Christmas

Wow, what a busy but fun month!

Look at the wonderful gifts I got from preschool:

We went to some parties and even had a dessert party for our Sunday School Group, here is a picture of a pile of shoes during the party:

(we had 14 adults and 15 kids in my (small) house! But I think everyone had a great time!)

Addie got a puppy for her 6th birthday. Named Georgia and oh so cute!

Christmas Eve was spent at My Mom and Dad’s and very few photos were taken, but here are the few:

Christmas morning was relaxing and fun:

Christmas Evening was spent at Jason’s parents, another enjoyable time:

We were all so blessed with such fantastic gifts, but more importantly, we were blessed with wonderful time spent with family and friends!

All I want for Christmas….

 

Marley: World of Zoo DS Game, Wii, and a shoulder shrug!

Claudia: Barbie Camper, Hannah Montana DS Game, Hannah Montana DVD and a Wii.

Jason: Bow Sling, Flannel Shirt, Watch

Wendy: The ability to park in the garage, speakers for MP3 Player, Starbucks cup.

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We went to Jennifer’s for lunch:

Then headed to Jason and Cindy’s for dinner. Before dinner we took a walk through the woods and took pictures for my mom’s Christmas cards:

I ate way to much, but had a fantastic day!

Thankful!

Just a few things I am thankful for:

People: Family, Friends, Teachers, My Church Staff!

My House: Even though it is a small house, it is my home and it is filled with LOVE!

The Internet: I still think it is the coolest thing!

Coffee: I love my morning coffee!

I am also thankful for Claudia’s room mom who does cute things like this:

Wheatgrass: I really think it keep me healthy!

Coupons: Need I explain?

My Doctor: I was so lucky to find my Gastro Dr. 7 years ago. I went through several before I found the right one for me.

My dog, Maya: She keeps me company when Jason is gone, and she loves to cuddle!

Jesus!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Food for Thought

I haven’t blogged in a while. I have just had a lot on my mind. I have developed a yeast problem – more than likely it stems from the HUMIRA. I have been researching and reading like crazy, trying to figure out what’s going on (with 3 rounds of treatment from the DR). What I have realized, is that all of my problems could possibly be solved with food. Or the lack of certain foods. Is food the source of my Crohn’s Disease. Is food helping my Yeast thrive? Sure looks like there is a link.

But what am I to do? Could I go on a strict diet called the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that has proven to cure some people with Autism (not that I have Autism) and intestinal disorders? Or do I have the strength to go on the very strict Yeast Diet to kill all the yeast in my body? Should I go dairy free or try a gluten free diet? You know, no one has ever tested to see if dairy or gluten was a problem for me.

I feel very overwhelmed! To much info, and I don’t know where to begin! Right now, I am going to continue my healthy eating habits while I do some more research and sort things out. I will keep you posted.

Speaking of food, I decided to spend the entire afternoon in the kitchen, and here is what I did:

Started the afternoon out with a wheatgrass shot with ginger:

I started cleaning out the fridge and decided to juice whatever I could find.  Oh my, what a mess!

This is what I found to juice:

Apple, carrot, beet, celery, parsley, and kale

Bulgur Salad:

I made some Hummus:

Then I made Kale/Beans for dinner tonight and Lentil Soup for tomorrow night:

My kitchen smelled so good! Now I don’t have to cook for the next two days!!!!

Bedroom Makeover

Our master bedroom was long over due for a makeover. I am so excited with how it turned out!

Before:

After:

We moved the bed in front of the window. We love the change (the bed has been in the same spot for the last 9.5 years), it gives the room more space. I never really opened the blinds much, so this arrangement works well for us.

I love the new colors, they are so easy on the eyes. The room feels so peaceful and relaxing now!

I wanted to make our room about us. No picture of the kids allowed in our bedroom. I even framed a sweet note from Jason:

The Chair Before:

Chair After:

(I covered the chair with the ever so popular drop cloth).

 

I am so happy with the bedroom makeover. I feel like I moved into a new house!

I am joining DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land, check it out!

Fall Decorations

I have finally put up some fall decorations!

I was inspired by my new favorite blog,  Shanty2Chic to create this:

Super easy project!

I also painted two smaller pumpkins for the mantle. My mother-in-law made the mummy candle holders:

I got this to hang on the front door:

And on my kitchen table you will find this:

I was excited to receive this from my secret sister:

Well, that’s about all the fall decorating I can handle at the moment. I will try to do better for Christmas!

Frugal Fashion Show

It has been a while since I have done a fashion show – thought I would join the fun over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam and show you all some thrift store fashion. PS: Sorry for the photo quality, I hope to get a new camera for Christmas!

I am a simple kind of girl and not overly trendy, so I tend to go for simple clothing and minimum accessories.

The most expensive item was this dress from Target, $4! I know, but I really liked it so I splurged. I wore it to church with leggings and got lots of compliments.

Black Docker pants with Blue Gap sweeter:

Black Target sweeter with Worthington (JC Penny?) grey pants:

 

*I bought both pair of pants to wear to church, I will wear the sweaters with jeans too.

I thought this top was cute with the little flower. But boy, do I need a brow waxing!

Yellow Gap sweater and Ann Taylor jeans (which are my new favorite pair):

So, there you have it! My mini fashion show. Hope you are inspired to go thrifting!

What am I to do?

Woke up yesterday with a sick child (Claudia). So I went to the store and got the essential items for sick kids. Fever reducer, sports drink, and popsicles. I knew that the popsicles had bad ingredients but bought them anyway knowing she would love them.

But what I didn’t realize was that the sports drink (had a gut feeling) and the fever reducers all had junk in them. Did you know that the fever reducer has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it – the sports drink too!

In all the years that my kids have been taking this stuff I really didn’t care. But I do now. I have been trying really hard to get all the junk out of their diet and now I realize the above!

What am I to do? I guess stick to water, homemade popsicles, and what about the fever reducer? I am going to have to do some research.

In the meantime I am upping my intact of fruits and veggies hoping to stay healthy. Here is just one of the drinks I made this week.

Parsley, carrots, cucumber, beet and apple: