Browsing Category

Motherhood

10 In Motherhood/ Product Recommendations/ Saving money

Homemade All-Natural Household Spray Cleaner

I’ve fallen in love with some DIY spray cleaner, and wanted to share the recipe with you!

It could make a great Christmas gift for someone who is challenging to buy for or who has everything.

Homemade Spray Cleaner:

  • A few drops of essential oil (orange, lemon, Tea Tree)

  • 1 part white vinegar (about a cup)

  • 1 part water (about a cup)

  • 1 Tbsp Borax (optional)

 

Mix the vinegar, essential oils and water before adding borax in a clean spray bottle (glass is best). Gently shake to mix ingredients.

You can buy the bottles on amazon (they come with labels!):

Choose an Essential oil (I like the scent of orange or lemon)

https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/michellehammers

White Vinegar

Borax


and Water!

 

So easy! Natural! No chemicals! And with the added oil, your spray will smell like lemon or orange, it completely masks the strong smell of the vinegar and smells like fresh, clean citrus instead!

 

 

December 1, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
2 In Book Review/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

What I’m reading! (And I’m giving one away)

I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I thoroughly enjoy getting lost in a book, encountering a new world, learning new facts, or discovering a life story!

As a child, my favorite books were The Boxcar children and the Grandma’s Attic series.

My current favorites are memoirs and biographies.

If I had a day completely to myself, I’d read all day long. That’s not something that happens very often (or ever), but I can still find a few minutes to read each day.

I’m usually always reading 2-4 books at the same time.

  • I have one book by my bed that I read before bed or when I can’t sleep.
  • I keep a book in the car to read if I’m waiting in line or have a few minutes in between appointments.
  • I keep a couple of books in the living room and read before the kids wake up, when Luke is napping, or in the evening.
  • I have a book in my workbag and read if I have 5-10 minutes in between meetings.

Here are thoughts on each of the books I’m currently reading or have recently finished:

 

  • Feisty and Feminine – This book explains some of the issues we are facing in our world right now. It’s informative, interesting and offers suggestions as to what we, as Christian women, can do to help make a difference.

 

 

  • Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:  I heard two people say this was their favorite book of the year so I checked out the audio book from the library. I’m only halfway through and find it intriguing! This book is part memoir and part research into the food we eat and how it affects us and our environment.

 

  • The Way of the Wild Heart – because #boymom. Only a couple chapters in and this book is helping me understand this boy world that I live in. John Eldridge discusses each of the ‘six stages’ of manhood.

 

  • Spiritual Parenting – In preparing for my new role, I read this book written by our Family Ministries Executive Pastor, Dr. Michelle Anthony. The book encourages us, as parents, to ask God what He is doing in the lives of our sons and daughters so that we can come along side that work.  Michelle tells stories from her own life and gives simple and pro-active suggestions that encourage and inspire me as a mother and children’s ministry director! I recommend this book to parents, grandparents, and those wanting to impact young lives.

 

  • Chasing daylight – A true story about a man who discovered he had cancer and was given 3 months to live. Instead of wallowing in despair, he made a fantastic plan to create “Perfect Moments” in each day. I enjoyed this book because it challenged me to look for opportunities to create my own perfect moments, and value each day of life and health that I have been given. We have two copies at our house so I’d like to send my copy of Chasing Daylight to one of you! Leave me a comment and tell me you’d like this book and I will have my sons draw a name and choose a winner on Sunday! (Update: Winner – Corey C. – Congratulations!)

 

Also – leave me a comment and tell me what you are reading or suggest what I should read next!!

November 30, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
6 In Colorado/ Colorado Springs/ Motherhood/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Colorado

Cotillion – what is it and why your child would benefit from it!

Last year our family was introduced to Cotillion, and we absolutely loved it!

Why do we love it?

Cotillion teaches:

  • COURTESY,
  • CONFIDENCE,
  • LEADERSHIP and
  • RESPECT!

Tools they can use throughout their life!

