DIY Camera Case & Purse Pouch Made From Recycled Materials #BringingInnovation #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BringingInnovation #CollectiveBias

In a family with nine tech-loving children, you can imagine the batteries we go through! Recently I picked up Energizer® EcoAdvanced™batteries, a choice I've made before. I love it that I can purchase recycled batteries for my kids' electronics and know that I'm making less of a stamp on our environment. Our big family is on a mission to improve the world we live in by recycling and being creative with the resources we have. This morning, I made this cute camera pouch for my purse. It took about 10 minutes to put together and it's made entirely of materials I had around the house.

We found Energizer® EcoAdvanced™batteries at Walmart near the electronics section. These are the first batteries to be made with recycled materials. These AA and AAA batteries from Energizer® are their highest performing alkaline batteries. When we use longer lasting and reliable batteries, we use fewer batteries. This creates less waste to impact our environments.

I started the project with a french fry box, some duct tape, and scissors. 

First, I cut open the box along one side and across the bottom.

Then I cut about 1/2" off the top of the front of the box all the way to the side seam.

Then I applied the duct tape to both sides of the box. Using duct tape keeps the pouch moisture and bump resistant. I applied tape to one side, then cut off the excess before applying the second side and cutting off the excess. This made it easy to follow the outline of the box.

Finally, I taped up the side and bottom with strong clear packing tape and adhered a button and string to keep it shut.

Learn more about Energizer® EcoAdvanced™batteries here. I'd love to hear about your latest DIY project!

Moving Toward a More Natural Lifestyle #NaturalGoodness #ad

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NaturalGoodness #CollectiveBias

Our family has made a good effort this year to move toward a more natural lifestyle. From nixing the processed foods to finding ways to reuse and recycle, we're changing our stamp on the environment as well as cleaning up our act for more strength, energy, and an overall fulfilled life. As the mother and homemaker in my family, it's my responsibility to make sure I give everyone the best care I can---a big job that I take seriously.

This week, we've had the opportunity to try Tom's of Maine® brand toothpaste products with some great results. I'm impressed by the fact that they don't contain any artificial colors, flavors, fragrances, or preservatives. If animal products or testing is a concern for you, rest assured that this Maine-based company doesn't test on animals or use animal products in their toothpastes.

I found Tom's of Maine® Simply White® Clean Mint Cavity Protection Toothpaste at Walmart in the toothpaste aisle. I bought the kids Tom's of Maine® Silly Strawberry® Anticavity Toothpaste, found with the other kids' toothpastes. Tom's of Maine® also offers other natural products like deodorant, bar soap and mouthwash. Learn more about Tom's of Maine®'s ingredients, purpose and source, by visiting their website.

It's so important to build healthy habits. Oral care and hygiene have always been really important to me---especially when it comes to my kids. With a family the size of ours, it can be difficult to establish good routines for the kids, but it's so important to do so when it comes to caring for our teeth and gums. Using natural products helps me feel like I'm offering them something safe and effective.

Are you excited about the Tom's of Maine® line of oral hygiene products? Let me know how you help your family live a more natural lifestyle.

A Great Solution for Bladder Leakage #LifeAfterLeaks #ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. You must be 21+ years old to try Poise Impressa Bladder Supports. #LifeAfterLeaks #CollectiveBias

Way back when I only had two or three kids, I remember chatting with a mother of 13. She mentioned her difficulties with bladder leakage, since her many pregnancies had weakened her muscles in that area. I remember thinking that would be the most embarrassing thing and vowed to never be faced with the issue. Fast forward 10 or 11 years to this past winter when I was hit with the worst sickness I've ever experienced--a terrible case of bronchitis. A few Kegels throughout the years really are no match for 10 pregnancies and I found myself missing activities for weeks out of fear of "leaking" in public every time I coughed.

