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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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Custom Built Homes
Posted by jennasue
Having a home of our own is so wonderful. We love being able to do what we want with it and put our money into something that we can call our own. I know many people at a point in their life right now, that would love to find a home to buy. For some it has just been a matter of not finding the right house, and now are looking into custom home building. I told a good friend of mine about schumacher homes...a company that I had read about, as well as heard good things. What's great about Schumacher Homes is that their philosophy deals with custom and value. They want their customers to have both a custom built home that has value. It may be something you think is impossible to have, but with Schumacher Homes it is not! If you're in the process of looking to buy a home...consider turning to Schumacher...they can help! Labels: Home
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.
A Baby's Personality
Posted by jennasue
As Kaelyn gets older, we are beginning to see more and more of what her personality is like. It's really neat to watch as it unfolds! For instance, she's very active and curious. She's always on the go and wanting to explore everything around her. She tends to get frustrated when she tries to do something new, like stand up, and is unable to for one reason or another. Although active in her own familiar territory, in public it's another story! She's often very reserved and almost shy. She shows a bit of stranger anxiety at times and likes to know where mom or dad are at all times! As she has begun to crawl and get into things, she has heard the word "no" a number of times when touching something that she is not supposed to. When she hears the word no and is redirected, she sticks out her bottom lip and gives a very sad cry. Her feelings get hurt very easily, which tells me she will be a soft-hearted little girl. She's such a sweetie and we're enjoying watching as her little personality presents itself! Labels: Children, Home, Motherhood, Parenting
Mammatus Clouds Pictures : Rare Rounded Cloud
Posted by jennasue
As Scott and I continue working on our basement, we find that our trips to Home Depot are becoming more and more frequent! I personally really enjoy looking around this store...as there are just so many neat things that would be fun to have in our home one day. Tonight we were there looking for some electrical supplies and as we neared the front of the store, looked out the window. I must note that all day today we've been under tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings. When we looked out the window the entire sky looked almost green...very weird, and indicative of more tornado type weather. We decided that we better leave and head home, and to our surprise when we walked out of the store we saw something even more bizarre....these clouds! I have never seen something quite like this in my whole life and just had to share them with other readers. They were sure beautiful, but a little eerie too.
Enjoying Where We Live
Posted by jennasue
Scott and I were recently talking about how much we like living here. When we first moved here I wasn't too sure how I'd like it. It was a little further from home than I would have liked, and I just thought it might be a bit too large. Now that we've been here over a year, I've definitely come to enjoy all we have here. Not only is the town not nearly as big as I had thought it was...but there's so much to do!! Now that we have Kaelyn, it's nice that there are things for us to do as a family. There's a lake, lots of walking paths, parks, fairs, even an annual Renaissance Festival where everyone dresses up in renaissance costumes!! I guess there are perks to living in a little bigger town...and the great thing is we're still very close to our families!!
Why Are Trampolines So Dangerous??
Posted by jennasue
I often receive forwards in my e-mail...how about you? Sometimes I find them worth reading, and other times I do not. Today I received an e-mail with the title, Why Trampolines Are So Dangerous In Minnesota. This instantly caught my attention because we live here in the midwest...and I wondered "why would they be dangerous here and not somewhere else"...haha....opening up the e-mail I quickly learned why. This is the photograph that was attached: Ouch!
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.:)
Summer Hobbies
Posted by jennasue
I always looking forward to summer time. I get tired of the cold winter weather, and much rather the warm weather that summer brings. Not only is it just more enjoyable not to have to put on layers and layers of clothing, but there's so much more to do as well. Here in the town we live in, many people are very outdoorsy. They have hobbies that take them outside out a lot! Whether it be hunting, fishing, or just going out on the lake...there's never ending things to do when it's nice out.
Are you someone who enjoys the outdoors during the summer time as much as I do? If so, you may want to check out Opticsplanet.com....a site that I recently came across. They have a lot of hobby related products for summer time. Whether it's a riflescope, binoculars, spotting scopes, night vision, telescopes, laser sights, flashlights, Radar Guns or something else...they have it all!! You'll be happy to know that they also carry very well known and trustworthy brands like Nikon, Leupold, and Bolle just to name a few. If you get a minute, head over there and explore your options. They have extremely low prices guaranteed and free shipping on a lot of their items.
Earn Extra Money With Social Spark
Posted by jennasue
I've mentioned many times my love of being a stay at home mom. It's the absolute best job in the world and I wouldn't trade it for anything!! While being home, I have come to find some really easy ways to make money online....some bring in more money than others. Recently, I came across one opportunity that really seems to stand out among the rest....that's SocialSpark. Have you ever heard of it?? They are a here to help regular bloggers like you and me make money with our blogs, build community and even drive traffic to them!! Isn't that great?!? Blogging for money is a great way to earn some extra money, and something you can do when you want and where you want. It's perfect for students, stay at home moms...or even people with a little extra time every day. Labels: Blogging, Home, Internet, Making Money, Motherhood
So, you are probably saying...I've heard of sites like this before...what's so special about this one?! Well, let me tell you. The following are part of the SocialSpark Code of Ethics: 100% Audit-able In-Post Disclosure, which is great for those of us who like to let others know when we're being paid for a post we write. I always make sure to give my truthful opinion on things, but still like others to know when it is sponsored, and when it is not. 100% Transparency, 100% search engine friendly, and probably my favorite.... 100% real opinions! That's right, using Social Spark you are allowed to give your honest opinion...which your blog readers deserve and so do you as the author.
How would you like to earn a little extra money each day or week? Well, you can! It's as easy as using your blog to write about things that you enjoy...whether that be products, sites or something else...it's that easy!! It has been a wonderful way for me to earn some extra money staying at home with my daughter, and I know you will enjoy it just as much! If at all interested, I would strongly encourage you to head over to Social Spark's website and learn more about them. You won't be sorry you did!
A Beautiful Wednesday
Posted by jennasue
I was ready for warmer weather, and today I got it!! I didn't even realize how beautiful it was outside until Kaelyn and I headed over to Walmart to pick up her 6 month pictures that came in today. We stepped outside and I realized what a nice day it would have been to spend more time outdoors. By that time in the afternoon, it was already getting close to her nap so we couldn't stay out long. However, I did learn a very important lesson....to always step outside, even if looking out the window it doesn't look the warmest or nicest out. If I would have done that this morning I would have realized how beautiful it was and spent more time with Kaelyn at the park or on a walk. Oh well...there's always tomorrow. Labels: Children, Home, Motherhood, Parenting
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.
Lessons in Motherhood: 5
Posted by jennasue
Labels: Children, Home, Motherhood, Parenting
Every now and then I enjoy sharing the lessons that I am continuing to learn in motherhood. Being a new mom, everything is...well...new to me. There are so many things that I have learned and continue to learn each and every day. One thing, which may seem like a "duh" statement to some is the importance of making sure to always have the video camera and digital camera next to me at all time...and making sure that their fully charged as well!
When possible, I am always making sure to try and catch everything on film. This is something that I have wanted to do from the beginning, but as Kaelyn learns to do more and more, it seems even more necessary to have it by my side at all times! It seems that one minute Kaelyn will be on the floor playing with her toys....and in the blink of an eye she is off learning to do something new. Recently that "something" was getting up on her hands and knees. Scott and I knew that this time would come sooner than later, as Kaelyn is a very curious little girl...always wanting to discover the environment around her. She has been scooting around and moving every which way except for forwards for a couple of months now. Soon, she will be moving in that direction though....as getting up on her hands and knees is a very good indication that crawling will be next. It was so cute to watch her as she did this for the firs time. It took so much effort for her to get to that point, and once she did her little face shined and she looked so proud of herself. I'm sure it helped that Scott and I were cheering and clapping...saying "YYEEAAHH Kaelyn!!":) I suppose you could see we're very proud parents!! ;)
Decorating My Office
Posted by jennasue
Scott and I recently finished some home improvements in our office. We wanted to make it a comfortable place where I could do my work, and where Scott could hang out with me while I'm doing it. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. I have lots of fun decorating ideas for the walls, but have yet to actually put everything up. I got the clock up though, so that's a start anyways...right?!? I'm really excited, because I recently got some of those "wall words" that tattoo to the wall!! I'll have to take a picture once we get them all up...I think it will look really nice. Pictures to come... Labels: Home
Spring Cleaning
Posted by jennasue
Most everyone gets in that cleaning mode at the beginning of Spring, right?! It's called Spring Cleaning, and I plan on doing a lot of that in the near future. Particularly in our closets. I was putting away laundry the other day and realized that we have way too many clothes! We buy new clothes, but don't get rid of our old clothes. This causes very full closets as you might imagine. We recently got something in our mailbox discussing a charity that is asking for clothing donations...what perfect timing!! I'm going to start going through our clothing and get rid of shirts, pants...maybe even some maternity clothes that I hardly ever wore while pregnant with Kaelyn. We'll see what I all come up with...but I'm pretty sure I can get those closets in better shape by the time I'm done. Labels: Home
Thankful For Our Home
Posted by jennasue
With all the work that Scott and I have been doing on our home, we find ourselves talking about home improvements a lot these days. We even talk about it as we drive by other homes that have qualities we like. The other day while we were driving we drove by a beautiful home near us that has giant fiberglass columns in front of their house....I think that's what they were made of anyways. It looked so pretty and fancy...but as we got to talking I decided that our house is just perfect the way it is. It doesn't have fancy pillars...but it's perfect for us. I love everything we've been doing as far as the home improvements are concerned, and I'm excited for the projects that we will do in the near future! There are just so many wonderful things one can do to improve the appearance of their home both inside and out...I guess pillars is one way to do that. Labels: Home
Home Improvements
Posted by jennasue
We moved into our house last year, and have done so many things to it in just a short amount of time. I am always amazed how much can be done to a room without actually having to spend a lot of money. We've done everything from painting to putting up walls, but there's still one big thing we'd like to do at some point. We'd like to get some nice furniture for our screened in porch. We have some furniture in there right now, but it's a large enough area, that we'd like to get some else as well. I was thinking some teak furniture would be nice. We'll have to see when the time comes. Labels: Home
Buying Tools For Father's Day
Posted by jennasue
My husband has been trying to build up his tool supply ever since we moved into our new home. He now has I nice sized garage to keep everything in, and we're doing more projects on our home. Because of this, he's been needing more and more tools to get the jobs done. I have been taking note of the different things he wants and needs, so that when the time comes around to buy him a gift, I can get him tools. I know that he'd really like a nail gun as well as a box cutter or utility knife of some kind, and a tool chest. I'm not sure which I will buy him first...but I think I will keep all of these things in mind for Father's Day this year. That's a ways off, but I'm always taking note of gift ideas and planning ahead. Labels: Home
Money Saving Tip
Posted by jennasue
One of the things I've learned as a stay at home mom, is that there are many ways to save money. Before I had Kaelyn, I never realized all of the ways that we could save money just by doing simple things. Whether it be by making our own baby food when the time comes, or something else....there are really very easy ways to save a few dollars here and there. It may seem easier to just go out and buy whatever it is you need rather than make it from scratch or do something along those lines...but for me...as a stay at home mom, I think it is great to find new ways to save us money where I can. Being a stay at home mom is the best job anyone could ever have, and the most important...and with it many make sacrifices so that financially it is possible to be home for our children. That's why saving a little here and there is really very important and worth a little extra time. Labels: Children, Home, Motherhood
Where am I going with this?! Well, whenever I learn a new tip that other moms would enjoy learning about....I like to share it with them. So, what is my tip for today?! Well, recently I was reading an article online about cleaning our shower curtain. I have never really thought twice about throwing out the old one and buying a new one, until I read this article. Basically, the point made was that you can wash your old shower curtain in the washing machine with regular laundry detergent and a little bleach if you like. The only thing to remember is that you must not turn it up too hot....plastic can melt! It also brought up the topic of mildew and mold. A great way to prevent it is to soak your shower curtain in a salt water solution. To get rid of mildew and mold that is already there you can just soak it in hot soapy water with a little bleach....it will be good as new!
I personally have not tried these things yet, but am definitely planning on doing so. What a great way to save a trip to the store and having to buy a new shower curtain. I can't believe I didn't think of this before...what a great money saving tip! If you have any other money saving ideas I'd love to hear them!!
Home Improvements
Posted by jennasue
When we bought our home last year, we knew that there would be many things we wanted to update and do down the line. We are fortunate enough to have family that has helped us a lot with the little jobs that we would like to do. Most recently we have done some remodeling in our house lately and we are ready to do some new trim work. My parents actually came up this past weekend to help us out with this job. My dad has the saws, compressor and nail gun that we will need to finish the job. I am really happy that the job is done...it looks so great! I took no time at all...and such a small change has made such a huge difference in the appearance of our home. It's really fun to be homeowners and make the changes that we want to...I enjoy it so much more than renting and hardly being able to hang a picture on the wall. Labels: Home
Finding Peace in a "Cluttered Life"
Posted by jennasue
As I've mentioned before, I find it very encouraging and uplifting to spend time with the Lord each day. I began doing some devotions from a book I received at one of my baby showers, Devotions For Moms by Ellen Banks Elwell, a while back. It seems I always find the right devotion to help me understand a situation that I've been facing at the time. God is SOOO good!
Just today I was thinking about how busy life is and how stressful it can be at times. I tend to get a little overwhelmed with the chores at home, taking care of our daughter each day, etc. I even find myself forgetting things and becoming increasingly unorganized. I was brought up to stay positive though, as the tongue is a very powerful thing! So, as I began to feel down on how overwhelmed I feel with the busyness of life lately, I quickly turned to Him! I opened up my devotional, and wouldn't you know I turned to a section on The Cluttered Life. It quickly became apparent to me that Satan would love to try and distract me from all God has for me. He wants to get me down and lose focus on what's really important. He wants nothing more than to rob me of my joy and to have me feel stressed out and overwhelmed....but I will not let that happen! That's when I began praying that the Lord give me peace and guidance. I need to lean on Him and He will give me strength and joy! Thank you Lord!
1 Corinthians 14:33, NKJV
