It's Wednesday (Let Me Tell You About My Tuesday)

I tackled something important yesterday. I was true to my word, and I spent the day at the park with AJ and friends. And when I say "the day," I mean it. The moms packed the 6 kids into strollers, put leashes on the dogs, and walked 20 minutes to the park (is that how long it took us, Safire? Maybe 30 with breaks?). The kids played hard and they loved every minute of it. They saw 3 trains (not including the old engine on display), ran, climbed, jumped, and ate. And I got to {try to} capture a few good pictures of Soot and Willow while chatting with my friends. Life is good. Spring is here!

The 3 playmates, making a feast out of wood chips.
Meet Soot. She's such a sweet, good dog.
And here is Willow, Soot's new friend who is visiting for a while. She's a cutie and is trying to learn from Soot's example.
How cute are they together?

AJ wanted to climb. He threw off his coat as soon as we got to the park. I want to be free, Mom!
Honestly, the harsh sun/shadow thing was driving me crazy. It was making picture-taking difficult. But, boy-oh-boy did the sun feel good!
How's that for a Wordful Wednesday? Hungry for more? Visit Angie's blog:

Don't forget to enter all of my current giveaways! Remember my promise to list a NEW giveaway EVERY DAY this week? Well, today's brand new contest is for a pearl bracelet! And I get to give away THREE of them to my readers, thanks to Cheerios Healthy Hearts. Click HERE for more info and to enter!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

When Necco was about 6 months old, we started leaving her and 3 year old KitKat with a babysitter. She was our favorite babysitter for years, and a good friend to me. Lots has happened in our family's life, and in our wonderful babysitter's too. She has watched all of our kids grow up....and we've watched her do a little growing up, too. Here is Necco holding our babysitter's baby (who I got to photograph last week!)

And, even though this picture doesn't show it well, KitKat is now taller than her old babysitter! Wowzers!
PS--No joke!

Want more Wordless Wednesday? Visit 5 Minutes For Mom and MomDot and A Daily Dose of Toni and Three Peas and The Not So Blog! Whew!

One more thing: Don't forget to enter all of my current giveaways! I'm putting a new one up every day this week to celebrate my 500th post!
*Cherish Bound Photobooks*
*Flirtbuttons Pendant*
*Country Bob's Sauce*
*$25 at EcoStore*
NEW! *Pearl Bracelet*

I ? Faces--{Pets}

Guess what? I Heart Faces is having a special Pets category this week, and I just happened to spend the day with a couple of cute dogs (and their families). So I have a pet entry! I love puppies!

PS--the day was amazing! We saw trains, ran, walked, ate, played, and got thoroughly tired out.

Tackle It Tuesday--Rest?

The kitchen floor may need to be scrubbed.
The ceiling fans may need to be dusted.
The bathtub may need to be scoured.
The mirrors may need to be wiped.
The carpet may need to be vacuumed.
The laundry may need to be folded.

But AJ needs to go to the park, and I need to relax.
So I am tackling something that MAY just be more important today.

But, if I DO decide to do some cleaning I've got some GREAT eco-friendly cleaners, and I'm giving a $25 giftcard to the Eco-Store so that YOU can have some great cleaners of your own. Click over to my reviews page to enter today's newest giveaway!

What up, Doc?

I promised you a peek into my crazy life, and the exciting things going on in our house right now. I honestly feel like I had more news, but right now this is all I can think of. Hmmm....Maybe the stresses are once again overshadowing the good things.


* On Friday, I posted my 500th post here (that doesn't count all of the posts on my other blogs) and I decided to celebrate with a week full of giveaways. On Mondays, I typically post some new recipes, so I decided to start out with a FOOD giveaway! Click here to see my Country Bob's Sauce review (There will be 2 winners!) More exciting giveaways each day this week, so be sure to check back!

Here is my menu plan for the week:

~Pot Roast with mashed potatoes, carrots, and gravy (I cook whole potatoes, carrots, onion, and a roast in the crock pot, seasoned with lots of spices. After cooking, I peel and mash the potatoes for some very flavorful mashed potatoes)

~Kielbasa and Potatoes.....Here's another family favorite that doesn't need a traditional recipe.....Cut about 4 potatoes into bite sized pieces and boil them until they are just undercooked (you don't want them to be mushy). While the potatoes are cooking, slice one pound of kielbasa/smoked sausage (any flavor or variety). Heat in a large skillet (no oil necessary--there's plenty inside). I like to add some garlic and Italian seasoning to the sausage. When the potatoes are just about ready, strain them and add them to the skillet with the sausage. Heat until the potatoes are ready to eat (make sure you turn off the heat before you've got kielbasa and mashed potatoes!). Perfect with green beans. Yum! Ready in 15 minutes.