When I first saw Poise Impressa Bladder Supports at CVS, I was intrigued by the concept. It looked like a great way to help with minor leakage in a discreet way, allowing the wearer to be active and comfortable. Poise Impressa is designed to alleviate SUI limitations and issues that arise because of leaking when you sneeze, laugh, cough, dance, or exercise. Always start with a sizing kit. It will give you three options to help you find the right size fit for your body. The size is not about how much you leak or how much you weigh. It's about the best internal fit for you.

You'll find the Poise Impressa Sizing Kit near the pantiliners at CVS. Make sure to grab your printable Poise Impressa Starter Kit coupon, good only at CVS, before you go. Available while quantities last.

If you have issues with bladder leakage when you laugh, cough, dance, sneeze or exercise, try Poise Impressa Bladder Supports. They're inserted like a tampon but they do not absorb leaks because they're made to help stop them. The sizing kit contains two of each size. To find your size, begin with size 1, and if you still leak, try size 2, then size 3 if needed. Once inside, the product expands to support the urethra, preventing leaks when you sneeze, laugh, cough, dance, or exercise. After you've found the right size for you, purchase the 10-count pack in the correct size for security against embarrassing leaks.

*Important: Do not wear the Poise Impressa if you are pregnant or on your period. This is not a tampon. Please wait until your period ends to use the sizing kit.

What do you think of this innovative way to help stop SUI leaks? How would Poise Impressa Bladder Supports give you more confidence?

Keep In Touch in a Special Way with CloudPets #CloudPetsForever #Ad #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CloudPetsForever #CollectiveBias

 I am absolutely in love with my kids' new CloudPets™ Teddy Bear! This is such a genius idea and I totally think it should be at the top of every mom's Christmas shopping list. CloudPets™ are new, one-of-a-kind products that keep loved ones in touch when distance separates them. A CloudPets™ owner can receive and send messages through the toy and synced phone app.

I found this CloudPets™ Bear at Walmart this morning. There were a great selection of cute ones on this end cap in the toy aisle. Right now, they can only be found at select Walmart stores but will be available nationwide soon. Make sure to grab some AA batteries (you'll need three) from the pallet display in your store.

I'm super excited to send messages to the kids next time I'm in England. Even though I'm only gone for a week or so at a time, it's hard for them having me away and a special daily message from me would really ease that stress. Before I left last week, Kynthia said she didn't think I would be her mommy anymore when I was gone. Talk about breaking my heart!

But CloudPets™ aren't just for kids. They're also a special way for long distance friends and loved ones to keep in touch. A CloudPets™ would be a fun gift for a military wife, college student, or grandparent living in a nursing home. It could even be used as a creative way to ask someone to prom or to propose! (Don't get any ideas, Lynzie! Not yet, anyway...)

One thing I really love about CloudPets™ is the option for parental controls so I can choose who has permission to send messages to the kids. Only those I invite will have access to the ability to send and a free app makes it easy to set everything up.

Check out this "How It Works" video for details on making your CloudPets™ work properly.

What creative idea do you have for using CloudPets™?

Home from England!

Lynzie and I in front of the Assembly Rooms in Bath where Jane Austen and her characters danced the night away! Lynzie unexpectedly received an invitation to the Regency Ball while we were there and was able to attend with friends. Such a blessing. This is us preparing to join the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade.

I'm home from England---a wonderful trip with my daughter! Here are just a few highlights from the first part of our trip, in Bath---I'll try to do some more detailed stuff later. For now---sleep! Ha!

Saturday morning, we were up at dawn, walking the still quiet streets of Bath.

Lynzie's first glimpse of Bath Abbey. We attended church there Sunday morning and evening---a wonderful experience!

We took a walk near the famed Pultney Bridge. If you've read Northanger Abbey, you may be familiar with her describing this part of town.

Lynzie made some friends at the Roman Baths!

In which I prepare to sneak up and scare the pants off Jane Austen...