Boys and girls who attend Cotillion will also be learning about:

  • good manners,
  • polite conversation,
  • ballroom dancing,
  • etiquette, and 
  • how to make a GOOD first impression.

Regarding Ballroom Dancing, here is why Cotillion teaches kids to dance:

“Dance breaks down inhibitions, teaches physical respect, develops confidence, establishes teamwork and cooperation, reinforces non-verbal and verbal communication, and teaches students how to appropriately interact with the opposite gender in a structured and healthy environment.”

As a mother, I love giving my boys opportunities to build confidence. I want them to know how to handle themselves in uncomfortable situations and how to communicate with people of all ages. I want them to be courteous and use good manners. The Cotillion instructors teach, reinforce and encourage all of those skills in a fun and safe environment!

The Carnegie foundation indicates that over 85% of one’s career success is directly connected to one’s social skills!

Here are some details about the Colorado Springs Cotillion:

What age: For children in 3rd – 8th Grades

When: One evening a week for 6 weeks, beginning in January. Online registration can be done at Cotillion.com (It’s recommended that you register early – class sizes are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.)

This is the schedule for the 3rd-4th grade class:

Introduction to Social Skills
Listening & Conversation
Courtesy & Consideration
Making Good Choices
Table Manners
Final Party / Parents Night
5:15 – 6:30 PM
The Broadmoor Hotel

 

You can register here: cotillion.com

Note: There are discounts for military and educators, as well as need-based discounts. Send them a note if you want info on that!

PS – We find suits we love for our boys at HMKids.com: Search Blazer and Suit Pants!

November 28, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
3 In Motherhood/ Raising boys

All About Paul!

Paul. He is one special kid.

He came into this world to two rough and tumble brothers. They loved him so much – and maybe a little too hard.

From the time he could talk he knew how to be loud and let his voice be heard.  From the time he could walk he was running and wrestling. In fact, he was the first child in a cast!

He’s been extremely strong-willed since the day he learned the word “No!”

There was a full year where he wore the same outfit nearly every single day! If you follow me on Instagram, you may have wondered why I never changed his clothes. Well, believe me, I wanted to -I just didn’t think it was a battle worth fighting. For my birthday, my in-laws watched all four boys overnight. I laid out each boys clothes for the next day. Except for Paul. My mother-in-law asked what she should put on him the next day. I told her that he could where tomorrow what he has on today. After wearing that under armor shirt 350 times, it’s still going strong! The shorts finally ripped beyond repair.

  

I’m learning that these strong-willed ones have a something special about them if you can just hold on, choose your battles, and survive the tough moments.

  • He potty trained himself!
  • He taught himself how to ride a bike without training wheels!
  • When we go on trips, he packs his own bag (and doesn’t forget his underwear!)
  • He was the youngest to be interested in the things of God and to have a relationship with his Heavenly Father.

He’s also the child who’s caused me to call 911!

It was 2015, we had just moved to Colorado and I was leaving the grocery store with Luke, age 1, Paul – 3, and Clark – 5 (George was in school). I get to the back of the car to start loading groceries and ask Paul to go get into his car seat.

I load the groceries, come around to buckle him in and he is not there. I call for him and he does not answer. I scan the car and don’t see him. I look under the car. No Paul. I look around the car. Don’t see him.

My heart starts to race. I begin to ask people around me if they’ve seen a little boy in a red shirt.

A sweet mama offers to stay by my car with Luke and Clark while I race around to find Paul. I run into the store and let them know I can’t find my son. They lock the store down and send people out to scour the parking lot.

I’m looking at every car driving away and hoping that my son isn’t in one of those cars.

I decide to call 911 at the same time I remember to pray.

I’m talking to a man on the 911 call and asking God for help. “God, please help me find my son!”

Just after I prayed, I felt like I needed to look more thoroughly through my car.

I climb in and look up front, through the middle, and then under the back seat…and there. is. Paul. Hiding under the back seat.

I’m still talking to 911 at this point, giving them all the details and then stop: I found him! He’s okay! I found him! He’s fine!

