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About Me
I am a wife to the man of my dreams! We've been married for nearly three years now and I couldn't imagine my life without him in it! I am also a mom to a seven month old daughter who I absolutely adore! I love the Lord with all my heart...without Him in my life I would not be where I am today! I am enjoying the balancing act of being a stay at home mom and wife and, together with my husband, am enjoying our wonderfully blessed life!!
Motivation For Moms
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I Want Lasik Surgery
Posted by jennasue
I have had reading glasses for many years now, but haven't always been the best to wear them. I recently thought I'd give it a try and realized what a difference it made...even taking away my headache from looking at the computer too long. Whether I want to admit it or not, I have to say that it seems my eyes are just bad enough that some sort of corrective intervention is needed. Whether that be glasses, contacts, or even surgery...it's becoming more and more apparent that I cannot go without something when looking at things close up.
With my eyesight getting more blurry with each year that passes, I have actually thought about the possibility of Lasik Surgery sometime down the road. I know there are mixed opinions on this subject...some people believe it's a form of "cheating". I for one do not believe it is a form of cheating at all. I know that there are sports players, like Tiger Woods as well as many others who have taken advantage of this wonderful surgery and it's actually helped them play their sport better. Although some refer to this as "cheating", it's actually just a way for them to get their eyes functioning normally again like they should be. It's not like using steroids or something that would cause the body to preform above naturally possible. It's really no different than someone wearing glasses or contacts to help correct their vision...just a more convenient and permanent fix. I think it's wonderful that there's such an option out there these days!
I know Lasik isn't for everyone, but it's definitely something that I might consider down the road. I like the fact that recovery is quick and there is no pain involved. It's also more comforting for me to know that already, 12 million people have had Lasik Surgery. Seeing how this is something I'm obviously interested in learning more about...I decided to search it and came across LaserVue and was quite impressed. Their doctors are certified by the nonprofit USAEyes.org and have performed more than 25,000 procedures to date!
I know many people, including myself first think of money. But what was so great about learning more about LaserVue is that there is no down payment, no interest financing and you can even apply online to see if you qualify, before making an appointment that would cost you additional money. I really like it when doctor's have their patient's best interest at heart...and that's what I feel LaserVue has.
Although I mainly read information for Lasik in San Francisco, I know that there are other places LaserVue doctors work as well. This is something I'm very interested in having done possibly someday...and will continue to learn more about them until that times comes. You should too!
A Positive Reminder-Encouraging Devotionals
Posted by jennasue
Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged when life isn't going the way you think it should. It's at those moments that we need to remember to remain positive and know that God has something wonderful instore for us! My mom receives encouraging daily devotionals in her e-mail each day. She often forwards them to Scott and I...especially when she knows that there's something we're dealing with specific to what that devotion is talking about. The latest one she sent was about those times in life when maybe we're believing in God for something but it's not happening when we'd like it to. There are some things in our life right now that seem to go that way at times...but as the devotional talked about...no matter how long you've been waiting it's important not to give up and continue to have faith in God. He knows the right time for things...and His plan for us is the absolute best. Isn't it neat how in times of discouragement God can lift us up with an encouraging passage of scripture or devotion? I think it's awesome how this happens. After receiving this devotion it helped me remember that God is faithful and His promises are true! If we declare His promises over our lives and surround ourselves with those who are positive as well...our hearts will be at peace knowing God is working everything out!
Encouragement in Busy Times
Posted by jennasue
Lately life has been extremely busy and hasn't seemed to let up. Between the home improvements we're embarking on, as well as Scott working 14 hours a day/6 days a week...it makes it hard to find any time to relax. This busy schedule has been going on for quite a while...and it's odd to say, but it's actually something that we're beginning to get use to. We know that things are a bit hectic right now and that we can only get done so much in a day. It gets a little overwhelming at times, but "this too shall pass". Soon our basement will be finished and such a wonderful place to spend time together as I family...I can't wait. All of this busyness is well worth it!
In the beginning, when our schedule seemed to increasingly become more and more busy...it was a bit overwhelming! As a stay-at-home-mom I am kept very busy...and with Scott working so much and everything else that is going on...I was feeling exhausted. I've learned through these busy times though, how important it is to keep my focus on Christ, amidst all that is going on. I recently came across the lyrics of a song by DC Talk, "Day By Day" and it really encouraged me and got me thinking.
Laser Hair Therapy
Posted by jennasue
Scott and I both know people who have dealt with hair loss. We were talking about the other night after watching a show on television about the effects of hair loss on people's self-esteem and decided that if either one of us had to deal with that...we would look into Aventi Laser Hair Therapy. They offer both men and women hair restoration methods that work! What I like about them is that their services are perfect for those who are just starting to lose hair or those who just want to revive their hair a little bit. It's a company that I enjoyed learning more about and wanted to pass it on to others as well. Check out their site for more information about California laser hair therapy.
