Bounce This Along

All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!

1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.

2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.


3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.


4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.


5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.


6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling..


7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.


8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.


9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.


10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.


11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.


12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.


13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan..


14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.


15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.


16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.


17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.


18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.


19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.


20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.


21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.


22. Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car, and wipe lovebugs off easily with the wet Bounce.

Thanks to my mother in law for sending this my way!

Bittersweet Ending

Yesterday marked a bittersweet ending.  Mnay of you have read my trials and tribulations with Dixie HERE and HERE.

I have tried to keep this dog and help her adjust to her seperation anxiety but it just wasn't working.  I'm am sure the fact that we never really wanted her in the first place didn't help and I felt bad that it wasn't her fault.  Every time we would leave her beating herself up in the kennel was getting worse and worse. 

On Saturday I posed an ad for her on Craigslist and got an immediate response.  It was difficult to decide who to call becuase I truly did want to find her a good home.  In the end I think I found her a good home.  It is a family that has an acre fenced in yard {not that the fence will help} but they have a one and a half year old lab mix male and they just lost their 13 year old lab mix female and was looking for a replacement.  I felt that with the amount of room she would have to run and another big dog to keep her company she would be fine.  I honestly do think that if she is able to be with another dog like her when the owners leave, I don't think that the seperation anxiety will be as much of an issue.  I just don't think she will feel as alone as she did here when we left.  Also, these people don't kennel their dogs which is probably fine too.  Dixie is housebroken and so there wouldn't be an issues with accidents in the house.

Hopefully I chose the right family and she can be happy!  Thanks for all of your prayers through this ordeal

Beth

Want To Get Healthier?!

I am now an Herbalife Distributor for any of you that are contemplating use of their products.

Herbalife is a company that began 28 years ago with a “mission for nutrition”.  Today, Herbalife has more than a million distributors worldwide, offering the line of Herbalife to people who want to lose weight and look and feel better. The weight management line consists of meal programs and supplements that can help dieters achieve their weight loss goals more efficiently. Supplements include those for appetite suppression, metabolism boosters and enhancers.

My husband has been using Herbalife for a couple months now and has dropped about 20 pounds.  His father also is using it for weight loss and better health.

I too use their products but not for weight loss.  Instead of using them to replace my meals, I use them as a snack in addition to a healthly diet so that I get all of the nutrition that my body needs.  I have been known to eat small meals and not really get the calories or vitamins and minerals that I need so this is a perfect way for me to get exactly what my body needs.  And let me tell you, their shakes are awesome!!  The Lemon Cheesecake and the Snickers are my faves....yum, yum!!

Let me know if there is anything that you need or if you want more information you can email me at bethkck@yahoo.com

I'm A Mean Mom - I Have Proof!

Ever have one of those days or weeks where you are just the "Mean Mom"?  Yesterday my daughter gave me the "Mean Mom" award.

I listen to her most of her girl/boy problems.

I "think" that she tells me a lot for her age.

A lot of 15 year olds don't share much with their mommies.

I let her friends spend the night pretty much "all the time".

I rarely say no and when I do it is for good reason.

I let her text on her phone waaaayyyyyy too much.

I let her go places with her girlfriends like the movies and the pool.

But, I will not let her go to a party at a boy's house whom she has "dated" in the past.

Granted it is a 16th birthday part, but for some strange reason

his mother thinks it to be okay for him to "party" it up and let them have alcohol.

At 16.

Its something that is the norm out here in the country I'm finding out.

The party is 40 minutes away.

Tfour boys that invited her all thought it would be okay for her to just spend the night there.

That way I didn't have to go out in the middle of the night to pick her up.

How kind and thoughtful of them, right.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

My 15 year old daughter at a party with practically all boys and only one girl that she knows

AND

spending the night with alcohol.

I think not. 

That's how I got it.  The "Mean Mom" award.

I'm thinking I will be getting a lot of those in the near future.

Today, I got the "Mean Mom" award from my son.

His birthday was this week and his party is this weekend in which he will get spoiled.

What kid doesn't, right?!

I swam in the pool with him last night and giggled and laughed, just the two of us.

It was fun.

Tonight when Parker went to bed and Alysia is swimming with friends, I played Lego's with him.

We played for a couple hours.

