Blessings...

This marks Gwen's 3rd Christmas... and the first year EVER of doing a Christmas card! I must say, I will plan to make this a new tradition. Oh... what fun!

Backdrop: borrowed organza curtains where the lights are sewn in, a friend had purchased them as wedding decor
JOY: cut out cardboard minutes before photo shoot
The most expensive and toughest part was picking out Gwen's outfit at babyGap!

Future Arteest

I'm trying to get those creative juices flowing early - not sure if I'm helping or deterring, but I certainly have fun! As I discovered in our art session this evening, she is not yet as enthusiastic about painting as her mommy, but we made it work. Most is hers, but I did my part to make sure the tape effect turned out as I had imagined.

This project required:

• a 2-pack of 11x14 canvas
• tape (Andy used to do auto pinstriping so I chose a thickness from his stash)
• gesso
• crayola paints
• sponge brushes

Note, my inspiration.

First, I laid out the tape between the two canvases and applied gesso along the tape lines. This prevents color from going under the tape.

 

Next, I cut the tape connecting the two canvases, then applied blue painters tape around the outside, both to provide a border for the paint and to hold the tape in place.

Then, I let her loose with sponge and regular brushes...

The final product looks a bit chaotic (as mentioned before, I did fill in the blank spots - I'd ask her what color should go where once she had lost interest in doing it herself)

 

Once the tape is removed, the final masterpiece is revealed! I true work of art for the boring playroom walls!

Another recent project - painting snowflake ornaments for the Grandmas...

And an ornament for our tree as well!

 





Prepping for Christmas

I want to start doing more crafty things with my daughter - get those creative juices flowing all the while getting new decor for the holidays. Any ideas are welcome. Of course, I'm searching Pinterest for some inspiration. I'm good at 'Liking' stuff there, not as good at actually doing them! What if I miss a good one while I'm off working on another? hehehe

Did some shopping this morning, trying to find ideas for the whole list of folks. I admit, I'm not the greatest at finding great gifts for other people. Except Andy. If it has an N on it (for Nebraska Huskers), he's guaranteed to enjoy.

I'm not even so hot at saying what I want!

Gwen does a better job at that. Open a magazine - any magazine - and she'll start letting you know what's on her list. "I want that. I want that. I want that, that, that and that." Greed begins early! hehehe

What I really want this year is to actually follow through and send cards out! I want great family photos. I want all of my loved ones to have a fabulous Christmas, to remember why we celebrate. I want to sit in front of a fire roaring in the fireplace with some hot chocolate, in my PJs, with my sweet hubby and daughter. I want to see their faces when they open the perfect gift from me (I hope I can figure out what that is!)

Thinking 2013

Is it too early to begin thinking about New Year's Resolutions? If so, I guess I'm in the wrong. But I thought, why wait?

2013, I resolve, will be a wonderful year. I will be more active. I will be more careful about what I eat. I will write in my blog more often (off to a great start!). I will spend more time with those I love. No matter how 'busy' life gets, I want my loved ones to know I will always have time for them.

I will do more arts and crafts with my daughter. I will spend more cuddle time with my husband. I will say 'Thank You' more. I will figure out how to use Skype. I will learn how to use the sewing machine that has been in its box for over a year. I will paint some artwork to hang in our new home.

I will worry less. I will pray more.  I will make a better effort to thank my Lord and Savior for every gift. I am truly blessed. I shall not want. He provides for me. Even the unanswered prayers, I must remember are a blessing because He knows what is best, what I need. As much as it hurts, I am thankful to know I am never alone and He has not forgotten or ignored me.

For the future...

As you may already be aware, I recently started a part-time business with Norwex. I work full-time already so my evenings are pretty packed full. People have asked me why I became a Norwex consultant. My answer, as it is for many questions, is I'm doing it for my family, for my daughter.

It all started when I became pregnant. I read all the books, articles, etc. about what to do and eat - with that came all of the what NOT to do, eat, breathe, wear, use... on and on. I followed most if not all of the rules. I got some ridicule for it. I heard a lot of, "I did all that when I was pregnant and it didn't hurt my kids." I figured, if it has been discovered that something is dangerous, however slight the risk, I would do everything I could to protect my child.

What I learned when I was pregnant did not leave my mind once she was born. All of those things still apply. I'm careful about what she is exposed to, what she eats or breathes, what she puts onto her skin. She has had eczema and Andy and I both have skin issues, so we're definitely careful about skin products and detergents.

I used to wait to do any kind of cleaning until Gwen was in bed or out of the house. Otherwise, it was just water and paper towels. I would go through a LOT of paper towels. Yikes.

When we moved, a new neighber came over to introduce herself and told me how she was a Norwex consultant. I had never heard of their products. She loaned me an enviro and window cloth. I was hesitant, but when I noticed that the table was dirty where Gwen was eating, I got the enviro cloth wet and cleaned the table.