Thanks for linking up with the {Not Just} Homemaking Party!

Capture the Moment- Or Live in It? -- Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Shirley as a guest blogger today! Shirley is an excellent photographer who inspires many in our community to get out and enjoy nature and the beautiful things in life.

I take pictures. Lots of pictures. OK, I admit I have a problem. Not only do I love getting that shot (right as I squeeze the shutter release sometimes), but I am so happy organizing, editing, and making things like photobooks and gifts from my photos.

My subjects, before I became a parent, included anything and everything I found pleasing. 

But did that change when my first child was born! I took hundreds of shots (THANK YOU, DIGITAL CAMERA DEVELOPERS!), edited each of the best 20 different ways, filled photo albums and my walls and my focus with images of my daughter. 

Since then I have slackened somewhat, especially on the editing and definitely on the printing, and these days I do get quite a few non-offspring pictures. 

But did I mention I have a problem? I have this sense that if I do not capture that moment, I will lose it somehow. I will forget it happened, the richness and joy will fade, something. My memory is not strong (many of my memories before age 18 are in snapshot form rather than video form, if that makes sense). There is a fear in my heart that many moments will fade to nothingness if not "immortalized" in a photograph. OK, so take the pictures, right? 

But it began to dawn on me as I captured birthdays, explorations, t-ball games and dance recitals that I might be missing the richness of the experience, of being wholly IN the moment, by choosing to be behind a camera. I feel incomplete without some method of capturing the moment, but perhaps I don't need 50 shots of a 45 minute dance class? 

Right now, this is my compromise, along with asking someone else to grab a few shots: get a few photos, take one when it really grabs me, then let the camera hang on its strap, at the ready, relax, and LIVE in the moment. I don't know which way is best, honestly. What is the future use of these thousands upon thousands of pictures I have taken of my daughter? Beyond the occasional photobook, enlargement, gift, memory-booster, what use are so very many minute captured details of a child's life? I don't really know the answer, but I do know that I can't cut back much more without fear whispering in my ear, "What if you forget this moment? What about THIS one? You don't want to chance THIS one disappearing into your history forever..." So I grab a shot. Or two. Or 25. 

Church: What Not to Wear ~ Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Cherri as a guest blogger today! Make sure to check out her blog, Bingalong.

It had been years since I'd stepped foot in a church. God and I had developed an understanding; He could have my heart, but His congregation was just not for me. Too many judging eyes. Too many whispering opinions. Too much heart break.

But here I was one Sunday morning, newly dating this super cute guy. God had his heart, and he was quickly winning mine.

**********

Go to church with him? I wished I could say no, but I couldn't pass up ANY opportunity to see him. He played guitar with the worship team. I'll go just to watch, I would think. I'll keep my head down and try to blend in.

But blend in, I did not. Walking in to church that morning, heels too high and dress too short, thoughts of insecurity began to creep in. What am I doing here? What kind of church is this anyway? Assembly of God? Never heard of it. I was raised Baptist. Oh, my gosh. What if this is the kind of church where all the women wear long skirts all the time and never cut their hair? I glanced down at the sorry excuse for a skirt covering the smallest portion of my upper thigh —suddenly convinced I was going to hell.

Inner monologue running wild, I grasped tightly to Adrian's hand as we began walking down the empty hallway. We were early for the service so he could practice with the band. Suddenly worried that I'd cause him embarrassment, I leaned toward his ear and whispered, "I think my dress is too short." Before he could respond, a woman suddenly turned the corner in the hallway ahead of us. She reached out her hand to touch my shoulder and without the slightest hesitation she told me, "Sweetie, you look beautiful. Just be yourself."

Wow. WOW! That's all I needed. I will come back here, I thought to myself.

Now, more than two years later, we attend as a family. God still has my heart, and His church is now my home. In fact, after we got married, we moved thirty minutes north, just to be closer to it. The church drew us in. Not with programs or preaching, (though we enjoy both) but with a gentle touch, and a few kind words of unabashed acceptance from a stranger.

