids had to do what the parents said, or else.

That's the kind of parents that I had. We didn't question what they said, we just did it. Because we had enough sense to know that there would be major consequences if we stepped out of line. My parents gave us lots of love and attention, but they commanded respect, and did not tolerate any ounce of disobedience or disrespect. I remember my mom telling me about teachers asking her about how she raised her kids, because they were so well behaved. I thought that was interesting until I became a teacher myself. I had one male student in particular who was very nice, well mannered, never disrespected me or any other adult, was kind to others, and on top of that he was a handsome, popular, football player! All of those qualities together was just unheard of at the school that I taught. It was kind of a rough school.

Anyways, I kept thinking, wow, I would like to meet his mother, and ask her what she did to raise him the way he is. I did meet his mother, and she had the sweetest disposition. She was a pretty, soft-spoken, and very feminine lady. I complimemented her on how well behaved her son was, but never asked her about her parenting techniques, but I sure did want to, I just wasn't in the position at the time to ask her.

Right now as a parent, I'm learning to continue to be firm and command obedience the first time. It can be quite exasperating, but, I know that it will pay off. I'm determined not to spoil him, and give him everything that he wants. From what I've seen all that does is lead to heartache for parents later on. Lots of love, and enough discipline to make him obedient to me the first time asked, are my focuses right now.

Work From Home Wednesdays: Utilizing Craigslist

Many people talk about how great using Ebay is to sell unwanted stuff from around your home, but I think that Craigslist is better, mainly because it's FREE!!! I tried using Ebay to sell a few items, and I had to pay a $4 listing fee, and it didn't even sell within the time frame that I was given. I would have had to continue to pay $4 to list it until it sold, and who knows how long that would have taken.

I think Craigslist is much better, because it's free, and usually, local. You can find a public place to meet up to exchange the goods, or mail it off. I was able to sell my son's shoes that he had outgrown for $25 a pair on Craigslist. A local kid's consignment store only offered $2 for the same shoes. So, I'm a big fan of Craigslist, because you can sell quickly if it's a hot item, not worry about shipping things off if you don't want to, and get the best price for the item. Not bad, for something that's just collecting dust around your home anyways!

Going The Extra Mile

Happy Monday to everyone! It's the beginning of the week and I am determined to go above and beyond this week to be the most excellent homemaker that I can be, with a strong focus on cleaning and organizing. Today is one of those days where the inspiration to clean and declutter is not quite there. So, I want to share an inspirational post from fascinatingwomanhood.net, about Helen Andlin's mother-in-law. For some reason, this article about her really inspires me to go the extra mile, and put forth as much love and care toward caring for my family and home. Here's a snippet:

My mother-in-law was a Real Domestic Goddess. Not only was she an excellent housekeeper, she was a devoted homemaker in all areas of endeavor. She managed her house like it was a five star hotel. The most noticeable thing about her was that she seemed to enjoy it. She usually arose about 4:00 am, not because she had to, but because she was anxious to begin her day. She reminded me of a little girl anxious to begin playing house. To her it was a career – her career in the home.

In the afternoon her husband urged her to take a nap. She earnestly tried to but she enjoyed working more than sleeping. Finally he resorted to paying her for each nap.

My husband told me much about his mother during his childhood. When he was six years old and ready to begin first grade he put up such a fuss to stay home that he got his way. He began school when he was seven. Home, he thought, was the very best place to be. When he was in school he described how great it was to go home. As he and his brother walked home in the snow they were thinking of home. Soon they smelled fresh bread baking. When they arrived they never had to raid the refrigerator for a snack. She had freshly baked bread and homemade jam waiting for them.

To read the rest of this wonderfully inspiring article, go here. I encourage you to read it and be inspired to give 100% to your families and homes. It always blesses me to read this, and I hope that it does the same for you.

Choose Your Husband Wisely

I have heard reports that Rihanna and Chris Brown have gotten married. It's already been established that they have gotten back together, which seems ludicrous, but now it's circulating that they have gotten married. All I can think of, is why set yourself up for further heartache?

When I was in college, I heard a powerful abstinence educator and speaker, Lakita Garth, speak at the church that I attended. And, she said that after choosing who you are going to serve ( God), who you choose to marry is the second most important decision that you can make in your life. And, I COMPLETELY AGREE with her! Marriage is not to be taken lightly, and it can change your entire life, if you choose incorrectly. Choosing wrongly not only affects you, but affects any children that you may have together, your parents, and other family members.

I encourage any young unmarried woman to pray, pray, pray before they choose to marry someone. Search his character, his work ethic, what his views are on certain things. Check out his friends. Seek the advice of your parents, and other wise, loving adults and see what their opinion is of the person that you are interested in marrying.