I remember the kind man on the other end saying, “Good! I’m glad he’s okay! Are YOU okay?” I realized I was breathing hard and in panic mode. I took a deep breath and told him I’d be okay soon.

I hung up and told the people searching that my son had been found. I thanked them for their help and then asked Paul WHY he was under the seat.

“I was just playing hide and seek, mama!”

“Please don’t ever play that game again without letting me know FIRST that you are hiding!”

It took me several hours (maybe days?) for my heart to stop racing. My heart is racing again just typing this story.

Thankfully, we all survived to tell the story! Thankfully, he’s never played hide-and-seek again without inviting me to play first!

This is one story that explains why I ask God for help every day. I don’t know what I’d do without His wisdom, His love, His patience, and His strength as I’m raising these young boys to be great men!

Happy 6th Birthday Paul!

 

 

November 26, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
2 In Family/ Motherhood/ Raising boys/ Things to do in Colorado

A Peek into our Week

Sunday

We went to church as a family then to Freddy’s Burgers for lunch.

It was a beautiful day, so we played outside for awhile then Ted built them an amazing fort in the living room, and we climbed in to watch some football.

For dinner I made a delicious Hello Fresh recipe:

Chicken Thighs in Kimchi Sauce with an Asian Pear Slaw and Jasmine Rice

 

Monday

Ted went to work, and I took the boys to LifeTime Gym using a free guest pass. We haven’t been members at a gym since moving to Colorado, and I’m ready to join a gym again. I need to work out a little more regularly, and I want to have a pool and gym that the boys and Ted can use too!

Lifetime is clean, beautiful, has tons of equipment and lots to do. However, the boys (except Luke) didn’t like the kids play area and the Y actually has a nicer indoor pool area than Lifetime.

That afternoon we had some kids over to play and for dinner I made tilapia.

 

Tuesday

I took the boys to Monkey Bizness for a few hours in the morning. It was raining outside, so it was the perfect morning to spend there. The boys were having fun and playing so nicely that I was able to get a little work done while they were playing. We came home to let Luke nap and played outside most of the rest of the day.

 

Wednesday

The big boys got to go to Skyzone with a friend while I did some Thanksgiving prep.

That afternoon Ted came home and we went over to check out our local YMCA. The Y is not fancy, but it has all of the equipment we need, a good variety of classes, and a well-organized child care area. The indoor pools are great – one pool is heated (which I loved!) and another, larger indoor pool had a waterslide! It was the first time Luke swam without me holding onto him (With swimmies)! I wish I had my camera to capture his sweet face. He was so excited to swim all by himself!  The Y is more cost effective than Lifetime and the boys liked it better – so we decided to join there. Plus, we’ll get discounts on campgrounds around the state and sports for the boys!

 

Thursday

A Thanksgiving tradition we have is to go out an explore on Thanksgiving morning. Last year we hiked Helen Hunt Falls and this year we decided to go find this beautiful tunnel I’ve been wanting to find since before we even moved here. WE FOUND IT and it was just as spectacular as I had imagined!!! (It’s near Helen Hunt Falls, further up the mountain on Lower Gold Camp Road.)

Then…I made my very first Turkey!!! It wasn’t a Griswold turkey –  It was delicious!!! I had to google “how to cook a turkey” and the instructions were everything I needed!  I also made a sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy (my fav), corn, green beans and rolls.

Kathryn’s first turkey

My outstanding prep team peeling LOTS of potatoes!

I asked the boys what their favorite part of the meal was and here are their answers:

George: rolls, turkey, green bean

Clark: corn, turkey and mashed potatoes

Paul: corn, mashed potatoes, rolls

Luke: He was napping when I asked the big boys but my guess would be the rolls since that’s the only thing he ate without being told to ‘take one more bite!’

After the little kids went to bed, George and I went to Target (George is my night owl). I needed a new phone, and if you renewed Thursday night or Friday, you received a $250 store gift card! I was hoping the crowds would be less crazy on Thursday night but I still had a 3 hour wait to get my phone. Thankfully, I could just roam the store while I waited for their text to say it was my turn.