It was time to brush teeth and go to the bathroom after which

he could watch some cartoons for about 30 minutes before he went to bed.

He didn't want to.

He told me he brushed his teeth, but he didn't.

He whined, I started to lose my patience.

I told him what I expected him to do and if he didn't stop arguing and whining,

there would be no cartoons and it would be straight to bed.

He chose to whine and complain.

He argued that he did brush his teeth just not with toothpaste.

And how come I won't let him play Lego's for just a little longer.

In a calm voice I told him to brush his teeth correctly.

I also told him that it was now bedtime since he couldn't obey.

Whining, crying and complaining ensued. 

Normally we give in but I didn't this time.

He thinks he can get what he wants when he whines and cries.

When he knows we're about to break he promises that he is sorry.

And that he will never do "it again.

Then we give in.

Not this time.

He went to bed, we prayed about patience, obeying and softening of anger.

I got the "Mean Mom" award.

I'm sure there are a couple of time today Parker would have given me the award too.  This weekend I pray that I can let my kids know that I love them and that I am here for them always and that they can always count on me.  Maybe I can get through the weekend without adding anymore trophy's to my mantle.  It's getting a bit crowded.

I Love My Friends!

My bloggie friends make me smile :)  Such wonderful, inspiring, fantabulous, neat ladies that I come across everyday!  I love all of you!!

You Capture

Sad face :(  My Inspired Spotlight didn't come through for me this week so I don't have anything for ya.  Hopefully by next week it will be back in order and I will have a lineup from my blog roll that you want to check back for.  Honestly I just procrastinated this week and didn't ask until it was probably too late for the person I was asking.  I know better than that now.

I Should Be Folding Laundry does a You Capture series in which I am linking to this week.  This week was "Get Down Low".

I "tried" to get down low on this one.  Parker was playing peek-a-boo with me through his slide and as soon as I got my camera - he stopped.  Onery fart....  Maybe it would have been as cute as I imagined...I'll never know.

Here is another one of Parker's little feet.  Who can resist 'em...

Go over to You Capture to join us!

Happy Birthday Wishes!

Today my wonderful son, James turns "7" years old.  He has brought so much joy to my life along with a few gray hairs.  My days are truly "brighter" with him around.  I thank the Lord for blessing me with the opportunity to mother him.  He keeps me on my toes but I wouldn't change that for the world.

He is a handsome boy who is growing to up to fast.  His wish for the seventh year of his life...that his new pool gets filled by tomorrow AND that he loses a tooth at some point this year.  The poor boy is going into second grade and had not a loose tooth in his head.  ALL of his friends....and yes I'm serious when I say ALL...have lost several teeth and he just wants to lose one.

Here are the many faces of James...

I might be a little partial but I think he has the most infectous smile around!  He is so stinkin' handsome, especially when he smiles and laughs!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Chalk Walk Festival and A Happy Fathers Day

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

to all the wonderful daddies out there!

My kiddos have the best daddy they could ever ask for. He was very happy he was able to spend the day with us and not on a train stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Yesterday the kids and I went to Crown Center to see their Chalk Walk.  Amazing artists from around the metro come to create stunning masterpieces all for people to see.  No money, no judging, no winners, no losers...simply amazing beauty and artistry!

There was also an area for the kids to try their chalk skills.  Her is James creating his "Tiki Mask" and Parker....well all he created was being chalky everywhere on his body.  He sat to draw for about two seconds and then was off to try to get all of the chalk that everyone else was using.  We need to work on those sharing skills that he lacks.

Here's James showing us his mad hula hooping skills...

After the Chalk Walk, we went inside Crown Center to eat at Fritz's. Yummy hanburgers that are way overpriced all to see a train run around the restaurant and bring you your food. It's all about the experience I tell ya.

Here is Parker watching the train bring our food down to the table.  So totally cool!

After dinner I let the kids play in the infamous fountain at Crown Center.  People will come to Crown Center just to let their kids play in the fountains.  If you visit {with children} you have to let them experience it.

All in all it was an amazing weekend and I'm not ready for it to end.  Now back to the grind of housework of "trying" to keep it clean while little ones come behind me only to make it a mess again.

We do have a birthday that we get to look forward to this week though...James will be turning "7" on Tuesday.  Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful Monday {wait...it is Monday already since it's already so late}.