Something so simple. And I was hooked. Here is a product that, with water, picked up all of the germs, the tiniest particles, the grease. And it was done with just water. I could get a surface clean as she ate, right in front of her. No fumes. No residue. Just clean.

I wanted more.

There have been so many chemicals released into the market that have had no testing done to determine their impacts on human beings first. These are products we use and breathe in our home. These are products that we pile under our sinks and need locks to ensure our children do not get poisoned from ingesting them. These are products that stay in the clothes that we wear, sheets that we sleep in, every day. These products cause all sorts of medical conditions. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) stated that, "...studies of human exposure to air pollutants by EPA indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times – and occasionally more than 100 times – higher than outdoor pollutant levels. Indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health. The problems they cause can be subtle and do not always produce easily recognized or immediate impacts on health." http://www.epa.gov/region1/communities/indoorair.html

I've decided to make a change in our home by radically reducing the use of chemicals in personal care and cleaning, which will save us time and money, and improve our quality of life.

I hope to be able to bring these products to other homes, to spread the word about what we can do to reduce our risk of serious health conditions and save time and money in the process. And maybe help others find a great business opportunity as well, like me. The reason I use and am a consultant for Norwex all comes down to Gwen. I want her to be healthy and happy, I want Andy and I to stay healthy so that we can be around to see her grow, and I want to do what I can to help our planet, to ensure that Gwen will be able to do the same for her children someday.

My Norwex website: http://robinjanzen.norwex.biz
My Facebook Norwex site - please 'like' to see product and specials info, before and after photos, etc.: https://www.facebook.com/RobinJanzenNorwexIndependentSalesConsultant

Daddy's away...

So Andy is on his yearly man-cation at Table Rock. It's a time I don't look forward to each year, but this year has been a lot of fun so far. He left Wednesday and will be home tomorrow night. The first few nights, my incredible mother came to stay with me an watch gigi during the day so that I didn't have to take and pick her up from daycare every day. That saved me from having to work after she went to bed to make up time out of the office. Plus, it's just great to have g'ma around - for Gwen and me! ♥ that gal :)

Andy being gone is lonely, but in killing time till he gets back, I've actually gotten a lot done. The Norwex products that I have already are getting a lot of use. My goal is to have the house looking shiny and clean by the time he gets home. Plus, it helps me understand the products better since I'm now a consultant. My launch party is next weekend - I'm so excited! These products are so fun to use, I actualy enjoy cleaning. hehehe. I learned today that the mop is my new bestie. I hope I get some bookings in August so that my host/hostesses can get one for free! Totally worth it... Just saying :) (shameless plug alert).

Ya, I miss Andy when he's away but girl time isn't so bad. :) We girls know how to have some fun!

Xocai

Andy and I had gotten comfortable with our eating habits, our lifestyle, our weight. That was until we went to a surprise birthday party for one of Andy's best friends. His friend was always a bigger guy. I recall how hilarious his skin-tight astronaut Halloween costume was a few years back. It's an image burned in my brain :) But the guy that showed up to the party had lost 40 pounds and looked great! He was in shape, eating healthy, working out regularly. We decided we wanted that, too.

That very next day, we started the diet he and his wife were on. It's simple. A free app on our phone called Calorie Counter - My Fitness Pal. You can also use the website, free as well, www.myfitnesspal.com. You program in your age, height, weight, activity level, what you want to weigh, and how fast you want to get there. It then calculates how many calories you should have in a day in order to meet your goal, taking into account that one should not go under a certain level. Almost every meal is in the database. You simply type in what you're about to eat and it tells you the number of calories in that food. Easy! Andy has reached his target weight after losing about 22 lbs. Me, I've lost about 15 and have a little bit more to go. We have been able to lose the weight at a comfortable, healthy pace.

One of the foods that was already in the database that made a HUGE difference for me was Xocai, healthy chocolate. Yes, what helped me most with my diet was Chocolate! That craving in the afternoon as I sit at my computer at work used to massacre my diets in the past. Now, I pick up three chocolates throughout my day to get me my sweet fix. Not only are the calories reasonable, it's healthy! Guilt-free! Three of these very satisfying chocolates in a day is equivalent, nutrition-wise, to a plate full of spinach! This is not just another dark chocolate you can get anywhere. They've mastered cold processing so that the nutrition is not lost. Incredible stuff.

MXICorp.com

Needless to say, I am sold. I make sure to get my daily intake of Xocai chocolate every day and I'm spreading the word. According to many, many testimonials you can read on the http://mydrchocolate.com website, I'm helping to put into the hands of others a product that could help them lose weight, lower cholesterol, relieve arthritis, improve cardiovascular health, decrease or eliminate the need for prescription meds, among many others. If you want to know more, let me know!