Homemade Baby Food: Carrots
Posted by jennasue
The next food that I decided to introduce to Kaelyn was carrots. Like everything else that I've made so far...it was so incredibly easy to make. It took hardly any time at all to cook them, and then puree them a bit so they weren't so big for her. I froze a couple of trays full...so that should last us for some time now. Making our own baby food has been so easy, and has saved us so much money!! Who wouldn't want to save money, right?! I would say it takes me a couple of hours a month to get things prepared and stored. It's definitely worth it, because not only is it easy and cheap...but it's much better for her as well. Labels: Children, Health, Home, Making Money, Motherhood
Back to Carrots....Kaelyn had them for the first time yesterday, and to my surprise did not seem that impressed. I was sure that she'd just love them, but they were just ok....or at least that's what I got from the facial expressions and her sticking out her tongue the whole time.:)
HealthLeaders
Posted by jennasue
Having recently had a baby and been pregnant for 9 months, I can honestly say that the hospital felt like a second home at times. I went there many times throughout the past year, and got to know Doctors and Nurses on a first name basis. Having had this experience, and learning a lot more about healthcare and health insurance, it got me thinking about healthcare and interested in learning more about HealthLeaders-InterStudy. Have you ever heard of them? They are a healthcare business information company. They look at healthcare plans and markets and then create databases for healthcare business to access. That way those businesses can see what the market trend is in their specific area. I really found this company to be quite interesting and wanted to share a little bit about them with others who might be interested in medicaid enrollment as well.
Sweet Potato Baby Food
Posted by jennasue
I mentioned before that Kaelyn started solid foods a couple of weeks ago. She actually has taken very well to that bland Rice Cereal, and began Sweet Potatoes last week! I wasn't too sure how she'd like it, but thankfully she took right to it and likes it even more than her Cereal. The great thing is that it was SO easy to make. One sweet potato filled two trays (they're like ice cube trays)!! It's so much more affordable than the jarred baby food, and healthier for her too! I was happy that she's liking some of the foods that Scott and I eat and that she's already eating so much of them. I think my favorite part of giving her new foods is watching her facial expressions for the very first time...too cute for words!:) This week we'll be starting bananas..and I have a hunch that she'll really like these as well. I think that those will be pretty easy to make as well...as they don't even need to be cooked. I'll continue to keep you updated on her progress....what a fun time! Labels: Children, Health, Motherhood
Take Care of Your Skin
Posted by jennasue
Although still considered to be fairly young, I can't help but care about taking care of my skin, especially when it comes to aging and my skin's appearance. Lately I've been seeing more products out there to help care for one's skin, specifically those that are anti-aging. The most recent that I heard of was Dr. Chantal Burnison's skin-rejuvenating molecule ethocyn...a wrinkle reducing ingredient. The great thing about her products is that they are for both men and women. What they claim to do is reduce the effects of aging on your skin's appearance. Since this is something that interests me, I found the site, ethocyn.com to be quite interesting. There was a lot of useful information about this specific ingredient. If you're interested like I was and want to learn more, feel free to check out this site, or the Chantal Pharmaceuticals Corporation website. Labels: Health
Need Health Insurance?
Posted by jennasue
When I was pregnant, Scott and I learned how very important health insurance was. As the bills rolled in, we were SO thankful that we had good coverage. Recently we've been discussing how great our insurance is, but also how expensive it is as well. Being a stay at home mom and not working out of the house at all...I get my health insurance through his place of work. It's VERY good insurance, but a bit spendy, especially now that we're covering our daughter under that same policy. We've been discussing looking into something that was a little more affordable for us. Labels: Children, Health, Making Money
Anyone ever heard of Peoples Health Insurance, LLC before? I hadn't heard of them before just recently, but it turns out that they are a licensed insurance agency that helps people through the application process, plan pricing, and questions about health provider networks and a Illinois healthcare plan. I like knowing that there are people out there who will help me to select a quality health plan that is priced to suit our needs and offers the protection that we need. I'm strongly considering looking into them to see what they can do for us. I feel they could help me to find a more affordable alternative to the insurance we have currently. I was quite impressed to learn about them and all they offer, especially to learn that their "Rate Quote" process is really fast and easy to use. Using this I'll be able to find a number of quotes from different health insurance carriers. I've been looking for an option like this for quite some time...I'm hoping that they'll be able to help me out!!