It doesn't matter if you are 30, 35, or 40, and still single. It is much better to be happily single, than miserably married! Once married, you have to submit to your husband, and follow and support his vision. You will build a family, etc. I encourage ladies to not allow anything, not a ticking biological clock, family pressure, or anything, influence them to marry someone who is not suitable for them. Doing so only leads to greater heartache down the road.

Hold out, ladies. Hold out for the man who cherishes you, is kind and loving to you, is considerate of your time and feelings, who wants to provide for you and any future children that you may have, whose heart is committed to God, who has a teachable spirit, who seeks to live a Godly lifestyle, whose life goals line up with yours. Waiting for someone who loves and adores you is worth waiting for. Don't give your treasure(you) to someone who doesn't even understand your value. Because when someone doesn't understand the value of something, they are much more likely to abuse it, and not take proper care of it.

Work From Home Wednesdays: Entrepreneur Spotlight

It's a beautiful Wednesday, and it's time for another work from home Wednesday post. Today, I want to spotlight two businesses that are run by work from home mothers. Maybe their stories will inspire you, if they are doing something that you have a passion for. I love reading stories of work at home moms, and I hope that you will too.

First is Pink Taffy Designs. It is an online baby boutique run by two sisters, Aimee Pool and Rebecca Stocker, who are both stay at home moms. They sell beautiful baby bedding, furniture, and other baby items. The two sisters were inspired to start the business because they wanted to stay home and raise their children.

The other business is Fruition Designs. It is an online graphic design business run by a stay at home mother of four. She designs blogs, invitations, announcements, and other types of stationery. She started out as a part-time graphic designer, and after the birth of her first child, she began graphic designing from home full-time, and her business was born.

Those are my two entrepreneur spotlights for the week. I hope that they have provided a bit of inspiration for you on this Wednesday to follow your passions, and use it to earn money from home!!

Looking for a paid blogging job? Check out http://jobs.problogger.net for a listing of blogging jobs.

Happy Wednesday!

Training Our Children

I have been working for the past few weeks with training my son to obey like he should. It's been a work in progress. He's 17 months old, and he is quite stubborn, and I had been looking for ways to discipline a young toddler. I started this search a little bit before he turned one, because I wanted to prepare myself for training him properly.

I must admit that I had not been consistent in my training with him. My husband thinks I'm too soft with him, and maybe I am. . . or was. I am changing now. What prompted this was going to church. Although it has improved a bit with time, my son continues to be quite disruptive in church. I could kind of understand it as a baby, but now as a toddler, there is no reason for him to keep acting up. Simply spanking him didn't solve the problem. Consequences have to be consistent in order to have any lasting effect.

I fell guilty to thinking that some of his stubborness was cute, instead of nipping things in the bud at the first sign of rebelliousness. Two great resources for training children is Raising Godly Tomatoes and Teaching Your Children To Obey by Kelly Crawford from Generation Cedar. Both resources have provided good, detailed instruction on how to teach children to obey you.

The earlier the training, the easier your job is as parents. Last week I became really serious about training my son to sit still and be quiet, to practice for church. And, it's great to teach him to obey me when I tell him to stay seated and be quiet. Oh, the rebellion and tears that came out! But, as the training has progressed, he has gotten better at obeying me the first time. And, he seems to take greater delight in pleasing me and waiting for me to tell him what a good job he does when he obeys me the first time. He is quite proud of himself!



I was also inspired by this post by Terry at Breathing Grace. Her points were right on, and encouraged me greatly, because I was reminded how important it is to be home TRAINING our children. And, when we do our jobs, we will reap the fruit thereof.

Work From Home Wednesdays:

It's Work from home Wednesday, and I want to share two good websites that share great information on how to earn money from home, and their tips on how they succeeded.

The first is PaidOpps. The blog owner is a stay at home mom who has earned around $20k/year working from home with various companies. Her blog has great tips and leads on ways to earn money from home.

The other is Paula Mooney's blog. On her blog she states that she made around $44k/year last year by working from home with various online companies. Reading her blog is a treat, and you can learn great information about how to increase your online earning power. A great article that she wrote on Associated Content provides inspiration for making good money online here.

I enjoy reading both of these blogs. They have provided innumerable resources for me in earning money from home, and I wanted to share them today. Please check them out if you have time.

Happy Wednesday!!

Prayers for the President

President Obama has been this nation's president for a little over a month now, and so many people are attacking him. A lot is going on in the nation, I know. There were financial problems and unemployment problems before he took over the presidency, but somehow, people continue to blame him for the problems, and saying that he is not doing a good job.

I don't think that it is fair to say that he is doing a good or bad job at this point, because enough time hasn't passed to really give an accurate judgement. Our country is in a financial mess, and we cannot expect it to be turned around in one month. I hope that more people can pray for the President, instead of judging him and blasting off that he is not doing a good job.

I pray that God blesses him with the wisdom and foresight to make good decisions, and that will be part of my prayers each day. I hope that we all can take the time to pray that God helps him and leads him, instead of wasting time talking negatively about the job that he doing so far.

