planting chums part four.

if you aren't participating in planting chums, you must!!!  it's a fantastic blog party, hosted by the ever so adorable, hannah at aspire.  it's complete with lots of spectacular giveaways! 

look at what i won from last week's planting chums edition:

{go visit charm design to look at their beautiful bags!}

hurray!  it's gorgeous.  i'm super excited.  thank you hannah!  there are more prizes to be won, so conjure up four fun facts about yourself, click on the button above, and join in!

my four fun (and random) facts:

{disclaimer: i don't have any hidden talents or  real amazements, so don't get your hopes up.}

{1} i graduated college with a degree in political science and religion.  that's quite the combo, huh?  believe me, when you're out job hunting and interviewing the common reaction is "well, that's interesting."  good thing i get to be a sahm.

{2} speaking of politics, i once had a crush on george w. bush.  hubby knew all about it.  no worries.

{3} i'm from california and i'd die to move back one day.  too bad it's so darn expensive. maybe once it goes bankrupt completely the prices will come down and that will be my "in."  here's to hoping. glimpses of where i lived:

north lake tahoe:

bodega bay:

san fran:

{4} i laughed so hard on the last day of our honeymoon that i peed my pants {this is not a rare occurrence, unfortunately ::sigh::}.  the worst part: i had to make it all the way through the lobby of the resort and back to our room with wet britches.  

because not all cookies have to be baked.

our sweet sage had decided to give her mama some drama (hopefully this is not a sign of things to come) and as such, the doc ordered this mama to rest.  rest.  rest.  and then rest some more.  i know, you're probably thinking... sounds good to me!  i agree... although it's a bit of a challenge to rest while tending to a 14 month old.  let's just say that baby einstein and thomas the train have had their fair share of viewings.  

anyhow, yesterday i finally felt really good {for a few minutes at least} and thought, what better way to spend those good feeling 15 minutes than to make some no bake cookies.  so, that i did.  i also figured that since i've lost 4 lbs i could use some sugar.  {don't worry grandma, i'm not trying to lose weight... it just happens at the end of my pregnancies apparently, and i'm sure the fact that we haven't had any good sweets in the house for several days played a part.}   thanks to my bestie, i have this fantastic no bake cookie recipe.  and thanks to me, you can enjoy it too.  

do you have a variation to this recipe or other no bake cookie ideas?  if so, please share!  you'll put a big smile on my face and probably a few pounds on my thighs.

p.s. - sorry for no picture of a no bake cookie.  although they taste good, they don't photograph well.  trust me, they look like a mound of mush... probably something to the likes of a reindeer pie.

comparison kills contentment.

if you're a human, especially female, you struggle with comparison.  let's cut to the chase and put it as simply as possible.  i'm all about simple.  comparison kills contentment.  period.  


comparison goes a lot like this... when you look at others who have more, you want what they have... when you look at others who have less you feel guilty for having more.   there will always be people that have more than you and there will always be people that have less than you.  i could go through countless examples of comparisons but i think we all know what i'm talking about and i'm sure you are thinking of instances when you've thought, "wow, if only... {fill in the blank}."  i have a million "if only's."  it's shameful.  


this prescription for contentment (i've shared it countless times in the past) that i read several months ago in linda dillow's, calm my anxious heart, is very helpful:

-never allow yourself to complain about anything - not even the weather.

-never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

-never compare your lot with another's.

-never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

-never dwell on tomorrow - remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

i think comparison gets really ugly (not that it's ever pretty) when we start comparing our lot in life of trials and hardships.  we can think of those who've gone through what might seemingly be little and then we can think of other's who have gone through a ton and then some.  then we like to decide where we fit in the spectrum.  and then we like to feel sorry for ourselves.


most of all, i'm always reminded that true contentment is found only in Christ and His provision of grace.  if i am really going to enjoy life, then my hope should rest not in this life but in the life to come.  and obviously, for as long as we walk on this earth, trials are going to come our way.  after all, God, in His divine providence gives us hardships - some smaller and some big or really big - at different points in life to make us all the more desirous of our home in Heaven.

for the sake of Christ, then, i am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. for  when i am weak, then i am strong. - 2 corinthians 12:10

 not that i am speaking of being in need, for i have learned in whatever situation i am to be content. - philippians 4:11

but  if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. - 1 timothy 6:8

miscellany monday.