~Creamy Herbed Pasta

~Shepherds Pie

* I already told you about the exciting news that we are on iTunes now. We are still asking everybody and their dogs to download the free app so that our stats will go up....so that when we release the paid apps starting this week, we will be up there on the page with more exposure. What you can do: Go to iTunes on your computer. Click on the store and type in "peanutbuttersticks"--you will see the icon on the left. Thanks!


* Have you seen me on the news (video on the left side of the page)? I only wish that they had used one of my more intelligent, meaningful quotes in the clip....but at least I got my 2 minutes of fame! And, for all those who are wondering....No, I didn't get anything out of it. They made it sound like they were going to help us get tickets. Nope. We're not going to the White House Eater Egg Roll.


* About a week ago, I won the biggest giveaway ever! I won a Cherish Bound business!! (see my post about Cherish Bound, because I still have a giveaway going on!) I am the newest Cherish Bound consultant, and will soon be YOUR resource for photobooks. I wholeheartedly believe in this product--photobooks that tell your stories. I couldn't think of a better business to work with, and a better mentor, either. Tara has been wonderful, and I look forward to learning from her. As I learn my way around, I will post more.


* This weekend, I was honored with my SEVENTH I Heart Faces winning badge. My natural light photo last week came in 6th place, making my 5th honorable mention (two of my photos made #1). This is absolutely crazy, unbelievable to me! I really don't consider myself THAT good of a photographer. It's been a crazy ride, let me tell you! I am NOT letting it go to my head, I promise. I still have SO far to go!


* I've already mentioned Fishful Thinking a few times as well....but it has been such a FUN program that I figured I'd make another quick shout out about it. A few of you have asked what is involved in being an Ambassador. Basically, it's our job to drive people to the Fishful Thinking website and point them towards the articles and activities. Each click is a point...and yes, there are prizes. Last week, I was in 2nd place. I am so excited about that! So...every time you see the fish, click it! :) And, if this sounds like something you'd like to do, ask me about how to sign up as an ambassador.

Yes, my life is completely, totally crazy, and it just keeps getting crazier. The language software business stresses have escalated once again, but I continue to have faith that we will not completely fail. We have seen God's hand in this process time and time again, and we're hoping for a few more miracles to boost us to where we need to be. In general, I think I'm dealing with it well, I'm happy and mostly calm. Our family life is happy. But this last week, I have seen the physical signs of the stress that I've been under. My body is reacting. I've been having frequent, daily episodes of my heart problem (SVT, the same thing that 5 month old Stellan is suffering with right now). If nothing else, it has made me feel closer to him, as I think of him each time my heart races or hurts or skips a few beats. I will be FINE. This is just my body's way of telling me to slow down and not stress so much. But my heart really goes out to Stellan, who is having such a hard time right now.

Have a great week, everyone! Thanks for all of your support!

I ? Faces--POUTING {kids}

This week's theme at I Heart Faces was a little harder than usual for me to narrow down. I feel like I SEE pouts all the time, but they aren't as easy for me to capture with my camera. Maybe that's because a pouty child usually avoids the camera at all costs, hiding their face, holding their hands up in front of the lens, yelling, sticking their tongue out, etc. So I suppose I should consider myself lucky to have caught this all-too-common pout on "film," right?

This is AJ, picking blueberries. He was hot. He was tired. And he was done. But I wasn't.....

Go check out the other pouty faces by clicking the button below!

Quotable Sunday--Refresh, Renew, Rejuvinate!

Every living faith must have within itself the power of rejuvenation if it is to live.
~Mahatma Ghandi



Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating; the mind is like a car battery - it recharges by running.
~Bill Watterson


Rest when you're weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.
~Ralph Marston

To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.
~Margaret Fairless Barber

We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


We need quiet time to examine our lives openly and honestly. . . spending quiet time alone gives your mind an opportunity to renew itself and create order.
~Susan Taylor

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Many of you know that I became a Goldfish Fishful Thinking Ambassador last week after Monday's post on Optimism. Click the fish below to see this week's helpful article on how optimism can prolong your life (hey--not only will it be longer, but it will be better!)