I'm off to bed...nighty night!

Need Some Inspiration?

See that button over there...

========>

that says "Patchwork of Awesomeness".

That's exactly what it is!  My patchwork of awesomeness of all good things that I find while surfing the web.  Now you can just click on the link and it will take right to my archive where I store all of it.  Cool, huh!  Check it out!  A big thanks goes to my friend Alisa from The Sweet Life for showing me how to get this on my blog.  GO HERE to read her guest post that she did this week if you missed it

There are some really cool ideas in there, all of which others get credit for.  Someday I will have the time to complete all of these projects.  In the meantime I get the ohh...and...ahh... over all the goodness.  Check the link often, I'm adding stuff to it everyday!

My Week in Snapshots

 

My Handsome Man!

Parker picking flowers!

James and his buddy at Tongie Days!

James bobbing for apples!

Parker eating his first whole apple!

James eating donuts off a string with no hands!

Among all the summer fun we had this week, James had his first lemonade stand and he make a whopping $19!  It helps that I called all of the friends we knew to see if they could come and pay him a visit, otherwise he might have only made what I would have "bought" from him if you can technically call it that since I bought all of the product to begin with.  Nonetheless he had fun being able to go and spend some of his money on things that I "never" buy him...
After I shot my pictures this week I realized that my poor daughter likes to run from the camera unless she is all "put together". She escaped this week but not for long!


Speaking of Alysia, her poor staph infection is back. Poor girl got rid of it for about a week and a half and is fighting it again. Not a good thing for wanting to hang out at the pool with all of her friends. Apparantly she will be fighting this for a long time. I guess once you get it and it colonizes you basically have to keep it from coming back. Doctor says she has to take a bleach bath EVERY NIGHT for six weeks. Poor thing! One capful of bleach per gallon of water. Any idea how many gallons of water fit in a bathtub?!?! Approximately 25 gallons of water fill an average size tub halfway. So geusstimating that we would use about 30 gallons, that is 30 capfuls of bleach! Bless her poor soul - I hope that kills every bit if staph on her skin after the six weeks is up. So much for her lazy summer days at the pool!

Inspired Spotlight

Hi there!  I’m Alisa from The Sweet Life and I am so flattered that my friend Beth asked me to do a post for her Inspired Spotlight. I’ve know Beth for several years {in real life} and she really is a great friend. Thanks Beth!
I am married to the love of my life and I’m a stay at home mom to 3 great kids. I have one in pre-school, one in elementary school and a high schooler so I’ve got all ages running around my house. Life is very full and fun most of the time. I called my blog The Sweet Life because even though life isn’t always perfect it is always made SWEET knowing that I have a Lord that loves me and sent is Son to die for me {and you}.

The best things in this life are but a glimpse at the sweetness of eternal life with a heavenly Father.

I began blogging about 18 months ago and have been hooked ever since. I started out reading blogs and getting so much inspiring information from all the talented ladies around blog land that I figured I had to start my own.  There is just so much good stuff out there it is hard not to be inspired. 

As a mom and a wife, I think that my greatest inspiration for what a Godly woman is supposed to look like is found in Proverbs 31. It is long so I won’t post it here, but if you want to look at it you can find it here.

These versus inspire me to want to do my best in every area of my life, whether it be as a wife, a mother, a neighbor, a homemaker or my integrity and character. I am far from being perfect in any of these areas, but I do my best and ask God to help me in each of these areas daily.

My blog is kind of a mixture of many different loves.
I love to cook {most of the time}.   This is one of our favs, Mexican Pork Bowls .

 
I love to sew. Here is a little dress I recently made for my niece. 
I also have an Etsy shop with some fun things I’ve made.

 
I like doing projects around the house. I recently redid my bathroom.

 
I also really enjoy photography. I’m still learning and love to visit all the great mom photographers out there in blogland. This summer I am hosting a little blog party called A Summer in Snapshots. I hope to encourage moms to get their cameras out and use them everyday to catch all the precious moments big and small before they are gone. So come on over and join the fun.

I really appreciate the opportunity to share with you about what inspires me to be the best mom and wife that I can be. I hope you will pop over to The Sweet Life and say “hi” sometime. Thanks again Beth!