Just my two cents on this Tuesday.

Feminine Friday: Tea and Shabby Chic

So, I'm typing at almost one a.m. on this Sunday morning. My last post was on Wednesday, and I have been meaning to post since then, especially to write my Feminine Friday post, but as we all know, life gets in the way.

For the past few days, I have been busy trying to clean and organize, search for an apartment, take care of the kids, etc., and I haven't had time to blog. I do wonder sometimes, how do women find the time to blog everyday? I have come to really enjoy blogging, and I think of a post, and can't wait to write it, but then the time to write it just does not come. I like to blog during my kids' nap time, but for the past few days, as soon as one falls asleep, the other one wakes up.

Anywho, I wanted to do my Feminine Friday post. I had said that I would write about dressing femininely and such, but I will revisit that next week. I just had to share two feminine loves of mine: Tea and Shabby Chic.



First, the tea. Well, I enjoy watching Peter Perfect on the Style network, and last Saturday, the shop that he chose to give a makeover to was a tea shop!! I was so excited! The tea room is called La Tea Dolly, and oh, how I enjoyed watching the show. The makeover was fabulous, beautiful, and elegant. The shop is run by three sisters, and they do children's tea parties, and teach etiquette. How wonderful! You can watch a clip of it here. Just click on the My Little Princess clip. La Tea Dolly is located in Ohio, so if you live in the area, maybe you can take your princess in for a tea party. You can learn more information at www.lateadolly.com.

Now, Shabby Chic. I have said before how much I love Shabby Chic decor. I absolutely love Shabby Chic decor. I have written articles about decorating around a Shabby Chic theme.

So, imagine my dismay when I heard that Shabby Chic was filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy. They are closing down stores. I do not know if this means the beginning of the end of Shabby Chic, but I seriously hope not. In honor of Shabby Chic, I thought I would post some beautiful pictures of some of their items, for your enjoyment.





I just wanted to share some beauty and inspiration with you. I hope you continue having a great weekend!

Work From Home Wednesdays

Work From Home Wednesdays is here again, and here are a couple of ways to earn money from home:

1. Idapted

www.idapted.com Idapted is a company that hires tutors to help foreign language students learn to master the English language. You do not have to be fluent in any particular language, because the students can speak English, they just haven't mastered it, and want to improve their English. I know a young woman who has enjoyed great success working for this company. If this sounds like something that would interest you, be sure to check out their website.

2. Cash4books.net

If you have old books laying around or just books that you don't read and want to get rid of, go to cash4books.net to sell them. I did it once, and earned about $25 for some old college textbooks that were simply collecting dust on my bookshelf. It's not much, but it's worth looking into if you need some extra cash.

3. Mturk.com

You get paid to perform hits for this website. Some people rack up serious cash with this company. If you have the time to devote to it, you can earn a significant amount. The pay ranges from about $7.50 to .50 for performing a hit.

Need inspiration?

Check out a wonderful website that features profiles of successful work at home mothers talking about their businesses and how they started. You can go to www.startupprincess.com .

If you know of any great ways to earn money from home that you would like to share, please feel free. Have a happy Wednesday!!

Feminine Friday: Dressing Femininely

I was out of town on Friday, so I was unable to write my Feminine Friday post. I do want to talk about being feminine, and dressing the part. On Friday I went to my mother-in-law's 50th birthday party celebration, and I enjoyed myself. I wore a nice little black dress that was fitted in the waist, and flared a bit. The dress came to my knees, and it had small straps. I wore a pretty shawl to throw over my shoulders, complete with some cute, high heeled silver shoes. I wish I had taken a picture to post here, but I didn't. Sorry.:( Here's an example of the dress:



The dress was made similar to the middle dress, except it had straps, and the dress had sequins on it. I loved wearing it. I felt so feminine to be dressed up and in high heels again. I absolutely love a cute dress with nice heels. I feel so ultra feminine. While I was pregnant with my second child, I basically always wore a cute dress and shoes, and I felt so beautiful.

I say this because I think that all women should take the time to dress themselves in a way that makes them feel beautiful and feminine. Dressing that way on the outside can have a tremendous effect on how we present ourselves, our mood, and the way we carry ourselves. Now, I'm not saying that it should be all about how we dress, because it definitely is not. But, I encourage all ladies to take effort and care in how they present themselves to the world.

Since having my daughter I slipped into a rut, because I was basically home all the time. I usually wear things that are not ultra feminine, and it does affect my mindset. When I shower and throw on something pretty and feminine, I feel so much better, and much more motivated to do what I need to do for the day.

It's okay to be a pretty mama. Just because you have children, or are at home most of the day, does not mean that you don't put forth the effort to be pretty and feminine. I think it's wonderful to cultivate our beauty on the outside as well as the inside. What a wonderful way to minister to our husbands and children!