I still don't know who that woman was. Chances are good that I see her every week, but I can't recall her face. In case she's reading this, I want her to know what an impact she had on my first back-to-church experience. Not only did she welcome me, but she challenged me to welcome others in the same way. I try not to walk by an unfamiliar face without offering a smile, a gentle touch, and a few kind words; for I know what such a simple thing can do. 

"Let us not love with words or good intentions but by our actions and in truth." —1 John 3:18

Make a Tote Bag from a T-Shirt ~ Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Audra as a guest blogger today! Audra is the one who encouraged me to start blogging over six years ago. Thank you, friend! Check out her blog at audrasilva.com.

The other day, I decided I wanted to make t-shirt tote bags. I don’t know what made this pop in my head, but off I headed to the thrift store to hunt for cute t-shirts. I found one I liked in the women’s section and two more in the girl’s section.

Once home, I decided I’d really rather wear the cute women’s shirt. So it’s safe until I try it on and decide for sure if it will stay a shirt or convert to a bag.  

I know there are tutorials out there, but I decided to wing it. This is something I’m prone to do. I think it’s hardwired into my DNA.

Anywho, here is the lowdown on the process I went through from t-shirt to tote bag…

Step one: Choose your t-shirts. You will want to consider how big you want your tote to end up, as well as how strong or stretchy the fabric is and how that might affect what to use it for. I wanted something small to carry little crochet projects in, so I hunted in the girls department. Thrift stores, yard sales, or clearance sections are great places to look.

Step two:  Cut off the neck and arms real close to the seams. You might want to trim the lower sides of the shirt a little if they flare out too much.

Step three: Flip t-shirt inside out and sew about a ¼ inch seam along the neck and arm holes, if desired. I did this on one tote but not the other. I’m curious if this step will reinforce the edges better or not.

Step four: Flip t-shirt right side out and zigzag the edges around neck and arm holes while gently stretching the fabric. This creates a little waviness to the edges which I find adds some fun. You could either have your thread blend in or have it stand out. Either way would be cute.

Step five: Flip t-shirt inside out again and straight stitch a seam along the bottom (and sides if you trimmed them) to close your bag. I followed along the edge of the original hems.

Step six: Flip right side out and voila! You have a new tote bag, waiting to be used.

Tips: You could always use a plain t-shirt and then add on décor with iron-ons, appliques, rhinestones, or whatever you find to glam it up a bit. You can also add beads or something blingy to the handles, whether the t-shirt is plain or has a cute pattern.

I’m not sure these would hold up to heavy loads without some reinforcement, but for this project, I wanted quick and simple, and will use them for light carries.

You could also get fancy with how you sew the sides and bottom with some tucking and fancier techniques, but I’m a sewing amateur.

These two totes took very little time to whip up. Seriously, give it a go---even if you are a sewing newbie like me. If you do give it a try, leave a comment over on Simply Audra Marie, so I can see your tote bag.

Injured Man -- Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Nahria as a guest blogger today! Nahria lives in Indonesia and has been an online friend for several years.

Have any of you ever seen that American legal comedy-drama television series? If I'm not mistaken this drama was started way back in 1997, way back when I was still in college!

Would you stop if you see an injured man? Maybe that's the moral of the story from one of the episodes in Ally McBeal I watched years ago. Ally became one of the bridesmaids of the daughter that her firm represented. The wedding started normally, until the moment the priest took the bride and groom's vows...

Suddenly Ally cut in and said, "May I speak to the bride first?"  Everybody in the church was stunned but Ally is Ally with her "be yourself" attitude, and she insisted to speak with the bride.

Then she and the bride-to-be entered a room and Ally started to talk saying, "I have met with the groom before and he is a great lover but he doesn't know how to touch a woman." (a.k.a abusive) Just that. The bride, being told like that by Ally, just kept quiet and went back out to the church saying, "I'm sorry, but the wedding is off."