{1} i've lost every ability to spell.  yesterday i had to ask kelly how to spell scarry, i mean scary,  a part, i mean apart, and suttle, i mean subtle.  i used to be able to spell well.  i was in the spelling bee in 4th grade {you can hold your applause until the end} and quickly got kicked out almost won.  needless to say, if i spell something wrong it's because i'm working on our home computer that does not have an automatic spell checker like my hubby's work computer {a.k.a. the mac daddy}.

{2} no, it's not a coincidence that i'm going to be talking about an etsy shop called 2 sweet things as my #2.  my mom bought sage (well really i bought them and then she paid me back... all this new fangled technology such as buying online just blows her mind) the most adorable burp cloths from mandy at 2 sweet things.  the quality and craftsmanship of the cloths blew me away.  look at this cuteness:

these are sage's beloved new burpcloths:

                                                                                 

{3} new obsession: pb and {strawberry} j with skim milk on whole wheat.  i've pretty much had this for lunch or dinner {or both} every day for the past 8 days.  i forget how good pb and j is until i eat it and then eat for weeks at a time.  until i get completely sick of it.  what's your latest food obsession?  i'm pretty sure i set the bar low... i'm guessing yours is going to top mine.

{4} speaking of pb and j... i made some pot roast last night.  well actually the slow cooker did.  regardless, i've apparently lost every single ability to cook right along with spell.  somehow the roast burned on top.  i should've known after i realized that we were out of potatoes to change the menu.  instead, i stuck with the roast, believing that my $7.77 meat was going to turn out perfect.  oh well.  poor hubs.  he ended up eating pb and j.  and believe me, he's not obsessed with it like i am.

{5} miscellany monday wants to know if it should be a meme {meme = something everyone can link up to and have their own miscellany monday}?  to meme or not to meme?  that is the question.  tell me your answer.

fave foto & planting chums.

meet hannah from aspire.  

she's smart, adorable, insightful, has an incredible way with words, loves the Lord with all her heart and is flat out presh!!!

she has a fun fun thing going on that is full of fabulous giveaways.  this would be fun without the giveaways, so they are just a fantastic bonus!  basically everyone links up to planting chums sharing their fab favorite.  this week's topic:  fave foto.  we all know how much we adore our photos!!!  so, click below to link yourself up!  

meet one of my fave fotos.  let's face it.  i have a million trillion.  i had to pick one that isn't already on my blog.  so this is the winner -  

the scene:  my hubby and i, spring 2004.

the setting: a local beach early in the morn, right after sunrise.

the mood: love, love, love.  and thankfulness.  there's nothing sweeter than spending the morning at the beach with your newfound sweetie.

"every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." - james 1:17

who's stalling who?

bedtime.  oh and the stalling it brings.  i wonder if it's on hunter's part or daddy's.  it's probably both.  i can't blame them... daddy gets home and has an hour or so with the son until it's his bedtime.  i'd want to tarry a bit, too.  

hunter's bedtime begins with crib side fun.  

daddy is about to tickle him.  hunter's getting prepared...

daddy got him.  

waiting for daddy to tickle him some more.

       

hiding.  {this is my all time fave.}  he really thinks that hiding in the corner means he's invisible.

and then daddy says, okay, it's really bedtime now.  hunter's thrilled {sarcasm implied}.

oh man.  i love all the "dailys" of taking care of my boy!  bedtime, stalling, and all!  do we ever love our lil' son.  kelly and i spend so much time just talking about how much we adore hunter and how thankful we are for God's gift of our child. 

"wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. " 

- psalm 139:14b

p.s. - hunter does wear pajama's to bed.  that's step #2, after crib side fun.

u.p.s (united profit service) & u.s.p.s. (united states postal [dis]service)

i've been doing some serious selling on ebay...  in honor of spring and my ravenous desire to nest, we are purging our house.   the other day i had 10 packages to mail so i headed to the post office.  keeping all those packages straight is a whole 'nother story... making sure that the right person received the right item at the right address was almost too much for this preggers to manage, because i'm undoubtedly losing several hundred brain cells every minute second.   hopefully everything ends up at the right spot and i only get positive feedback.

nevertheless,  i arrive at the usps building at 4:32 pm with all of my packages.  the doors are locked.  they are closed.  what?!  who closes at 4:30?  well, our going bankrupt postal service does.  which is why they are going bankrupt.  although, they have to close early to keep from going bankrupt even worse. - hmm.  i was irritated.  i wanted to get these things mailed before the weekend.  i also thought about how inefficient our government is and how everything they are in charge of is going bankrupt.  even our country.  hello.  and now they want to run our healthcare.   i digress.  sorry, different post for a different time.

anyhow,  off i went thinking, "i'll show them."  and i arrived at the house of the brown trucks and uniforms...  and ended paying three times as much to mail the packages.  it was as if the usps was saying "ha, we'll show her."  i left, frustrated, realizing that our profits were dwindling.  i cried.  because i'm hormonal and felt like the world was going to end and that we were going to go bankrupt.  i'm sure these emotions were compounded by the fact that i was driving a car without air conditioning on an 85 degree day (i know 85 doesn't sound that bad... but when you're carrying another human being inside of you it adds like at least 10 degrees to the current temp).

let me mention this... ups was going to charge me $65 to send a package to canada.  the package didn't even weigh one pound.  today i went back to usps (darn government.  they gave me no choice since they're cheaper.)  and mailed that very package for $2.

i'll be glad when we're finished with our ebay craze.

miscellany monday + giveaway winner.

{1} drumroll please..... without further or do, i'd love to introduce you to the new owner of a $30 gift certificate to the rusted chain: jennifer! congrats!  jennifer, by the way, makes me laugh so hard every time i visit her blog.  she rocks!  and thank you beki, for your incredible jewelry and the chance for someone to be treated to some!

here's the proof:

{2} taco bell, why oh why, did you decide to tear yourself down when you were conveniently located just 5 minutes from my house?!?  i know you'll be brand new and back in business in 71 days, but i'll no longer be pregnant then...  i won't need your heavenly 89 cents, no onion bean burrito's any longer.  i'm sure my thighs will thank you.  

{3} decisions, decisions... okay, i know you are eager, anxious and dying to hear what i chose.  pink bins or liberty of london for the changing table?  i went with the minority and chose the plain pink.  remember, i told you to call me plain jane.  the pink goes better with the bedding.  i felt like the bedding + liberty of london = visual chaos.  this way, the bedding + plain pink = calm and subtle.  thank you for your sweet help!  

{4} another decision... remember when i asked about babywearing?  i was trying to decide whether to get a baby bjorn, ergo, or moby.  i chose the ergo {thanks to my mama for getting it for us!}... it's so versatile; it can be worn on your back, front or side, and holds kiddies up to 40 lbs.  which means i can use it for both babies {at different times... don't go reporting me to dss.}  and daddy will even want to sport it.  i'd love to get a moby or sleepywrap too, but convincing my man that i need both may be a challenge {especially in light of #5, below}.

{5} confession: with the reality of our sweet sage arriving soon, the thought of medical bills, double the amount of diapers, and having two unreliable stinky cars, i have been weighed down with disbelief and anxiety.  the truth of the matter is, i'm choosing to worry rather than to trust in the Lord's provision.  today i'm meditating on this:  matthew 6:26 - "look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. are you not of more value than they?"

a letter to mr. sun

if you haven't entered to win a $30 gift certificate to the rusted chain, click here to have a chance to win a piece of this beauty!

~~~

dearest mr. sunshine,

i like you {see image 1} and your glorious, warm, vitamin-d-filled self.  spending time with you used to be my favorite way to spend the day away.  

{image 1}

i know, you feel like i've abandoned you.  let's face it...  i have. i graduated college, became an adult, had a real job and then became a mom.  since then, laying out has not happened as much as i'd like.  oh wait.  it hasn't happened.  at all.  i miss being tan {see image 2}.  i miss how much better a tan makes your fat look {thank you for that, by the way}.

{image 2}

i remember our precious days together in high school, as i was a lifeguard for two summers.  it was blissful.  i blew my whistle here and there, yelled at a few hundred kids every day, saved some lives and bathed in your rays for eight whole hours, five days per week.  oh yeah, and got paid to do it.  it rocked.  i hope you enjoyed it as much as i did.  i'm sure i'll regret it later when melanoma pays me a visit.  

don't worry.  i won't be cheating on you ever again... my hubby has lovingly banned me from your impostor tanning beds in the interest of my health.  one day i know i'll thank him for it.  

in the meantime, i've been introduced to tan in a can...  sun heaven in a bottle.  don't be mad... i just don't have time for you right now.  i must tell other people about my discovery and the special discount they can have on this awesome counterfeit... i hope you'll understand.

signed,

sage & such.

if you haven't entered to win a $30 gift certificate to the rusted chain, click here to have a chance to win a piece of this beauty!