On Friday, I hope to post more about this subject for Feminine Friday. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Here's to a happy Monday, and getting the week started off right!

Retraining Our Minds

On Sunday, while at church, I thought about how I need to develop a new mindset in regards to cleaning and organizing. I need a lot of work in that area. When I wash dishes, fold and put away laundry, and organize my home, I do feel a great sense of satisfaction. But, I still wasn't looking at cleaning with joy in my heart.

As I just typed that, I thought to myself, "Joy in my heart? That sounds cheesy." But, on Sunday I decided to change my thinking about cleaning. The main reason was that my husband motivated me to think differently about it. He loves, loves, loves having a clean home. I like having a clean home, but my idea of a clean home doesn't quite measure up to his idea.



I understand why, because my mother in law keeps her home spic and span clean and neat all the time. Like, no dishes left in the sink at night, no matter how tired she may be, she will wash them. Nothing is out of place. Her house is basically spotless. Mine is not. Now, I know I shouldn't compare exactly, but my husband has grown up like this, and my cleaning skills are definitely not there. And, it's mainly because I looked at cleaning as a drudge.

This week I have challenged myself to think differently about cleaning, and tackle cleaning with a new heart and mind. When I clean now I think about it as being a blessing to my family. And, it gives me much more motivation to clean. I'm working on different cleaning and organizing projects this week, and I feel such a burden lifted off of me, and a renewed sense of peace just by cleaning and organzing!

Next week I will try to post pictures of my cleaning progress. I need some new batteries for my camera, and I should have them next week.

Have a wonderful day!!

Work from home Wednesdays

Today is Wednesday, and as promised, I will feature more ways to earn money from home. Site Build It or Site Sell, is a company that helps people earn money from creating websites around topics that they are passionate about. It's a great way for stay at home moms to earn money from home with a website that is about a subject that they love. I have heard many great things about this company.

This link is a link to A Work At Home Mother's Guide To Successfully Building A Real Business on the Net. You can download it for free, and read through it whenever you have time. It took me awhile to read through it in my free time, but I think it's worth checking out.

You can see if you want to start a website through Site Sell or not. But, even if not, you can learn interesting information that can help you earn money with the blog or website that you already have. If this seems like something that interests you, I encourage you to consider it and pray about whether this is a good step for you to take.

Feel free to share comments about anyone you know who has enjoyed success with Site Sell, or share about another great way to earn money from home.

Have a happy Wednesday!!

A Very Hectic Day

My day today did not go as planned AT ALL!! Fortunately, I did wake up at 7 a.m., and I was able to tackle a few writing assignments. But things quickly went downhill as the morning progressed.

I fixed breakfast for my son and I nursed my daughter. Oh, and I just finished a quick dinner of tacos a few minutes ago. That's all I have accomplied today, because I had a bit of an . . . incident. I really was not feeling well at all, and I had to tend to this incident for three whole hours. Thankfully, my son took an early nap, and my daughter slept through quite a bit of it. But, I was in so much pain.

Happily, I can report that I feel much better now, although I still feel a bit of pain. My goals for the day have been dashed for the most part, but that's ok. During my pain all I could think about was how happy and blessed I would feel to be back to normal.

It made me take even greater delight in tending to my home and taking care of my family. It really brings me so much joy. Although money is tight sometimes, I am so glad that I am able to be home with my children. I miss them sometimes when they nap too long! I don't even want to imagine what it would be like to be away from them for eight hours. I shudder to think of it.

I hope everyone else has had a good start to their Monday. I feel so inspired and uplifted from the church service yesterday. The preacher talked about anger, and how important it is to manage your anger, and to be slow to anger. That's a lesson that I think is really important for mothers. It can be easy to give in to frustrations, and blow our tops. But, it's sooooo much better to just be calm about things, even in the midst of a storm. You feel so much better knowing that you conquered anger, instead of letting it conquer you.

Have a happy Monday!

Feminine Friday: Tea Parties

I have been hearing of Feminine Friday on a few blogs, and I decided I wanted to join in on it. So, on Fridays, I will try to post about feminine things that I love. Well, one love for me are tea parties. I love visiting tearooms and having afternoon tea.

I developed this love for tea parties when I was a little girl. I had my cute little pink tea set that I would set out for myself and my dolls. I would love to have some sort of tea party business. It's something that I have thought about before, but I'm not sure.

I think tea parties can be wonderful ministry tools as well. You could invite young ladies to your home for afternoon tea, and have a Bible study, etiquette lesson, or teach lessons on how to be a lady and biblical womanhood. I think it would be really cool to do something like that, and I guess it's better to just try it, than to keep thinking about doing it.

My sister, who is in college, used to kind of laugh at me for loving to go to tearooms for tea. But, then I dragged her to one, and she fell in love with it too. She has even raved to her friends about it, and encouraged them to go to tearooms with her.