Last week's focus with Fishful Thinking was Renewal and rejuvination (hence the quote topic today). I even have a little activity that you can do with your kids (this is best for kids ages 8 and up):

From Dr. Karen Reivich:
It is finally here, springtime! It’s a time of renewal, rejuvenation and — spring cleaning! Our desire to start fresh each spring doesn’t have to stop with cleaning out drawers and bagging up all the hand-me-downs. This can also be a good time to take stock of our mental clutter, and help ourselves and our children to “bag up” any old perceptions that no longer fit.

One of my sons found the start of this school year challenging and would wake up in the morning with thoughts like; “I don’t like my class,” “I won’t do well,” “I can’t do the homework,” swirling around in his head. It was a rough start. But rough starts don’t have to mean rough middles or endings. Now, he’s enjoying school, finding the homework to be manageable and liking his class.

I can help my son develop confidence by talking with him about “those old beliefs that just don’t fit anymore.” In doing this, I’m helping him to take notice of how he’s grown—not just physically, but mentally, too!


How to Bag It Up!
Help your child to take stock of the mental clutter. Start by sharing an example of a negative belief that you want to get rid of. Write the belief on a slip of paper and then put it into a bag labeled “giveaways.” (If your child will find the “bagging up” part silly, simply talk through examples of beliefs that are no longer accurate.) After you’ve given your example, ask your child to come up with examples of his or her own. These questions will help:

• Is there something that you used to think about yourself that no longer seems to fit? Examples: “I’m not smart enough” or “I can’t do that.” Can you give examples of how that old belief no longer fits?

• Can you think of a negative thought you have that gets in your way or makes you feel down about yourself? Examples: “Nobody likes me” or “I stink at sports.” What is some evidence that proves that belief is not true?

• What is one thing you are doing now that you weren’t able to do last year?

Getting rid of things that no longer “fit” creates extra space, and that feels good. This spring set a goal of cleaning out negative beliefs, and filling up that extra space with Optimism!

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Let me know if you do this activity with your kids! And, in case you haven't heard yet, the Fishful Thinking campaign is still looking for Ambassadors (moms with kids between the ages of 4 and 12). Ask me how to become an Ambassador! (did I mention $prizes$ were involved??)

Another Busy One

I just thought I'd pop in and say howdy. It's been another busy day.

Come to find out, my last post, In The News, was in fact my 500th post. Strange that it jumped from 498 to 500....but oh well. Whatever! For those of you who have asked, you can check the number of posts you have written under your dashboard (up in the top right hand corner). How many posts have YOU written?

To celebrate my 500th post, I am going to be doing a giveaway a day starting on Monday!! All next week I will have exciting stuff featured on my giveaways page. Everything from great books to pearl bracelets to a giftcard to Photofiddle. Ready?? I am!

Be sure to always check the right sidebar here for my current giveaways. My PeanutButter software giveaway ends tonight!

Speaking of PeanutButter...did you hear the news that we are live in the iTunes store?? You can now download our free application by typing peanutbuttersticks (all one word) into the search box at the top of the iTunes store page. Download it and tell ALL your friends about it. Pretty please? :)

(BTW--it has come to my attention that people who search through www.itunes.com will not be able to find the app, except by going through a very round-about process. I always pull up iTunes on my computer, and search straight through there. SO.....if you're having problems finding PeanutButter, try looking at the iTunes store from your own desktop. Thanks for the heads-up, guys!)

I am so busy today that I'm not even putting any links or pictures into this post. Pshew! What a slacker!

I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

In The News!!

#1: So, for those of you who didn't catch my morning's post, I drove down to my sister's house spontaneously this morning to be interviewed by the Washington DC ABC News team about my (our) experience yesterday trying to get tickets for the White House Easter Egg Roll. While my sister and I were on the phone this morning, ABC called her regarding a Craigslist post that she had put up with an offer to trade a professional photo shoot for Easter Egg Roll tickets. They are doing a piece tonight on how difficult the process was yesterday, and what people are resorting to to get tickets. I am offering to do the same (photo shoot), as well as offering free advertising on my blog for any companies who want to help out.

It was SO MUCH FUN to be interviewed! Our spot will air sometime during the 5:00 news tonight. You can also see the interview live online at http://www.wjla.com/. I'm sure our combined 30 minutes of interview time will amount to less than one minute, but we're still gonna be on TV!!

Update: Here's the written article! The video is on the right side of the article page. (just in case it's giving you problems on the blog....which it seems to be!)

And here's the video!