George trying to decide what hat he liked best.

 

Friday

I slept in til 6:40 am! (Thank you, Ted) Luke loves to wake up around 5:30-5:45 lately so Ted took him downstairs so I could sleep a little longer. Then Paul comes in my room at 6:40 with lots of stories to tell. He always has stories.

When everyone was up, we went to the YMCA again to exercise, play basketball, and swim!

The rest of the day was a lazy family day with some backyard games and a movie on the couch.

I also spent some time this week working with the designer to get final edits done for Climb, Soar, Swim, Explore! It’s coming together and looks incredible!

I hope you had a great week and Happy Thanksgiving! Leave me a comment and tell me about your week!

November 24, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
2 In Family/ Giveaway/ Motherhood/ Product Recommendations/ Raising boys

Buy this, NOT THAT!!! (Plus a GIVEAWAY!)

Six years ago, a box showed up at my front door. It had my name and address on it, but no return address, no card inside and I had NO idea who sent the box from amazon.

I opened it up, and it was a gift for my kids – ages 2 and 4.

And it was the absolute WORST GIFT EVER. I don’t want to sound ungrateful, it was very kind of someone to send a gift to my kids, but this gift was more than I could handle. It was a box full of (what felt like a million) small plastic BALLS. It came with a collapsible mesh “tent” that was supposed to hold all of said balls.

Over the next 4 weeks I did two things:

1. Awkwardly reached out to people to see if they sent my children a gift so that I could say thank you.
2. Spent every waking hour putting every single one of those balls back into the mesh tent….over and over….ball after ball.

I finally figured out who sent the gift and sent a thank you. This person had good intentions. They remembered how much my sisters and I loved the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese when we were kids and wanted my kids to have fun with all those balls. And they did have fun…..they had fun throwing them all over our house.

I’d finally had enough. After the kids went to bed one night, I packed the balls into a black garbage bag and hid them in my garage. I listed the balls and mesh tent for a great price on craigslist. A couple of days later, someone came to pick them up. I discreetly handed the person the garbage bag.

George, who was 4 at this time, said: “Wait mom! They are forgetting something.” He ran to another room, found ONE MORE plastic ball…and handed it to the person holding the garbage bag!

I stood there dumb-founded.

How did George even know what was in the garbage bag?!?!?!?

Thankfully, the kids were NOT disappointed that I sold this gift (I put the cash in their piggy banks).

I was SO VERY HAPPY that every single ball (thanks to George) was out of my house. Well, actually, not every ball because 6 years later, I still come across those balls here and there! I seriously can’t get rid of them!!!

So please, DO NOT buy a child a gift with a million balls unless you are keeping it at YOUR house and YOU enjoy cleaning up messes all day long.

So….that is What NOT to buy.

I wasn’t very good at buying gifts for kids before I had my own children. I always wanted to buy them clothes. And clothes are fine, if you buy them something special to go WITH the clothes. I didn’t understand this until my young nephew would come over to me before he unwrapped my gift and say: “This isn’t another SHIRT gift, is it?” (Gotta love their honesty!)

Here are a couple of things I highly recommend buying for children in the 1-5 age range:

Luke – Age 1



The Plasma Car – my kids have spent countless hours riding this thing! I’ve ended up with 3 of them! My sons started using these about 18 months, and don’t really outgrow them – Ted and I even ride the Plasma Car occasionally!

 

Hot Dog Slicer –  Every time we eat hot dogs, my youngest son asks for this. It’s a hot dog slicer with a little cup for holding ketchup. This is a fun gift for children under 5.

GIVEAWAY!!! I will send a Hot Dog slicer (Seen in Pic above) if you:

  • share this post,

  • then comment and tell me that you shared the post and want the hot dog slicer.

  • I have TWO to give away! Winners announced Sunday!

No Stress Chess – this game not only taught us how to play chess, but instilled a love for the game into my oldest two sons! It’s on sale right now for only $11.99!!

(The above links are Affiliate Links which means, if you click on the links and decide to make a purchase, I may make a few cents. Thanks in advance)

These gift suggestions were taken out of the Holiday Gift Guide. For the top ten gifts for kids ages 1-10, click here to get your Guide!

Thanks for reading this to the very end! Comment and tell me a wonderful or horrible gift you or your children have received!

November 20, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
4 In Faith/ Family/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys

My Journey, Part 3 – Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mama (SAHM)

In 2011, our children’s ministry had grown from 25 kids to about 300 kids! Click here to read that story.

I was also the mother of a growing 3-year old, an extremely active 1-year-old, and very pregnant with our 3rd son!  My husband and I agreed that for this season of our lives, it would be best for me to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom.

Since 2011, we’ve gone from two to three, then FOUR little cowboys!

I’m incredibly grateful for the years of being home with my littles! Getting everyone the food they want, the drinks they need, their teeth brushed, nails clipped … getting them washed up, then dried off, making sure they go potty or get their diapers changed, getting all of their clothes, socks, and shoes on (why can’t I find all the shoes! Where do they hide the shoes?).

On days we have places to go, there are four different types of car seats or seat belts that need to be fastened – while at least one child is crying about something. In winter, I’ll get all extra layers packed onto each one, but when we’ve arrived at our destination, they’ve taken everything off. And so I start over. Let’s just say that I’m GLAD for the “STAY-AT-HOME” part of ‘stay-at-home mom.’

There were days in those ‘little years’ that I’d be so tired by the end of the night, I’d just cry. I knew I’d be up with a baby through the night and have another long day ahead of me with four busy little boys. Ted is an amazing daddy and husband, but for a few of those ‘little years’ he was working full time – plus going to school full time to earn his master’s degree. When he finished school, he commuted to Chicago every day for work – making his long days even longer with an hour-long drive each way! Many days each week he would leave as the boys were waking up and get home when they were going to bed. (Which was one of the things that inspired our move to Colorado – a better work-life balance!)

Being a full-time mama is hard, and I’ve talked about the hard. But it’s actually more wonderful than it is hard. The good far outweighs the bad! It’s hard to understand unless you’re in it!

Some of the things I love about being a mom:

  • being there for each of the ‘firsts’ – first step, first word, first food,

  • all of the snuggles, hugs and kisses,

  • hearing the sweet mis-pronounced words my boys say (lemonade is pronounced “little maid” at our house)

  • kissing their ‘owies’ and putting on all of the band-aids (so.many.bandaids!)

  • holding them and being there when they are sick,

  • watching them love, help, and protect each other,

  • laughing with them and enjoying the funny and creative things they say and do,

  • experiencing the world through their eyes! Life takes on new meaning and you begin to appreciate the little things.

What a privilege to be a mom!

Though it felt like they’d be tiny and completely dependent on me forever, I now have four boys who SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT. They are all potty-trained! My oldest son can make his own food – and helps cook for the family as well! They all know how to do so many things ALL BY THEMSELVES!! They make their own beds and help with other chores around the house.

After years of not having five minutes alone all day long, I now have time to do things like  START a BLOG and consider opportunities outside the home.

I worked part-time role at New Life church in Colorado Springs Click here to read about it! And I currently substitute teach at my children’s schools.

Others told me it goes by fast, and that was hard to believe when they were all babies, but now I see how TRUE it is.

To read more about my days at home, read this!

October 19, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
2 In Motherhood/ Recipe/ Review

Hello Fresh! My completely honest review.

About a year ago, my mom sent me a coupon code for savings towards my first order of Hello Fresh!

I decided to give it a try, and we LIKED it!  The meals were conveniently packaged together with really simple instructions. We enjoyed the three meals we picked. I’ve continued to order about once a month since our first box. Hello Fresh makes it easy to cook meals from home that my family will eat and ask for again!

To save some money, I order the meals for two people, then buy some of the same ingredients at the store and to triple the recipe.

Here are the PROS and CONS.