Of course, tea parties and afternoon tea are not just for ladies. But, usually tearooms are very feminine. I love the dainty teacups, the pretty and feminine decor, the scrumptious food, and . . . just everything about it.

Here are pictures from my bridal shower tea held a few years ago. It wasn't a traditional afternoon tea, but it was beautifully presented.




I have never made scones before, but I would love to try making them. I hear that they are difficult to make. Right now, I'm trying to conquer making my grandmother's homemade biscuits. They are the best biscuits that I have tasted. If I can make them like her, I would probably make them at least every other day.

If you want to find a great tearoom in your area, you can go to www.teamap.com and put in your zip code. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Don't Ever Take Your Life For Granted

It's a little past midnight as I type, and my daughter has just now fallen asleep. I have been trying to get her to sleep for the past hour, and she simply refused to go. I started to get frustrated and angry because she did not go to sleep so that I could get some work done before I go to bed.

I uttered a prayer to God to grant me extra patience, and proceeded to hold her and nurse her while I tried to get some writing done. While stopping by the SITS blog, I happened upon a post about Cynthia, and I felt so sad for her and her loss. It brought tears to my eyes. All I could do was look down at the baby in my arms and thank God for her.

Here I am getting frustrated with my baby because she wouldn't go to sleep when I wanted her to go to sleep. It can be easy to lose sight of your blessings, and take things for granted. I don't want to take God's precious blessings in my life for granted. Not for a moment.

Please stop by Cynthia's blog to show her some love, if you have time. Please pray for this hurting woman.

More Ways to Earn Money From Home

I wanted to share a few more ways that I know of to earn income from home. If you have the chance to work at these opportunities, it's great. I told you last week about freelance opportunities from home, that provide a steady stream of income if you are willing to work at it.

Here are a few more income opportunities:

1. wwww.Lovetoknow.com.

They are looking for freelance writers and you get paid $20/article accepted.

2. About.com guide

If you are accepted to become a guide for about.com, you are guaranteed to earn at least $725/month. You must write at least four articles each month. Sounds like a great job. I would love to write for About.com, but I haven't yet found a topic from their listings that I have enough expertise in. If you are interested, go to www.beaguide.about.com .

3. Tutor

Tutor.com, and writeathome.com are great companies to work for. Writeathome.com allows you to tutor students in writing via computer. If you are interested in helping kids write, then it's worth checking out. Also, www.scoreessaysfromhome@pearson.com is another website worth checking into.

I just wanted to share those three opportunities, and if you know of more along those lines and you want to share, please feel free to leave a comment about it. I think it's great when women can share various ways that they earn money from home. If there's one opportunity that I know of that could possibly bless someone financially, I am eager to share it. I would love for all moms who desire to stay at home with their kids, to have an arsenal of knowledge about the various income earning possibilities out there, to help them in their choice to be an at home mother.

Every Wednesday I will share work from home opportunities, or highlight businesses that are owned by work at home moms, because it might inspire someone to do the same thing.

Everyone, have a happy Wednesday. And, for a treat tonight, tune in to Top Chef. Watching the show is such a guilty pleasure.

What's Wrong With Clingy Babies?

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Happy February everyone!! I haven't posted in a couple of days, and I had been meaning to, but I was really busy. I'm so happy to hear about people finding work from home opportunities. I think that it's great!!! On Wednesday, I will post some more work from home opportunities that have worked for me, and will hopefully help someone.

Over the weekend I went over to my cousin's house for a little get together. I brought my daughter along with me. In the email invitation my cousin said that it was a ladies hour, and I was kind of excited to go. When I went, I found out that it was basically to get us together so she could pitch a product to us. It was about health pills and such, and undergarments that women can wear to help them contour their bodies, and help them to loose weight. I was a bit disappointed that the gathering was for that purpose, but I tried to enjoy myself nevertheless.

I can't remember the name of the company, but it was the kind of thing where you buy a kit and you can start your own little business by selling the stuff that was part of the kit. One of the ladies that was there did it, and she's a stay at home mom, and she said it worked well for her. The products sell themselves, and such. I was kind of interested in one of the corsets, because I need one to help me lose my little post-partum "pouch" but it cost, $168! Hmmm. I don't think I need it quite that badly. I will stick with my Pilates tape!!

Anyways, while I was there, my little Princess(who turns 5 months old tomorrow!) continued to throw fits. She cried up a storm whenever someone even looked like they were approaching her to try to hold her. An older lady that was there gave me this sage advice: "You need to get out more, and leave your baby. She obviously spends too much time right up under you. She's not used to strangers. You need to take her and leave her around strangers more often, so she won't cry when people try to hold her."

Right. That's exactly what I will do.

