No Junk Food Challenge

I came across the sweetest list of rules for Mothers of Daughters on Diapers and Daisies.

25 Rules for Mothers of Daughters. 

Source: Pinterest- meggielynne.tumblr.com

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important.

Source: Pinterest:  art-e-zine.co.uk

2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself. 

Source: Pinterest: sp2.fotolog.com

3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own. 

4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible.

Source: Pinterest: crazycraftycousins.blogspot.com

5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision.


6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children.  Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is.

Source: Pinterest: flickr.com

 7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower. 

Source: Pinterest- 500px.com

8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones.

9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors.  Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible.

 Source: Pinterest- google.com

10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way.

11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family.

Source: Pinterest- weheartit.com

12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be.

Source: Pinterest-  weddings.halbergphotographers.com

13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human.

14. Teach her to love a good man, . One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful.

Source: Pinterest- blog.hgtv.com

15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming.

16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning.

Source: Pinterest-  instagr.am

17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her.

18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible.  Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy's feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together.

Source: Pinterest- thehollywoodgossip.com

19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too.

20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles.

21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat- let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect- she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the bigger -the better- person.

22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words: she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her.

Source: Pinterest- justquotes.org

23. Mother her. Being a mother—to her—is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother’s love for their children. 

Source: Pinterest- marrabelle.deviantart.com

24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets- no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her...she may just whisper, "I need my mommy."

25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you: welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news: embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you: find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit: tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor- where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile: be home. 




To my daughter- I promise to always "be home" for you. Love you laneybug.

Groundhog Day in Louisiana

 Famous groundhog Punxatawney Phil has been predicting weather for a long time -- but some folks think a Cajun crawfish named "Claude" can do it better. On Groundhog Day this Thursday, Louisiana, will hold their own version of the ritual by pulling "Claude the Crawfish" out of his burrow. Officials are even arranging interviews between the media and Claude himself, who says if he waves his claw toward the sun, that's a sign the winter will end just in time for Mardi Gras. The crawfish claims he's a better prognosticator than the groundhog because he has no fur standing between him and the weather. He also admits he's bothered by the fact that while people regularly eat crawfish, nobody would ever try to take a bite out of Phil. 

Groundhog Morning Breakfast!

Punxsutawney Phil may have predicted a prolonged winter for the northern states, but Shreveport-Bossier's Claude the Crawfish climbed out of his crawfish hole and predicted a wonderful spring for Louisiana! Ya'll come on!

A GIRL AND HER SPECIAL PUPPY

Tripod Born November 2, 2005

Hannah chose her favorite puppy.  She named her Tripod because she was born with  3 legs instead of 4.
Hannah chose the "underdog" and the one that would require hernia repair at only a few weeks old. There were  several  puppies that were cuter but she was convinced that Tripod was the only one for her.

November 14, 2005

November 14, 2005

Tripods 12 Siblings!

February 12, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day

Waiting for Hannah
October 2, 2011

Tripod loves riding in car and suffers from separation anxiety when  she can't see Hannah
If she could be more independent, she would be a wonderful therapy dog.

October 24, 2011 Tripod's new born puppies

October 25, 2011

October 25, 2011
Tripod did not enjoy motherhood!

January 28, 2012
Going to park

Tripod the hunter

Somehow she manages to dig holes through out the yard.  Not to get out, but to dig for moles!

As soon as I let her out in the morning, she begins sniffing the ground for the tracks of critters. She LOVES spending time treeing squirrels, raccoons or even frogs.  If she happens to escape the house or yard, She will run like a gray hound  race dog and outrun all the neighborhood kids. She has a history of running away.  The people that find her usually want to keep her and actually ask if they can.   She sheds....A LOT. She requires a lot of attention love and treats!

But Tripod and Hannah have been through a lot and are still happy just to play. Tripod is sweet and gentle with the cat.  She is 99% housebroken. She has a fierce bark and growl.  But the best thing about Tripod is her Smile!

Family Time

We enjoyed a girls day with Colleen, Maggie, Jessica, Aubrey, Hannah and me. We visited for a bit and then had lunch at China Wok, shopped thrift stores, book stores, make up counters and one of the best parts was of course the treat of Krispy Kreme.  

Hannah had been waiting to get a new book and Mr. Phillips treated her by purchasing the book for her.  He was a wonderful tutor!

Yummy

The good cooking gene seems to have skipped a generation.  Hannah spent time at the Lyon's home and enjoyed visiting and cooking with her cousin, Jessica. Hannah created a recipe for Queso that everyone has just  gone wild over.

