A new obsession

Do I need more craft supplies?  The answer is categorically NO!
Do I love getting kits in the mail from The Scrap Room ?  ABSOLUTELY!

But I also have another pair of related problems.
1. I am losing weight (not a problem per se) - but -
2. I am shrinking out of my clothes.

So: after some negotiation with my hubby, I swapped out the spending currently earmarked for my kits for a new experiment with a clothing subscription service called Gwynnie Bee.

My bestest friendest introduced me to the concept of subscription boxes and the joy of getting new clothing and accessories in the mail every month - the problem is that I am still currently in above average sizing for my wardrobe and the standard services didn't cater to anything above a 12.  Enter Gwynnie Bee.  Their sizing goes from 10 and up and, much like netflix or gamefly, you can send back clothes after wearing them for as long as you want and then swap them out for new ones when you are ready to freshen up your look.

The best part about this service is the fact that - as I shrink - all I have to do is adjust the sizes of the items in my virtual closet and Gwynnie Bee sends me the next size down all the way down to size 10!  That should get me to my first goal when I would feel comfortable buying clothes in the smaller sizes and I don't have a whole closet full of way too expensive "Fat Clothes" laying around.

I received my first box today - During my trial period I started out with a 2 garments out a time plan but I think I'm going to move up to a bigger plan as soon as fiscally possible!

Here is my first result.  The closet picked out the
Printed - Pintucked top by Charter Club
and
Faux Leather Pencil Skirt by Eloquii

What's the buzz on this combo? I felt awesome in the top - its light weight and kind of sheer so I put on a white cami underneath and  paired it with an antique necklace from my grandmother and gold hoop earrings for a more elegant look.  This would look great with jeans or khakis too...so I might look into buying it at some point...

The skirt is a pleather material with suede panels on the side.  It's cute and fits great but I don't have many occasions to wear that type of pencil skirt.  I'm keeping it until after some meetings I have come up and then its going back for another selection.

I can't wait to see what the next boxes bring!

Just a note here: I am not getting compensated for this review but if you decide to try the service please click on the link below to get a full 30 days to try it out for FREE!

Note: I am not being compensated for this review.

Proud momma moments

My little boy (well he's a big boy now but a momma can dream right) is now an orange belt from Triumph Martial Arts.  I was nervous - really nervous about whether he was ready for this test.  He started Tae Kwon Do two weeks into the term but man was I proud watching him go through his forms!

And then he got to break boards as well!  One kick and that board was toast!



The end of the basement project is near! Last weekend we got all of the supplies to finish our bathroom as well as flooring for the family room so this coming weekend is the end of it!  I had two really good helpers to get the last of the drywall busted out.  The ceiling paint is done and I got the stacks of junk all ready to go up to the dump!  Can you tell I'm a little excited to be finally finished??

And then I got a little scrappy in the midst of it all - can you believe I felt really lazy all weekend? Using up some kits from previous shipments at The Scrap Room

#20 Ahoy Matey

FEBRUARY 2013 STUDIO CALICO DARLING DEAR

Joey from Halloween 2012 ain't he just the sweetest little pirate?

#21 Joey and Jackson Do the Fair

FEBRUARY 2013 STUDIO CALICO DARLING DEAR

The Iowa State Fair 2012 - too much fun!

A week full of scrappy goodness

Somehow I have found some time to scrap this week going through some kits from the Scrap Room

I love the way things turn out when they are all coordinated and ready to go! 

#13 - It's a Good Life! 

FEBRUARY 2013 - PEBBLES FAMILY TIES

Jackson outside the school before his orientation being a ham!

  

#14 - Visit from Mom

FEBRUARY 2013 - PEBBLES FAMILY TIES

From our visit with Chad's mom last July

#15 - Snowfall (home sweet home) 

FEBRUARY 2013 - PEBBLES FAMILY TIES

Our house after the first snow fall of the season

#16 - Untitled (self explanatory)

DECEMBER 2012 - ECHO PARK PAPER "THIS-N-THAT CHRISTMAS"

Our first Christmas in the new house - I loved our decorations

#17 - the Morning After

FEBRUARY 2013 - CRATE PAPER FOURTEEN 

Core Four Christmas 2011 at First Watch in NKC.