Cleaning The Carpets
Posted by jennasue
As many may already know, Scott and I bought our very first home last August!! It's been great having a place to call our own...being able to do the things we want to it. I remember when we first moved in, we asked that the previous owner please clean all of the carpets. He had dogs and cats, and that was something I definitely wanted cleaned before moving in. Looking at our carpets, I still feel that we could have them cleaned even better. I'm probably a little paranoid now that we a little baby on the carpet all of the time. I was looking around for a carpet cleaning option that would meet my expectations and came across Dalworth.com. Dalworth Clean specializes in carpet care and hard floor cleaning. I liked the fact that they not only clean the carpets, but get rid of pet odors, repair carpets, steam clean, and even help restoration after a fire, water damage, etc. Although Dalworth Clean is not based in my area, but in the Dallas Fort Worth area...it still lets me know that there are great companies out there like this. In fact, I have a brother and his family who live in that area...I'm going to let them know about this fantastic find of a Carpet Cleaning Dallas company.
Making Your Dr Visits Shorter
Posted by jennasue
About a month ago I had a doctor's appointment. It was still quite cold out at that time, and I really didn't want to have to take Kaelyn out in it if I didn't have to. I decided that it would be better to get someone to watch her. I hadn't ever had anyone babysit her before, but who better to be the first than my Dad! He was more than willing and had so much fun with her!!:) Kaelyn sure loves her Grampa!!
I went to my appointment a little early, hoping to get in and out. Unfortunately that is not what happened...not a big surprise for a doctor's office, right?! I sat in the waiting room far too long, and on top of that, had to sit in the room quite a while too. As if that wasn't bad enough, my doctor then left me waiting so she could go and do some research on a prescription that she was going to give me for my migraines. I am nursing still and she needed to see which would be safe to take. I recently read that Epocrates came out with medical drug reference software for PDA's. This allows healthcare professionals to locate answers to their questions regarding drug dosing, healthcare coverage, side effects and more, quickly and easily! Boy would this have been nice during my appointment!! Over 500,000 healthcare professionals currently use the software, and that number continues to grow as they make it available for Blackberries and soon iPhone.
I thought this was a great technological advancement, and one more doctor's should take advantage of. Hopefully by the next time I go to the doctor, mine will have heard about this great option so my doctor visit can be half the time. I wish this would have been the case last time, for it would have been nice to spend more time with my Dad while he was there.
New Stroller
Posted by jennasue
A while back I commented on stroller rides. It's been something that Kaelyn and I have been doing a lot of recently now that the weather is so much nicer! She sure loves it. I had said how we were going to be looking for a lightweight stroller, something easier to push around than the one we had. Well...my parents are the sweetest, and they knew our need for a stroller like this...so they got us one down in Texas while they were on vacation! They're the best.:) The stroller is exactly what we were looking for, and has already been used more times than I can count. Kaelyn loves it too....so that's great! I foresee us using it many more times over the summer months.
Safe BPA Free Baby Products
Posted by jennasue
As with many other moms out there, I am always trying to make sure that the products I use with Kaelyn are safe. This started before she was even born. While I was pregnant I was always careful with the things I ate or surrounded myself with. As a baby it was the same way. I wanted to be careful what I used on her skin, or the things I ate...as I was, and still am breastfeeding. Now, she's almost 6 months old...which means solid foods are coming right around the corner! With that in mind, I have been searching high and low for quality products that are BPA Free, as well as homemade baby food recipes and tips....the things that I feel are great ways to give her a healthy start when it comes to eating solid foods. Finding the actual products was my first priority. So far, I have had a lot of luck finding great products that are reasonably priced and are safe for her to use. The Nuby brand has a lot of safe options for parents who are looking like I was. This is the brand that I probably purchased the most from. Labels: Children, Health, Internet, Motherhood
Weight Loss Products
Posted by jennasue
Everywhere I turn, whether it be on signs, on the television, or something else...I see ads all over for different weight loss products. Some of them I see over and over, and others I hear about once and that's it. Recently I've been hearing a lot about Generic Acomplia. Anyone ever heard of it. It's a popular weight loss medicine out there right now that has an active ingredient called Rimonabant. I always enjoy learning more about these weight loss products, as being a stay at home mom...it's not always easy to get out of the house and exercise. As I researched this product, I went to their site and found it to be quite an interesting product. If you'd like to learn more about this product and how it can help you...check out their site for yourself. I found it to be very informative and wanted to pass it along. Labels: Health, Motherhood
A Healthy Start
Posted by jennasue
Now that Kaelyn is over 5 months old...the topic of solid foods has been on my mind. As I'm sure many mother's can attest, it is a huge milestone when a child beings to eat solid foods. I honestly cannot believe that she is almost to that point already...where has the time gone?? Since I am home with her everyday, I have found time here and there to do some research on the possibility of making her food instead of buying the commercial brands in the store. Not only will it save us money, which is always great, but I feel that it is also more healthy for her as well. Mom mom bought me a great book on this topic, and I am enjoying every thing that it has to say. Labels: Children, Health, Motherhood
Along with the topic of solid foods, also comes the question, what kinds of cups, bowls, utensils, etc should I buy? Some people may not think twice about this, but I have a hard time not researching this topic as well....as there are many toxic chemicals in most of the plastics we use today. I don't want my daughter being exposed to those kinds of things. The great thing is...that I found there are many alternative choices to the plastics containing BPA. There are so many different types of sippy cups, bowls, etc that are not only safe, but also just as affordable as any other dishware you'd buy in the store. I have not had the chance to order any of the things that I've been looking at yet, but I definitely plan on it. It's so great that there are other options out there...don't you think?!