PROS:

  • 90% of the meals are excellent
  • Easy to follow recipes that your kids can help make.
  • I’ve found new foods (and vegetables) that my kids LOVE!
  • Convenient!  All the ingredients you need for dinner in one container.
  • Saves money because I COOK instead of pick up dinner.
  • Healthier than fast food.
  • Nice variety of meals to choose from.
  • Great customer service.
  • Simple recipes/instructions that your 10 year old can follow to cook dinner for the family!
  • They send an email at the end of the week and ask you to complete a short survey giving feedback about each meal you ordered. If you complete the quick survey, your name is entered into a drawing for free meals.

CONS:

  • A little pricey – about $10 per person.
  • Subscription service – You will automatically get meals and get charged if you don’t get online and “Skip” the weekly delivery. I get online about once a month to look at all of the meals and decide when I want to order and when I want to skip.
  • You still have to cook. Doesn’t come pre-made.
  • 10% of the meals are just ‘okay.’
  • About 1 out of 10 vegetables is not super fresh.

 

If you would like to give Hello Fresh a try, here is a $40 savings code for you:

https://share.hellofresh.com/x/rX8nrS

 

I recorded a video of me opening a Hello Fresh delivery if you’d like to see what everything looks like!

October 7, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
6 In Family/ Motherhood/ Raising boys

Luke Washington – Our sweetest surprise!

It was October 2014, I sat with my girlfriends and told them a secret:

“I think I’m pregnant.”

I’d been feeling this way for about 3 weeks but had not said anything to anyone until that night. They convinced me to get a pregnancy test and take it first thing in the morning. The test confirmed what I’d been feeling; I was pregnant with my fourth child.

Now I had to decide how to tell Ted.  He would not be expecting this news. We had three young sons – we were busy, sleep-deprived, and money was tight. The news of this fourth child made us nervous. We knew we’d be missing a lot more sleep and buying a lot more diapers. I had just given away most of our baby stuff. And our boys were begging for a puppy. Instead, they’d be getting a baby brother.
I purchased a delicious pie and made a card that said: “God decided to add another cutie to our pie.” When Ted got home that night after a busy day at work, he dug into the pie without even noticing the card.
I handed him the card to read and he was shocked. We both were!
However, once we got over the shock, we remembered that this surprise pregnancy was a gift. Though we knew we’d be losing even more sleep, spending more money, doing more laundry and be busier than ever trying to balance four kiddos – God had a plan for this sweet life growing inside me.
When Luke Washington joined our family in May 2014, it was true. He has been such a gift to our family. The love we have for him is undescribable. We can’t imagine life without him. I’m so thankful that God blessed us with this SURPRISE!
Now, when anyone says they’re considering having another baby, I always say ‘go for it!’ Yes, it will cost you something, however, what you’ll gain far outweighs any cost!

We love you Luke! You are our sweetest surprise!
October 6, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1
9 In Faith/ Family/ Motherhood

How do you change this world? Love your family.

In light of the recent tragedies, this quote by Mother Teresa brings me comfort. I feel helpless, how can I fix it? What can I do?

There is something I can do and you can do too – we can love our families! We can raise our sons and daughters to make a POSITIVE difference in this world. We can teach our children to love and respect others. Whether a person is black or white, rich or poor – every human life deserves dignity.

Strong, loving, God-honoring families have a positive impact on every dimension in society!

The task we have in front of us can seem overwhelming. I know some days I feel like I’m failing as a mom. But each day I get to start over and try again.

One thing I do that helps me is investing in myself. Building my own strength, or putting on my own oxygen mask, replenishes me so I have something to give to my family. It’s difficult to pour good things into our children without first filling yourself. Spending time daily with God – praying, reading your Bible, meditating, reading from an inspiring book or study – are ways to fill your soul!

When I start my day with God’s word and prayer (and coffee) – I have the FUEL I need to be a better wife, mom, and leader. God fills MY love tank, and I can pour that love into my husband and children throughout the day.

Remember, we can make a difference in this world.

We start by loving our family today.

Want to read more? Check out this post on MOTHERHOOD IN THE MESS.

October 2, 2017 By
Share Tweet Pin it +1