~~~

now on to my precious lil' cutie pie who's still baking away in my oven.  we have seven weeks left before she graces us with her presence... and that's if we're lucky.  with all these contractions i've been having along with toting around my 30 lb hunter, i doubt we'll make it full term.

this past weekend, my best friend, julie, with the help of my sister-in-law, becky, threw me a shower!  they did a beautiful job and i enjoyed every minute of it!  here's a glimpse of the sweet celebration:

 i should've remembered that black is a preggy lady's best friend {the pic shown above of me in the purple is the only acceptable shot}.  besides, you should just focus on the decor anyways... it was beauty-FULL.

now onto sage's nursery.  i have a few things to show you...  let's just say it's a work in progress.  but i'm ever so glad that progress is being made. 

                                                                    

the diaper cake is way too cute to take apart.  the pom in the middle is going over sage's crib... along with several others {julie made them for the shower and let me keep them!}.  my adorable friend, hilary painted the sage and birdies canvas and surprised me with it at my shower!  isn't it the most precious thing?!  it matches the bedding.  hilary rocks.  you must go visit her shop and get a tasteful of her gorgeous talent!  

now, i need your help {as i often do!}.  help me decide.  we bought the plain white changing table for $20.  i've had the hardest time figuring out what to use for storage on the shelves.  the bins are either too too big or a bit too big.  i finally lucked out yesterday and found two options.  take a look:

                                      {1} liberty of london.                                                 {2} plain pink.

so, what say you?!?  with all the liberty craze, i think you might just pick #1.  let me say that #2 is about $20 cheaper.  so, that might give it a bit more weight.  either way, i had gift cards so that is good news!!!  thanks for your fantastic design opinions... i love them.

okay, i promise... tomorrow's post will be short{er}. 

a bribe. ahem. i mean... a giveaway.

that's right folks.  lucky for you, you might just get lucky and win.  if you're the winner,  beki, from the rusted chain has a $30 gift certificate waiting for you.  look at the beauty you could behold:

stunning.  gorgeous.  spectacular.  delightful. 

beki is so very talented,  isn't she?!!!

let's cut to the chase.  how do you win?  you have three chances:

{mandatory entry:}

{1} follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you do.

{additional entries:}

{2} visit beki's shop and tell me how you'd spend the $30.

{3} follow beki's blog and leave a comment telling me you are her newest follower.

the giveaway will close on sunday, april 18th at 9:00 pm.  the winner will be announced monday morning.  i wish you all could be winners.  oh wait, you are indeed already winners in my book. 

miscellany monday.

{1}  i have an iron deficiency.  it comes and goes.  lately it's been bad.  in a strange way i'm sort of glad because it gives me a gigantic excuse to sleep as often as possible.  my grandma informed me that the cure for low iron is to saute up some livers.  she even said i could stir in a little onion to make it more flavorful.  i threw up in my mouth.  no thanks.  i'll stick to my popeye diet.



{2} i have a confession {one that is sure to embarrass my hubby because he is a musician and only likes the best of music}... my lil' sis was over {she is 9} and was watching nickelodeon.  or is it just called nick these days?  a song {miranda cosgrove's "kissin u"} by a teeny bopper came on and i fell in love with it.  it's stuck in my head.  i want to listen to it constantly.  oh and dance along, hold up my brush like a mic and pretend i'm 15 again. 



{3} this must be too good to be true...

have you ever heard of this instant spray shampoo?!?  have you tried it; does it work?  apparently you just spray it on and your hair is clean.  without water.  without messing up your style.  which means no blow drying and re-styling.  i wonder if i could get away with using this every single day.  i can't stand fixing my hair.

 

{4} attention world: yes, our family vehicle has a major problem with some sort of chain.  it will cost more to fix than the car is even worth = no fix.  it makes a loud, loud clanging sound... especially when it is stopped, like at a stoplight for instance.  yes, it's a loud enough noise for us to clearly know there is a problem.  so, the next time you're next to me at a stoplight, you don't need to roll down your window and tell me that something is wrong with my car.  i'm fully aware.  thanks for your thoughtfulness and concern, though.