Another lady chimed in and said it was because I am breastfeeding her. She had nursed all of her children, and all of them were so clingy. She said it like it was a bad thing. Now, I for one, know that just because you nurse a baby doesn't mean that the child will be super attached to you. I nursed my son, and he has yet to meet a stranger. He is the friendliest baby. Even as a young baby, he would go to anyone who held their arms out. He never cried when a stranger held him or anything. So, I know that is not true.

Then of course, I was asked repeatedly when I was going to return to teaching. And, what did I do all day and such. I said that I planned on continuing to stay at home, and that I freelance write.

I continue to be amazed by people giving me baby advice, and throwing subtle hints to return to teaching. I don't understand how it affects them. I know that some people mean well, but, generally, I don't offer advice unless I'm asked. Aren't babies supposed to be attached to their mothers? Who cares if they cry around strangers? My friend from college was telling me that her adult relatives have been doing the same thing to her, basically disagreeing with the way that she's raising her baby; nursing, co-sleeping, holding her often, etc.

She asked me how I dealt with it, and I just told her that I listen and nod my head, and just continue to do what I want to do. That way, I'm not being disrespectful, there's no ensuing argument about which way is right, no hurt feelings. They eventually get the hint and hush when they see me continue to do what I feel is best for my baby. This is what I think, You had your chance to raise your children the way that you wanted, now please grant me the same respect with my children. If someone is being too pushy, I think this comment can stop them in their tracks.

Homemaker Preparation

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Today I have felt so much better. Things have gone pretty smoothly today, and the kids fell asleep at the same time!! My husband and I have been talking about our plans for after his retirement, and I'm just choosing to have faith about our situation. I pray, pray, pray, that I don't have to return to teaching. I would be so depressed, but I'm choosing to have faith that it won't come to that.

Yesterday, I discovered a new blog, and it's so cute. It's called The Glamorous Life of a Housewife. I liked reading her blog, because she talks about how she has always wanted to be a housewife, although she is currently working full-time. I can relate to that so well. When I was a teacher, I would sit and daydream about the day of becoming a full time wife and mother, and I just couldn't wait.

Although, I wanted to be a homemaker, I definitely did not use my single days to prepare for being a wife and mother. If I could give any advice to young ladies considering becoming a housewife, I would tell her:

1. Think now about what skills you could use to start a home business, or figure out something that you can do to earn money from home. It's so much easier to devote time to that now, while you have the time, than when the kids are there. Whether it's freelance writing, or selling crafts, start now. Then, by the time you have a family, you already have income generating from your home business.

2. Stay out of debt. Whatever you do, try to stay out of debt. Before I got married, I had almost paid off all of my credit card debt. And, then I charged more trying to pay for my wedding, and buying items for our home and such. Instead of just waiting and saving. That's the way to go. WAIT until you have the money, then PURCHASE!!!

3. Cook as much as you can. Cook for your family and friends, host little get togethers, and polish your hosting skills. It will come in handy. Invest in ccokbboks, take cooking classes, glean recipes and cooking advice from women that you know are great cooks. If you need inspiration, try watching Bravo's Top Chef. I love that show, and it inspires me to cook well for my family.

4. Learn how to keep a clean, orderly home.

5. Take care of children. Offer to baby-sit your friend's kids, your relative's kids, etc.




6. Choose A HUSBAND WISELY!!! I can't stress this one enough. Don't become desperate or become consumed with a handsome face. Look at his character and work ethic. Pick his brain on things that are important to you. Would he support you being a housewife and staying home with the kids? Choose someone who will truly cherish you and love you. Go for the nice guy!

7. Of course, nurture your relationship with God. Use this time to serve God with all of your heart, to study His word, and seek a deeper relationship with Him. It will help you as you navigate through life's ups and downs. And, give you the wisdom to make good choices.

That's all that I can think of for right now. I think these seven things are some of the most important things to help you prepare for your career as a homemaker. I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting, but these stand out in my mind.

Have a happy Wednesday!!


Photos by Melinda Byers

Faith

So, today, I woke up early again, and completed a writing assignment. I was proud about that. Yeah, two days in a row!!

I was feeling kind of bummed a bit today, because my husband found out yesterday that he will be getting out of the military on disability. Now, on the one hand, I'm excited because we will be able to live close to our families. But, on the other hand, I'm kind of nervous. Well, quite a bit nervous, because this is not a good time to leave a secure job and try to find another one. I truly thrive on security. (Well, maybe I don't totally, since I did quit my job, knowing that I had debts to pay.) But, anyways, I'm kind of scared. I kind of like being a part of military life. There's guaranteed housing, paycheck, insurance. And, I like that.

My husband tells me to just trust him, that everything is going to work out fine. Now is the time for the whole wifely submission thing. Just trust your husband and submit to his leadership. Of course, that is much easier said than done. I keep thinking, "What if he doesn't find another job?" "How long would he go before he finds another one?" All kinds of thoughts are running through my head.

