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As you can see, I've been playing with the wide selection of Christmas cards from Shutterfly using a photo I took of my kids in 2007. Now I just have to get it in gear to get this year's picture taken. No sneak peek of that one! You'll just have to wait to receive it!
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Most of my friends know that I'm a scrapbooker, although I must admit it's been two years now since I have created a traditional scrapbook page. Wow! Has it been that long? I have found that I just don't have the time that I used to with four kids in school, running a business and household.
One of the ways I keep my creative side satisfied with less time and mess is through Shutterfly. I have found that it's much easier for me to create my scrapbook pages or creative photo projects digitally and then upload them to Shutterfly for printing, including photo books, calendars and holiday cards. After using several other online photo services, I have found their products to have the most crisp, vivid images, to the point that I won't use any of the other ones.
Whether or not I want to create something from scratch and upload it to Shutterfly for printing or to use one of their many beautifully-designed, premade templates, I am always delighted with the results. For the photo books, some of my favorite premade designs come from Shutterfly's teaming up with Creating Keepsakes Magazine. My favorite photo book used a template designed by Jessica Sprague and can be adapted to many subjects, mine being The ABCs of our Oregon Vacation.
A Christmas gift I make year after year for the grandparents -- and always one for myself -- to rave reviews is a photo calendar from Shutterfly. I create my own digital designs and upload them to Shutterfly, but they also have beautiful premade designs to use on their site as well. The quality is just what I have come to expect from Shutterfly with heavy-duty cardstock pages and bright, clear photos.
This year I'm going to give their Christmas cards a try for the first time. With such beautiful designs, I'm sure that I'm going to just use one of their premade cards instead of designing my own. Who needs to reinvent the wheel, right? The thing I love about their templates is that there are designs to fit any number of photos that I want to include. With dozens of designs to choose from, at this point I'm not sure how I'm goint to pick only one!
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...we wouldn't have any. Or that is how it has seemed this year. Take this weekend for a small example. Saturday night as we sat down for dinner I commented to my sweet husband, "Hmm.... the refrigerator seem to be louder than usual." Later that evening we noticed a large puddle of water on the ground in front of it. My refrigerator did need to be cleaned out, but this is not how I wanted to do it.
So the 20-year-old refrigerator that we have in our laundry room that we use for -- what I like to call -- "overstocks" is now our main fridge. I'm just happy it works even if it's crammed with food right now. It is a cheap fridge that came with the house and until we get a new one for the kitchen, I have to walk to the laundry room for milk. I guess I'm getting my exercise.
The refrigerator in our kitchen was not cheap. It has a broken drawer and a broken shelf and now it doesn't cool. It is 7 years old. For those who want to know what refrigerator not to buy, it's a Kenmore Elite stainless steel side-by-side. My husband has fond hopes of using it for target practice in the near future. And then going a little Office Space on it (I reference the scene where they kick the crap out of a photocopier in a field) before we haul it to the dump in pieces. Certainly making the most of a frustrating situation.
Currently my overworked husband is installing a new faucet in our kitchen sink. The entire head came off, leaving us with a small, pointed spout that jets water straight out at you when you turn it on. Loads of laughs. Had we known how entertaining that might be, we would have installed a camera to video tape the experience.
Each of us in turn forgot that the faucet was broken -- yours truly more than once -- and managed to jet water all over ourselves, the wall, the floor or even the coffee pot four feet away -- also yours truly. Very amusing for awhile but the experience is losing it's fun after a day and a half it.
Hence the new faucet. We went with a no-nonsense, commerical-grade kick-butt faucet. This sucker is huge. And hopefully won't jet water at me when I turn it on. Always a plus.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the dishwasher, washer and dryer can make it through at least another year or two before going the way of the refrigerator. And the faucet. And the microwave. And the stove. And my truck (which we still own but has been in for repairs twice this year). Renting a house is sounding rather appealing right now....
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
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My house is a disaster. I'm completely unorganized. I feel like I'm constant behind and playing catch-up.
I love my kids, don't get me wrong. They're adorable, fun and smart. They're also messy, lazy and thoughtless. I'm just calling it like I see it. If they're done playing with something, they leave it on the floor. If they change out of clothes, they leave them on the floor. If they have a piece of trash to get rid of, they leave it on the floor. Or stuff it in the couch. Do you see a pattern here?
Am I the only one with this problem? Am I the only one that feels like I never gets the kids to do what they're supposed to unless I follow them around nagging them? Who has that kind of time?
Yes, I've tried chore charts, marble jars, allowances, the works. They all work for about a week and a half. But frankly I feel like that is just a little more organized nagging. And more work for me as I have to make up, print out and tally up chore charts, count marbles and pay out allowances.
Is it too much to ask for my children just to pick up after themselves?
I'm starting to think drastic, thinking of throwing away items that get left out, anything that isn't put in its place. I heard an organizational guru say that at MOPS once and I remember thinking, "How mean! I couldn't do that!" Now I'm thinking it sounds like the perfect solution.
How do you get your kids to clean up after themselves? How do you tame the insanity?
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One of the joys of parenting is getting to completely surprise your kids with something fun from time to time. Today is one of those days for us. We are picking up the kids early from school and taking them to see Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Since they don't have school at all next week, they won't be missing much if we pick them up an hour early. I'm sure it'll win us some serious brownie points in our kids' eyes. We will definitely be "cool parents" after this, at least for a bit. And I must admit, I can't wait to see it myself.
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Everyone knows I love polka dots, and if you don't, you do now. I mean, look at my sunglasses. I own 5 pair of those polka-dotted sunglasses. The only way they could be any better is if they were red -- my favorite color -- instead of black, but they are still fabulous. That said, it's a wonder I didn't get my nails done with polka dots sooner. I guess it took me awhile to get a little more bold as far as my nails are concerned: silver tips with red and black polka dots. These most certainly go on the list of favorites.
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I made this cake for the first time in years to rave reviews last week. I know it doesn't look like much, but it is very moist and tasty; you won't be disappointed. What's better is it is very, very simple to make.
Sock It To Me Cake
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Dump all ingredients (except brown sugar and cinnamon) together into a mixing bowl and beat on medium/high speed for 3 minutes. Pour half the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter in the bundt pan. Add remaining batter into pan. Bake for 1-1 1/2 hours until toothpick comes out clean (usually about 1 hour and 15 minutes for me).
Enjoy! And be sure to save me a slice.
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