 

{5} tomorrow will be a fun day at lowercase letters.  the fun involves winning and jewelry.  what more could you want?

i try not to laugh.

so, you know when your kids (or anyone's kids, for that matter) disobey but it's so hard not to laugh at them?!  i find myself there a lot lately.  it's like hunter turned one and all of a sudden learned how to be disobedient.  oh wait, i don't think it required any learning... it definitely came natural...

approaching the forbidden bookcase:  

look at his eyes.  i'm pretty sure that's how mine look when i see a giant chocolate anything.  these books are so tempting for him; which can only mean one thing: you're looking at a future valedictorian.  (sidenote: he takes his easter balloon everywhere... it was the best $3 ever spent.)

he just can't help himself.  

once he realized that mommy was watching:

he made a mad dash (balloon in hand) while laughing hysterically.  i'm pretty sure no one had to teach him how to do that either.  

i try not to laugh... instead i take pictures of the violation... i'm pretty certain this is going to disqualify me from the mom of the year award.

just call me jane.

as in plain jane.  i'm plain.  i love white.  i love brown (it's my new black... i know it was probably everyone's new black several years back, but i'm not done with it yet.)  i love neutrals... they just go with everything.  i tell myself i'm practical so i don't feel boring.

~ practicality in action ~

i'm girly but not fru fru.  i don't get into frills, polka dots, monogramming, bows, finger nail painting (you spend all that time painting only for it to chip off the next day - and that's if you're lucky enough to get it to last that long!), etc. 

i told you i was still girly though... so find me the most gigantic pair of gold earrings - (fake of course and you aren't allowed to spend more than $10) and i'm good to go.  

~ gigantic gold earrings in action ~

sometimes i feel like a lost puppy living in the south...  the land of fru fru.  i'm from california... the land of laid backness and casual.  my style is too.  if i was really cool, my style would be bohemian.  for now, it's wannabe bohemian.  well, really for now it's frump... let's face it... i'm 8 months pregnant.

~ bohemian style.  i'll take everything, please. ~

what's your style like?  don't feel bad if you're all about the fru fru.  i'll still love you and know that you are destined to be way more fashionable than me.

uffda.

uffda is norwegian for "i am overwhelmed," "ouch," or "oops."  i'm norwegian and scandinavian; uffda has always been a common term around my household growing up.  

i find myself saying it a lot these days.  hunter is going to start saying it soon too, i'm sure.  he may even begin to think it's his name because i say it all too often.  i'm tired, my tummy has stretched and stretched some more {and thanks babycenter for informing me that sage will be having yet another growth spurt this week} and my back is weary after carrying around my 30 lbs of handsome sugar.  he better walk soon.

i'm tired, too.  i have lists of things to accomplish but i find myself resting while hunter naps.  and i keep telling myself that it's okay.  i feel guilty and unaccomplished, but i'm giving myself grace.  after all, i was pregnant for 9 mos, nursed {really it was pumping... but that is another story for another day} for 8 mos - during 2 of those mos i was pregnant and didn't know it, now i'm 8 mos pregnant and going to nurse some more.  whew.  my body is tired.  uffda. 

i couldn't be more thankful for the gifts of my kiddos!  tired or not!

here's my 32 week belly shot.

miscellany monday.

{1} i want a minivan.  there, i said it.  i'm the one who has always said they'd never be a minivan mom.  but hey, every time i'm in a parking lot and a mom with a handful of kids walks up to a van with sliding doors {especially ones with remote sliding doors} i sort of start drooling.

{2} no.  guam is not going to tip over if a bunch of people populate it.  can someone please tell that to this congressman?!?  umm, is it just me, or does anyone else wonder how these people get elected?

{3} we watched a movie this weekend.  if you know me in real life, you are thinking that this should be a public service announcement... the mere fact that we watched a movie {on our own choosing} is quite astonishing.  i've seen 2 movies in the theater in the past 2 years.  i've seen even less rentals in that amount of time.  anyhow, we rented the movie taken.  wow.  you should see it.

{4} worst recipe ever = chicken breaded with potato chips served with a homemade honey mustard sauce that consisted of honey, mayonnaise and peanut butter.  i should've known better.  but i was a newbie at the whole cooking thing and thought it would be something that was surprisingly good.  this was over 5 years ago.  kelly acted like he liked it {after all, we were newlyweds} but after two bites, he couldn't bare it any longer.  since then, i've managed to avoid recipes that sound like they could be surprisingly good.  you should avoid them too.

{5} anna, from in honor of design is an adorable talent that has a charming etsy shop.  look at this little miss lovely headband {yes, this makes me anxious to hold my baby girl}:

{via 1 and via 2 }

{6}  i hope you had a joyous easter.  i love easter.  i love what it means.  praise God for the hope and joy believers can have because of the glorious cross and resurrection of Christ!