This morning, I thought to myself that I need to just trust God in this situation. He will provide. He has been doing just that so far. The God who has enabled me to find work from home to earn money, is the same God who will help my husband find a job. (I hope!!!) O me of little faith! :(

I have no choice but to trust in God at this time, and pray that everything will fall into place as it should. And, pray for my husband, that God leads him in the direction that he should go. The more I pray about it, the better I feel.

Feeling Accomplished

Although I'm not supposed to post about it until Thursday, I actually woke up early today and got most of my freelance work done!!!!!! I'm so excited!! This is the first time in a long time. Too long to even mention. But, I forced myself to wake up early, and I did it.

I set my clock for 6 a.m., but I turned it off and went back to sleep. (So, I didn't quite meet the goal, but it's close.) I got up at 6:55 and read from the Bible, freshened up, and tackled my writing assignments. I got all of them done except one, when my son woke up.

Talk about feeling accomplished! Now, I don't have to try to stay up late tonight to get it done. What did I do differently? Well, I laid my son down around 9:30 p.m. last night. And, of course Princess was wide awake. I told her(not that she could understand) that I was going to sleep at 10 p.m., whether she wanted to or not.

At 10:15 I got in bed, and nestled her next to me and tried to nurse her to sleep. But, she wasn't interested, so I just let her lay next to me on her back, and I watched her. But, . . . then I fell asleep. And, I know I had to fall asleep before she did. I woke up again around midnight, and she was just laying there sleeping peacefully.

I couldn't believe that I just went to sleep like that, and that she went on too, without fussing. Not sure if I'll try that method again tonight, but boy did I get some good sleep.

Hopefully, I will be able to get up early each day this week and get things accomplished like I need to. It really makes me more productive and efficient for the day.

*****Do you need a bit of inspiration to be a Happy Homemaker? Read this article for extra motivation to be a good wife and mother. I like what she has to say. Have a great day!

Miss America 2009

I enjoyed watching the Miss America pageant tonight. I enjoy watching pageants, and even competed in one a couple of years ago. Aside from the swimsuit competition, I think pageants are a great way for young women to develop confidence and communication skills.

Congratulations to the new Miss America, Katie Stam, a 22 year old communications student from Indiana. The first runner up was Chasity Hardman, Miss Georgia. I was rooting for Miss Georgia, because that's where I'm from, but Miss Indiana did a great job, too.



Katie Stam, Miss America 2009



Chasity Hardman, Miss Georgia, 1st Runner Up

Shabby Chic baby

I love Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic designs. There are so many cute and affordable items from her at Target, and I love purchasing items here and there. When I found out that I was having a daughter, I just knew that I would use Shabby Chic's baby bedding. I was so excited.

I just wanted to post some pictures of Princess's bedding, because I love looking at it. I love feminine and pretty things, and this is just right up my alley. I was changing her sheets and decided to take some pictures when I finished.







It's a beautiful Saturday today, and we're going to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the day. My son turned 16 months old today, and I want to let him get out and enjoy nature, because he just loves being outside. (What little kid doesn't?)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Get Paid to Write

If you are interested in freelance writing, and want to do it to earn money from home, here are some sites that you may be interested in:

1. Associated Content.

All you have to do is signup and you are ready to go. Articles must be at least 400 words and original, if you want upfront payment. Payments range from about $3-6 per article. Not a lot, I know, but the cash can add up if you write often. Plus, you earn $1.50/1000 page views. The more articles you write, the more page views you will ultimately end up having. Go to www.associatedcontent.com to get started.

2. Bright Hub

About a month ago I was accepted to write for them, and I haven't yet written anything. They pay $10 per article. I haven't written for them yet, because they have a limited number of articles to go around for the writers. But, if you're interested, go to www.brighthub.com .

3. Content Current

I like Content Current. You get paid to write articles and post to forums. The average pay per article is $4-6. Payday is every Monday into your Paypal account once you have earned at least $10. Go to www.contentcurrent.com if you want to apply.

These are just a few paying sites, and as I think of more, I will write about them. Associated Content and Content Current have been my favorite so far. How much you earn is up to how much you want to write and submit.

Have a Happy Friday!!!

Morning Schedule Update

My morning schedule is not going the way that I'd hoped. I just can't find the strength to wake up early. That is the main thing that I've wanted to accomplish with my morning routine, and I just haven't done it.

I know that my day would go a lot smoother if I would just wake up earlier than the kids. But, it's sooooo hard!!! My 4 month old likes to stay up late, and she usually goes down for the night around 11-11:30 p.m. I've tried to keep her awake more throughout the day, but she goes to sleep around 7pm and sleeps until around 9. Then she stays up until 11:30ish or so. And, it drives me crazy!!! I'm working on getting her to sleep earlier, like at least around 10 p.m. each night.