The church audience were shocked, then looked at Ally with their, "it's-your-fault" look.

Later on, her colleagues asked her why did she even do that. Ally just answered, "will you stop if you see an injured man?"

Well...it goes the same with life, doesn't it?

Most of the time we just keep quiet when faced with a moral issue. From small things like seeing people throw something out of their cars or seeing old people trying to cross the road to big things like (maybe) not paying your credit card bills or watching someone you love get bullied.

The question is: why we don't speak up? Why won't we stop if we see an injured man?

What if "the injured man" is us? 

That is something we need to think about, isn't it?  

Lessons From My Mother's Journal -- Guest Post

Lynzie and I are gone to England so my friends are running the show! I'm so excited to welcome my friend Laura as a guest blogger today! Check out her blog: My Corner of the Woods.

“I don’t know who will suffer most and how to ease their pain.”

My mom died when I was 9.  My family never talked about it.  Not when they knew it was coming and not after she died. I don’t remember even knowing she was sick – except that on Friday I noticed the whites of her eyes were yellow and I looked at her and said, “Mom, your eyes look funny.”  Sometime that weekend she pulled me into her bed.  She was wearing a wide-ribbed navy blue turtleneck and I think she had her stockings on and she hugged me and said, “No matter what happens to me, I’ll always love you.”  On Tuesday in art my class made get well cards for her and I asked Dad if we could take them to her at the hospital. “Tomorrow,” he said.  But tomorrow she died.

We never went back to visit her grave, never spoke much of her sickness or death or even her life.  It has always seemed kind of strange to me.  Maybe it’s because I’m her only daughter, I don’t know, but it has always been weird.  Who was she, this woman who was my mother? In recent years my father has alluded to me being like her when I talk about cooking for my family and how we enjoy being together, but I don’t really know what he means.

Yesterday my daughter brought me a pile of stuff that my youngest had pulled off a shelf and one of the things was my mother’s journal. So I opened it, and started reading. There wasn’t much, and it was all written a few months before she died.  “I don’t know who will suffer most,” she wrote, “or how to ease their pain.”  Interestingly enough, she knew in May that she had cancer in many places in her body; she knew she was dying.  In her last entry in the journal, she spoke of her struggle with a friend and how she didn’t want to be a burden to people. Her final words struck me: “I hope I never drag other people down when I’m down. There is just so much to appreciate and enjoy if you take time.”

I’ve never forgotten her final words to me, and I pray I never forget her final written words either.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  In the meantime, there is just so much to appreciate and enjoy if you take time.

This article was first published on, My Corner of the Woods. Reposted by permission of the author.

England Outfits!

Lynzie and I leave for England in just two days!!! Woo Hoo!!! We've been busy sewing the last couple weeks and I told her everything has got to be done by tonight! She's not quite ready to do her big outfit reveal yet, so I might add her pictures to this post later on, but here are the two outfits I made to take. 

This dress, minus the spencer jacket, was my ball gown from 2013. I lowered and widened the neckline and fixed some of the fabric-covered buttons on back. Then I made this spencer jacket to go over it. It's my favorite dress ever and the one I plan on wearing when we visit Bath Abbey for church on Sunday.

My favorite part of this dress is the lovely set of fabric-covered buttons on the back. (I replaced the plastic ones.)

This dress is made from silk that I got on an excellent deal earlier this summer. I made a pelisse to go over it from some sari fabric a friend gave me last time I was in England.

I admit, it was a little scary cutting into this beautiful fabric---but it all turned out ok.

Here's a sneak peak at Lynzie's dress. She wants to do a photo shoot later today so I'll put those up when I can. 

The next week or so will be filled with guest posts from some of my friends and family. I hope you'll check out all their hard work and leave lots of sweet comments. I sure appreciate my guest bloggers!

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