One great site that I have gotten a wealth of information from on this topic is the Nature Mom's Blog. Wow...does she have a lot of helpful information...especially for first time mom's like myself who are looking for healthy alternatives to the food and products we give and use with our children. I have her linked to my blog and bookmarked on my computer, so I can be sure to always have a quick way of finding this wonderfully written and informative blog.
Commercials
Posted by jennasue
As I sat here tonight watching TV with Scott...we got to talking about how many commercials there are on television. I know that the commercials are necessary, but sometimes when you're watching a program that you're very into....it is frustrating to have a commercial for Alli diet pills, or something else pop up. I actually really enjoy most of the commercials that are on television these days...I just wish that there weren't so many of them during the times of day when most people finally get the chance to sit down and watch some of their favorite television shows. Labels: Health
Buy a Grill Cover
Posted by jennasue
Tonight Scott grilled us some really yummy hamburgers for supper. It's been a while since we've been able to grill, because our grill sits outside and the weather has been very bitter cold over the past few months. As I helped Scott get our supper ready, I realized that it would have been easier to use our grill this winter if we had a grill cover. Our grill would not only be protected from the winter weather, but it also would not be covered in snow...making it very difficult to use until now when much of the snow is gone. I think we're going to have to consider looking for a grill cover before winter approaches again. It would definitely be worth the money if it meant we would get to have more meals like we had tonight. Labels: Health
The Orovo Store
Posted by jennasue
I enjoy learning of new ways to stay healthy and take care of myself. I always find myself looking for different products and things to try and use. Recently I came across The Orovo Store. From what I can tell, they offer great products for those wanting to take care of themselves. Whether it's acne prevention you're looking for or weight loss products...this site really has it all. I really liked all this site had to offer. Not only do they offer great items that are always in stock, but they provide excellent customer service as well! If you too enjoy taking care of yourself, this is a great place to start.
Pacifier Use
Posted by jennasue
I'm not sure about other parents out there, but once I became a mom (even while I was still pregnant in fact) it seems I did more research on everything we bought, and decisions we made, than I ever had before. All of a sudden it was more important to me to find information on things like air purifiers, food, cleaners...even vaccinations and breastfeeding. I want the very best for my children...so researching the internet and reading books became an everyday occurrence for me that still holds true today! Labels: Children, Health, Internet, Motherhood
My latest "research" was done on pacifiers and their use. Not only was I looking for information on pacifier vs thumb sucking, but also the type of pacifier that was best for my daughter. In reading many different articles from noteworthy sites and books, I found that there are many people who back the use of pacifiers, and many that don't. The bottom line for me is....parents don't really get a choice in the matter. A baby either comes out of the womb sucking his/her thumb, or they do not. My daughter prefers the pacifier 100%!! At first I was a little skeptical because I am also breastfeeding and did not want any problems with nipple confusion. I know there are many controversial debates on the issue, but we have decided that this is ok for us to use with our daughter. The only time she uses it is when she needs something to help her calm down. She rarely uses it before she goes to sleep...it's more for the simple purpose of "pacifying" herself once in a while.
There are some very important things to remember when using a pacifier though. One must always make sure that they are using a pacifier that suits the federal standards so that it is not a choking hazard...this also means throwing out old pacifiers with torn nipples. It's also important to make sure that the pacifier is clean to prevent unwanted germs and infections. Finally, and this is up to the parent, but we have decided that it's also important to find pacifiers that are safe and natural. There is so much debate going on these days about the plastics our baby's are putting in their mouths (including bottles and pacifiers). We prefer the Soothie pacifiers, which are not only one piece, but are latex free and made of medical-grade silicone.
I'm sure there will be many things that come up that I will full research before using...and this just happened to be the most current issue we were facing.
Changes Since Having Kaelyn
Posted by jennasue
After Kaelyn was born many people were encouraging us to look into increasing the term life insurance policy, or life insurance, that we already had. Changing our benefits was one of the first things on our "to do" list. It's such an important thing to do, to make sure that all three of us are taken care of. I had never really thought about it before, but life insurance is such a cheap way to protect your family. It literally cost next to nothing a day, and gives everyone involved peace of mind. It's not really something I would have thought about if it weren't for people around us encouraging us to look further into it. I hope other young parents out there have wise people encouraging them to do the same.