#18 - Just Dance

FEBRUARY 2013 - CRATE PAPER FOURTEEN 

Sorry boys - my parents found my old dance costumes and - well - the boys had a little fashion show for me.  I loved every second.

 #19 - I mustache you a Question

OCTOBER 2011  - BELLA BLVD. FINALLY FALL

The boys and their spoon mustaches - too funny!! (not my favorite layout but its done you know!)

Interesting Observations

I mentioned in my last post that we started working on some independence and responsibility tactics in our household as of late.  I have to say that I have been impressed with the impact on my kids - and on my way of thinking about my kids.  Man, am I glad that I love to read!

Unintentional Outcome #1 - The Pool.
Every Sunday afternoon, the local YMCA has an open swim time on Sunday afternoon.  The kids look forward to it every week and I love that I can incorporate physical activity and quality time with my kiddos into one trip across town!  So, as usual we jumped in.  My little Joey (3) is fearless and often wants to jump into the pool before I get in to catch him.  Something that Kay Wyma said in her book rang in my ears, as I was supporting his wriggling body up and down the lanes of the pool.  "By always sheltering our kids, we are telling them that they can't do it on their own." OK, so I can't exactly let my just learning to swim 3 year old alone in water over his head, but I can equip him for his own independence.

I popped out of the pool, sitting my over eager preschooler on the side for just a moment and ventured into the supply closet that houses the floating toys and dive sticks and came out with a child size life jacket.  Oh how Joey fought that thing, stating that he didn't want to put it on. "Let's just try it." I coaxed and before long I had strapped him into the flotation device and plunged him back into the pool.

Before my eyes, a reaction that I read about but not allowed myself to put in practice fleshed out.  Joey started swimming, without me holding on to him.  He kicked his feet, paddled his arms and called out to me from  a whopping three feet away "Mom, I'm a great swimmer!" That three feet felt like an enormous distance for me who was used to constantly having a slippery little boy pulling at my arm hairs and clinging to me for two hours every Sunday. It felt huge for Joey too being just barely out of mom's reach was an enormous source of independence and I couldn't help but yell back. "I knew you were buddy! Look how good you are doing and all on your own." That night he couldn't WAIT for dad to get home so he could tell him all about how he swam all by himself **happy mommy heart**

Unintentional Outcome #2 - Clean Socks
Monday mornings are a particular challenge for our family.  Chad goes to work early, Jackson drags his feet and tries to squeeze as much time in bed or snuggling out of the morning as he can, and Joey and I have our day together at home so none of us move too very fast.  This morning Jackson was dressed before he came into my room to nudge me out of bed, however when we got downstairs and finished breakfast I found that one article was omitted, the socks.  As usual, I had to direct my child that socks were required and told him that I just put clean socks in his laundry basket upstairs.

Five minutes went by, then ten, unfortunately this is not uncommon as my distractable little man often forgets his intended goal in favor of an action figure, etc.  I was about to scream up to him when I remembered that I'm not screaming anymore.  So I climbed the stairs to see what caused the delay and give "The Eye" to hurry up the process.  When I reached his room, what I found was amazing.  In order to get to the clean socks which were at the bottom of the laundry basket, he started *shock and amazement* hanging up the clothes that were laying on top of the basket rather than just scooping them off on his bed, grabbing the socks and dealing with it later.  I couldn't believe it.  The kid that just goes slow in the morning was taking the time not to monkey around with his Lego table, but to put his clothes away on hangers even!

As hard as it is to see my kids growing up and gaining independence I am immensely proud that they are learning responsibility at such a young age and I hope that serves them well going through.  Now if I could just apply that work ethic to my own project A.D.D. I might get some stuff done around this place!

Some new rules around this place

I just read an awesome book that really changed the way that I want to approach parenting my children.  The book is called "Cleaning House: A Mom's 12 month experiment to rid her home of youth entitlement." by Kay Wyma.

It was one of those "fate steps in" reading choices.  I thought I had transferred an audio book to my iphone that didn't go all the way - so I went onto the Overdrive Media site (which hooks into my library card)  and found this book instead.  It was meant to be - I was frustrated with the way that our household was running (or walking as the case may be).

So when I got into this book, things started clicking and making sense.  Kay is a recovering slob, mom of five and trying in vain to change the culture of her family.  Sound familiar? Her idea is to introduce meaningful work/chores and rules into their lives and the transformations that happened with her children.  So I took some of the concepts and whittled them into our own household.  It's only day 2 but there have been some unexpected consequences.

Step One: Sitting the kids down.
Together, Jackson, Joseph and I talked about the problems that we were having and identified the top three.  Then discussed consequences if you don't keep up your end of the bargain.  The kids surprised me by not only knowing the things that were turning my hairs grey (and only the ones in my part grrr...) but also came up with appropriate and fair consequences.  For being three and eight they really do have a lot of insight into what makes their momma's blood boil.

We put the rules on some posterboard that we painted over with chalkboard paint and the kids helped me put the vinyl letters on It aint pretty but we have it posted up on the dining room wall as a reminder.

1. Cleaning: This applies to body, hair, rooms and mouths.  Every night before showers/bedtime routine, toys have to be picked up...any errant toys left on the floor get confiscated in "the mom box" Toys go in but they don't come out!!! My kids need to know that the stuff that they have need to be taken care of, if not they are not going to be in their care and control any more.

In the mornings, beds are to be made (read: covers not on the floor and halfway straightened up and pillows in the right location) and pajamas put in the laundry basket.  Pretty simple right?  I was hoping so!

We also discussed expectations during this part of the conversation.  Jackson knows that, in the morning he is expected to get dressed, and take care of his dog before he comes in for snuggles or permission to watch television.





2. Respect: This is a HUGE point of contention right now with us.  Both the toddler and the 2nd grader are both testing boundaries pretty thoroughly at the moment and its causing some real tension in the house.  So Rule 2 is simple, don't yell at each other or at your parents, no sass talk, no complaining.  The consequence for breaking the rules...my favorite part...THE CHORE JAR!

Together, we came up with simple household chores that they could do if they broke the rules, I made up 3x3 cards and folded them together.  Some examples of the chores were, vacuum the dog hair from the couch, wipe down kitchen tables and chairs, backyard poop patrol, sweeping the dining room and dusting the stairs.  All easy tasks and all ones that I HATE doing.  I call that a win-win situation if ever there was one!




3. Listen: Listening is a HUMONGOUS problem in our house.  I blame the electronics situation, if the Wii, TV, DVD, DS, or computer is on, the amount of times that I have to ask something to be done. So the rules to this one are simple.  Three strikes and its off! If I have to ask more than two times for anything to get done then all electronics are turned off and stay off until the end of the day.  This also includes forgetting to listen to the dog's clues that he needs food, water, or to go out!

The Results
Granted it has only been two days now but I have noticed a shift in the household.  The last two days, Jackson has come into my room to wake me up having woken up on his own with his alarm clock.  He was fully dressed and when I walked into his room THIS is what I found...no amount of sunshine would make my heart feel lighter than seeing this!

We got through the first few hours of the morning without incident but then - the inevitable kid fighting happened. Our first visit to the chore jar produced "Wipe down the refrigerator and door handles" for Joseph and "Vacuum the Hallway rugs." for Jackson.  Get this: the kids were EXCITED to complete their tasks AND they worked together on both of their consequences.  Joey did the freezer drawer and Jackson did the refrigerator.  Joey went to go get the vacuum from downstairs and Jackson did an amazing job getting all of the dog hair out of the rugs! 

This morning was more of the same, made bed, fully dressed, breakfast made for both kids, and all toys picked up in both rooms before I could stumble to the bathroom or make some coffee.  A mom could get used to this!