Hannah's Queso

Large block of Velvetta
2 lbs Ground beef
Patio salsa
Pico de Gallo (prepared produce section)
Olive oil


1. Brown ground beef in 1st skillet.
2. Add olive oil to 2nd skillet and saute pico until transparent. Then add 1 cup of salsa.
3. Cube velvetta and melt in microwave, stirring occasionally.
4. Drain oil from ground beef and put meat back in skillet.
5. Stir in pico/salsa mixture
6. Stir in melted cheese mixture.

Makes a nice thick queso!  I's so glad she made it for us!

Enjoy!

Finally.....

Life has a way of making you eat your words.  Hannah's Fairy Godmother has always wanted a baby and family.  Hannah even called a child sponsorship hotline to "adopt a baby from Florida" for Chrissy. She was 6 and didn't realize that it was just a monthly payment and you didn't actually get to "have" the child with you.

Fast forward 6 years

Two days after giving Hannah a long "lecture" on the order in which your life is supposed to go... high school, college, job, marriage then children. Period with no exceptions!    Chrissy, decides she needs to take a pregnancy test and guess what??? She is pregnant. After taking both tests and calling her doctor she wonders "What is Hannah going to think?" Ironic huh?

We are so excited for her.  She is going to be a wonderful mom.

Happy Woman's Day

Hello Period.

I loved the The Cosby Show growing up and remembered the episode when Rudy got her period.

Clair receives a call from the school nurse and learns that Rudy has gotten her period. She makes plans for "Women's Day," a family tradition in which Clair spends a fun day with her daughter and answers any questions that she might have.

So I planned to have this special event with Hannah and had told her what a nice day we would have.  She decided not to go to church Wednesday night.  I was worried something had happened at church after school.  She got in car and announced that tonight was "Women's Night".  I thought that she meant she had wanted to have beauty night and I was way to tired for that. But then I realized what she meant!  We drove to Chrissy's to tell her the news.  She wanted to let Hannah know all of the important things she should do and refrain from doing in the coming years.  We shopped for supplies and had a nice dinner out at Sake Sushi.  

Ubykotex  has a lot of information on first period experiences and answers a lot of  questions for tweens. 

Happy New Year!

I intend to be new this year!  I am carefully thinking about the things that are working in my life and the things that need to be done differently.

1. Regular daily and weekly routine.  Going to bed at 9 PM every night and getting up at 6 AM.  Even on weekends!  Staying up late on weekends only makes the week harder.  I plan to master this and teach Hannah the importance as well.

2. Shop a lot more.....on groceries. Instead of spending my time menu planning, I have been going through the drive through window a lot.  I put all of my accounts on a financial program that shows where your money goes.  Apparently, fast food was a big problem for us and has really made a dent in my finances.  We could have taken a very nice vacation for what was spent on bad quality, over priced, fried food. Work on sales, coupons, master grocery list and stockpiling.

3. Menu plan- It makes life so much easier!  I use a rotating menu that I build using Google calender and just insert meals for every 3 weeks or so until the month is full.  Then it automatically repeats and meals are planned for the year.  Of course, we don't always eat just as planned but it works as a guide.

4. Plan an emergency kit for home and car.  Lovely Little Snippets has a wonderful way to plan this out by the week so you don't have to overspend or become overwhelmed. This is her list but you can make changes to suit the needs of your family. Simply print out a copy to keep in box and mark out items as you go.  You could even work monthly or stock from items you already have at home.

I  made a small kit last year but used it like I have done with savings accounts in the past.  Make withdrawal  for non emergencies such as flashlight or batteries and not replace them.  Not this time!

1.       Container to hold your Kit.

2.       1 Flashlight for each person + extra batteries

3.       Current family picture and photo of each family member (More on this later :) )

4.       Can opener

5.       List of important phone #’s (laminated if possible) (I added our cell phones, all 4 of our parents cell phones, our Family Doctor, the city police, and the city fire dept.)

6.       $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

7.       4 rolls toilet paper

8.       1 bar soap

9.       1 emergency blanket per person

10.   1 roll paper towels

11.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

12.   1 box bandaids

13.   1 package wet wipes

14.   100ct multi vitamins

15.   1 pack of gum

16.   2 candles

17.   Package of matches

18.   2 decks of cards

19.   Face Masks 2 per person

20.   1 bottle Ibuprofen (add baby Tylenol if you have a baby)

21.   2 lighters

22.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

23.   1 whistle per person

24.   5 dice (to play games)

25.   Rubber gloves 2 pair per person

26.   Sunblock

27.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

28.   Gauze and medical tape

29.   3 heat pouches per person

30.   Bugspray

31.   Rope

32.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

33.   1 package garbage bags (10)

34.   Package of tums

35.   Pocket knife

36.   Thermometer

37.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

38.   Hand sanitizer

39.   2 packs instant hot coco per person

40.   5 packages garden seeds

41.   2 packs instant soup per person

42.   $5 In one dollar bills + 4 quarters

43.   10 hard candies per person (i.e. butterscotch, cinnamon etc.)

44.   4 AA batteries

45.   10 instant crystal lite packages

46.   2 instant oatmeal packs per person

47.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

48.   Notebook and pens (for journaling/notes/entertaining kids)

49.    Small pot

50.    Travel size shampoo/conditioner

51.   Bible/Book of Mormon

52.   $5 in one dollar bills + 4 quarters

This is the beginning of Lovely Little Snippet's kit!

5. Make a plan for the year on what needs to be done to get home projects finished.  1 room at a time completely finished, organized and clean! Walk through every area from front door to back door listing what needs to be done and make a plan. Since I jump from one thing to another, I am left with a lot of half done projects! I hope I am able to enjoy completing list before restarting.

6. Finances- I am working towards becoming 1. Debt free with only mortgage and car note.  I plan to get ahead on paying each off when I can.  It is tough to think about all of the money wasted with the swipe of a card.  Most of the items I have purchased were from impulse shopping and the interest rates are a constant reminder of this.

7. Homemaking - Become a better homemaker and keep house tidy daily.  Establish small chores throughout the week and not have to clean on weekends. Home should be a soft place to land not a chore to come home to.

8. Traditions and celebrations - create a celebration journal to enjoy all of the holidays, birthdays and events. Plan menus, decorations and other special touches that make it memorable.

9. Relax and have fun - Don't worry and stress over yesterday's mistakes or what could go wrong tomorrow.

10. Garden - This has been a tough one for me but I plan to join a community garden close by our home,

11. Read more - Make a list of what books we would like to read and check them out from library.  If they aren't available, reserve them through library service or buy as ebooks.

12. Blog regularly- This helps when reviewing the good and bad.  In some ways, it helps with accountability.  You don't want to let yourself down by saving your ideas and not following through.

13. Take better care of self and Hannah- Get back into habit of weekly Beauty Nights, better daily skin and hair care.  Not rushing out in AM trying to brush and style hair while in car.

14. Get out more - Plan weekend activities and not stay cooped up in house.  Check for local activities and participate. Plan to go to movies, park, art museums, etc.  Low cost fun things.

15. Plan getaways - Little things like tent camping, spring break, summer beach vacation, fall foliage drive.

16. Craft more - I have collected so many craft supplies and fun items that I have collected over time that are sitting in boxes as clutter.

17. Cleaning products - My obsession with Pinterest has certainly kept me awake to late and wasted a lot of my time. But, I have learned so much about magic cleaning solutions that are safe and do a great job.

• Baking Soda is a great naturally abrasive ingredient with mild alkaline properties, it’s also a natural deodorizer and stain remover, and it rinses easily, is completely non-toxic (no more dangers for kids and pets licking surfaces that you’ve cleaned) and it’s extremely affordable (you can grab a 12lb bag at Sams  for next to nothing).
• Vinegar is an all natural and mild acid, it’s also a known disinfectant that can remove stains, sanitize, and it’s also completely non-toxic and inexpensive (you can also grab a giant jug of it at Sams for an extremely reasonable price). It should be noted that it shouldn’t be used on stone surfaces or acetstay cate fabrics but there are many other natural cleaning methods that work for those surfaces.
• Hydrogen Peroxide is also non-toxic and is known to be a natural bleaching agent with disinfectant and stain removing properties. It’s also extremely inexpensive (just $1 for three bottles at Walgreen’s).
•  Lemon Juice (which naturally cuts grease and leaves a totally fresh scent) are also extremely helpful to have in your all-natural cleaning arsenal.
• Liquid Castile Soap (like Dr. Bronner’s, sold at Target, Trader Joe’s, etc) is a vegetable based soap as opposed to a petroleum based one, which makes it completely non-toxic so it can be used on your face and body but will also work well when it comes to cleaning your home. It’s not quite as inexpensive as baking soda or vinegar, but a large 32 oz containter is just $8.99 at Trader Joe’s.

18. Declutter - If item is not being used, donate or sell it.  Unnecessary items really take time and energy away from your home.  

19. Focus on Hannah being organized and self sufficient. Help her understand the importance of getting work done and not procrastinating.  Don't bale her out when she has known about projects and hasn't cared to get started on them until too late.  Hold her to a higher standard.

20. Keep car cleaned and maintained. Fill up gas tank every Sunday so Monday will be easier. Its so embarrassing to have a car full of trash and clutter.  Make it a point to wash car and vacuum weekly.    Keep the interior clean daily by having a bag for trash and limit food and drinks.



21. Stop rushing!  Plan accordingly.

22. Less busywork and more impact on what needs to be done. Develop a routine for work and school. Do more than what is expected.  Work ahead and be consistent. Do what others are too lazy or unmotivated to do.  This makes you irreplaceable.

23. Most importantly appreciate all of the challenges and blessings.