Then, on top of that, I go to bed late trying to finish up things that I need to do. Like, last night, I went to bed at 3 a.m. trying to finish some freelance work that I needed to get done. If I would just wake up early, I could tackle most of my work during that time, and feel so accomplished.

But, that rarely happens. I'm not going to give up, though. I will keep trying to keep princess up in the evening, so she can go to sleep earlier, and I will try to go to sleep at least by 11p.m. My goal is to start each day around 6 or 6:30. 6 would be ideal. Let's hope that I can do it!!!

Happy Birthday Mother!!!

Today is my mother's birthday. I am so grateful for her and all that she has done for me. She is such a role model for me. She's a great mother, and a fabulous homemaker. I aspire to cook like her, and be the homemaker that she is.

I hope to follow in her footsteps, in that she gave 100% to being the best mother that she could be. She became a stay at home mom when it was far from popular to do so. In fact, she fought through negative comments about what she was doing and forged ahead to raise her children the way she felt that they should be raised. After we became older, many of the same people that put her down for her choice, were the same people who praised her for what a great job she did with raising her children.

Mother's actions spoke much louder than her words ever could. I just want to thank her for her commitment and hard work. And, for being my best friend!!

I love you, Mom.

New First Lady

I am so excited about our new President, President Obama!!!! It's amazing that I have witnessed such a momentous and historical moment. I am also proud of our First Lady, Michelle Obama. She is our first Black First Lady. I am so excited about this accomplished couple being our leaders.

There is talk about how Michelle Obama has put a new face on being a stay at home mom. I don't think she has put a new face on it, per se, but just brought to light a population of homemakers who are not highlighted so much.

First, she's Black. Black stay at home moms are definitely not in the majority in the Black population. It's always ingrained into Black women to be strong and independent, which she is, but it's not encouraged or embraced for Black women to give up their careers and stay home with their children.

Second, she gave up a high powered career as an attorney. That is not particularly out of the norm, though. Many high achieving career women end up choosing home over career. I just think that it's great that our First Lady is focusing on her husband and children during this unprecedented and historical time in our history. And I applaud her for that.

Morning Routine

Thanks to Crystal at Biblicalwomanhood for posting about her morning routine, and finding the discipline to stick with it. I'm going to post mine and try to stick to it, so hopefully posting about it, and sharing it will motivate me even more to get up and do it.

Morning Routine:

Wake up at 6 a.m.
Read Bible/Meditate/Pray
Shower/Dress
6:30-6:45: Work on freelance writing assigments until children wake up- Which is usually around 9:30-10.

I find this so hard to do. Almost every day I set my alarm clock for 6 or 6:30, and every morning I usually turn it off and go back to sleep. When do I wake up? Whenever my son wakes up for the morning. Then, I have to do most of my work at night after the kids are asleep. And, the baby doesn't usually go to sleep until around 11:30/12. Then I work until around 3 a.m. But, working at night like that gets me frustrated if the baby is taking too long to go back to sleep. Or they wake up through the night, which stops me from my work.

Working in the mornings would mean no interruptions from them, because at that time of the morning they are knocked out. I mainly do household chores while they are up. While baby is in her swing and my son is playing, I do laundry, fold laundry, wash dishes, cook, etc. At different parts of the day of course.

Anyways, hopefully by posting my morning routine, I will actually have success accomplishing this.

Southern Belle

When I was in college, many of my friends were from the Northeast and other parts of the country. Southerners were a minority, even though I went to a school in Atlanta. People used to tell me all of the time about how I didn't talk southern. They were like, "You don't have an accent. You don't sound like you're from the South." But, I am. I guess I don't have a drawl, but people said I was a Southern belle anyway.

According to them I was a Southern Belle because it was important to me to look nice everywhere that I went, even if I was just going up the street to the store. I was astonished that people felt comfortable going out in public looking any kind of way. Sweatpants, no lipstick, hair uncombed, etc. I was like, dressing presentable makes me a Southern Belle? Interesting.

But, then they said it was just an air I had to myself. I guess Southern Belle's have an indescribable charm. :) Anyways, I've been enjoying so many blogs about all things southern, so I just wanted to post about it.

So far, my favorite southern girl blog is www.hersoutherncharm.blogspot.com . She's a former teacher like me, and right now she is a housewife. I think that it's absolutely charming that she decided to stop teaching to devote herself to being a wife. If you have time, check out her blog.

Typing away in the wee hours

It's almost 3 a.m., and I'm typing this blog post. Yes, it's been a little over a month since my last blog post, and this time, I'm determined that I won't let that happen again. I hate when blogs and websites that I enjoy visiting don't update for a while, so I will stop doing that.

I do enjoy blogging on this blog. During my time off, I have been learning more about income producing opportunities that I can partake in, and I have been dabbling in this and that. In the process I neglected this blog.

Here are pictures of my two precious peaches. They're growing fast.