The interviewer, Suzanne Kennedy, fell in love with AJ's Eleven Collection Shoes. The camera man and Suzanne were both in love with my sister's photography, and shocked that I had 5 kids (you know, because I look so young and cute!). So much fun!

I left Virginia with a brand new cold sore. Apparently, as fun as being on TV is, my body must have been secretly stressed about being on camera with unwashed hair. Hey, I had to just pick up and leave and drop everything else I'd planned for the day. Grrrreat! I just realized that I've been sharing a drink with AJ today! So far, none of my kids have caught my lovely cold sores, but today might be the dreaded day. Poor guy.

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#2: The other exciting news is that PeanutButter (our company) is on iTunes!! This morning, our first iPhone/iPod Touch app went live in the iTunes store. The application has 3 mini dialogues and lessons and it's FREE! So, I'm asking everyone everywhere to go to the iTunes store and download the app for free. We'd love to have tons of hits and downloads so that we can make our way UP the list. Here's what you can do (even if you don't have an iPhone or an iPod Touch): go to the iTunes store and type "peanutbuttersticks" (one word) into the search box. The app should pop up. Download it for free! Tell all of your friends and family to do the same. Just think--doing this could help feed my family next month!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

I have more exciting news to come (in my 500th post) but I am totally wiped out from today....so I might be waiting til tomorrow for that.

Give Me Your Best Shot! #8

BIG NEWS: I had a lot of things planned for today....BIG things! This is my 498th post...so my 500th post is SO close! There are SO many exciting things I have to share with you guys. BUT, I am going to be gone all day at my sister's house where we are going to be INTERVIEWED on TV about our failed efforts to secure tickets to the White House Easter Egg Roll yesterday. We both spent about 12 hours each refreshing and refreshing til our fingers hurt. With no luck. No tickets. We had ALL of our plans set to camp out for the tickets on Friday the 11th. Geesh, but camping out seems easy compared to the fiasco yesterday.

So.....if you are in the DC area, or if you want to look online, we're supposed to be on the Washington DC ABC Channel 7 news tonight, I think. I'll let you know more details as I know more! Cross your fingers for me that I don't clam up on camera or look like a dope!

Plus, I was interviewed on Katydid and Kid today. Go check it out! :)

Now.....on to Give Me Your Best Shot!

Remember these boys?

I have loved taking pictures of these twins since they were teeny tiny newborns. I still can't believe they're almost a year old. Here they are this week, sitting in the same basket that they were in as newborns.

And, now it's your turn to show us your favorite shot of the week! What has inspired you, made you laugh or smile? Did you try anything new this week? We'd love to see it! Enter your name and the URL of the post with your picture(s) in it and then leave a comment so I know to visit you! Any questions? Ask away! Grab a button over there on the right so we can more people playing along! -------->

Foto Friday--Posing, Day 2

Last week, I started a series of posts about how to pose people in your photos. Whether you are taking pictures of one person or a large group, you can get more pleasing results if you keep a few posing secrets in mind. Today we'll focus on the shoulders and head.

Tip #1: Angle your subject's shoulders slightly rather than having them even or squared in the frame, especially when you are taking close-ups (from the chest, up). In general, when you angle the shoulders, you give your shot balance and lead your viewer's eye into the shot towards the focal point (which is probably your subject's head).

KitKat was a good sport about being my example today to show the difference between a straight-on shot and one with angled shoulders (as long as I don't ask her to say cheese!)

Tip #2: Have your subject lean in towards the camera. This is one of the first tips that my sister gave me when I started to branch out into a more serious photography hobby. Here is an example from this week's Cub Scout Pack Meeting that illustrates this tip:

Need I say more? ;)

I hope Lis won't kill me for using this as an example.....at least I cut her out of the "bad" shot! As soon as we saw the previews of the first shots, we knew exactly what to do to fix our chin problem....

Tip #3: This is less of a posing tip, but it goes right along with making the upper body look better. Smiles can become "stale" very quickly. One of my favorite things to do is to tell people to relax while I'm settling up the picture. Don't worry about smiling (the longer you try to hold a smile, the more fake it will look!) until you're ready to take the picture. Sometimes I ask my subject to look down or away and then back up towards the camera as I take the shot.

There you go! Nothing revolutionary, but hopefully some good things to think about next time you're taking pictures of people. :)

Fix-It Friday #8

Today's I Heart Faces Fix-It is this cute little blonde haired, blue eyed girl:

Here are my edits, using Lightroom presets and a little exposure tweeking: