A Thousand Words Thursday

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Baby girl will be 6 weeks old tomorrow. How'd that happen so fast?!
Mom and me:

Ok, so if you visit this blog on Thursdays you may think I'm a little wacky for continuing on with this meme when it's been dropped by the creator. Truth is, I loved this meme and I haven't found another Thursday meme that I'm excited about. If you have any suggestions for Thursday fun, let me know. I may just have to come up with one of my own. I've been tossing a few ideas around for a while, but haven't had time to solidify anything. In the meantime...I'm ignoring the fact that A Thousand Words Thursday has been put to bed and hoping it will reawaken soon. Hey, I'm a post-partum, sleep-deprived, harried, homeschooling mom of 4 who's parenting solo for most of the Fall. I'm entitled to be a little bit crazy!

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great thursday!!


For more Thousand Words Thursday stop by Cheaper Than Therapy
Cheaper Than Therapy

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Keeping the Tooth Fairy in business:



Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :)
For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ

Wordless Wednesday

Keeping the Tooth Fairy in business:



Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :)
For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ

Hey Mom, Ever Wish Your MIL Would Go MIA? - A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

Monday, September 27, 2010

Do the words "mother-in-law" make you cringe? If not, you are very fortunate indeed - work hard to keep a good relationship with your mother-in-law - you are blessed. If they do make you cringe this article may shed some light on your issues and help you cope a little better. Of course the best outcome is to repair any broken relationships. That would be ideal. Sometimes that is not possible and sometimes people are very difficult to deal with. If you have one of those mothers-in-law then read on. This might be the article for you.

I am going to identify some stereotypical mother-in-law types and provide a little advice on how to deal with them. This article is not long enough to go into these in depth but at least you will get some ideas you may not have tried.

1. The perfectionist. She does everything right and expects you to also. Part of the problem is her definition of "right." She doesn't always tell you what it is so it can sometimes be illusive and hard to pin down. In any case, you are told when you have not reached perfection. If you cannot achieve perfection in her eyes then relax and be yourself. Don't kill yourself trying to be and achieve something you aren't. I know that is hard when she is hurtful and critical but she is only using words and words can't hurt you unless you let them. If you must, meet in a neutral place like the mall or a restaurant so she doesn't have your house and cooking to criticize.

2. The drama queen. Everything is high drama and you are expected to play along with her. Every day is another soap opera and she demands everyone to be her audience. For some reason the world is plotting against her and her enemies are right around the corner planning disaster. This woman wants attention. Maybe you can find some ways to feed her need that aren't harmful to you and your family. When she talks about something that has happened direct the conversation to the family so you can learn more about your husband and how he grew up. Use the information she gives to deepen your relationship with him.

3. The gossip. She tells you everything you didn't want to know about everybody in town. Before you can start a conversation she is off and running. She relishes every juicy detail and probably even elaborates as she goes into high gear. You don't have to listen to this. Check youself. What are you doing that leads her to believe you want to hear this? Let her know that you don't and then do not engage in gossip yourself. Change the subject whenever she starts and tell her you are not interested. Stick to you guns on this one.

Stay tuned, I have lots of other stereotypes I can write about. If you want some more leave me a comment and even a suggestion of what to write about.

Lynn Banis, PhD, MCC

The High Performance Coach

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Lynn is a Master Certified Coach with years of experiences helping moms through tough situations. She would love to answer your questions on a weekly basis. What are you struggling with? What questions do you have about getting through the day? Leave her a few comments with your questions and concerns and she will be happy to write about them in future posts. To find out more about Lynn and how she can help you live your passion, visit her at: www.discoverypointcoaching.com/blog

Aloha Friday

Friday, September 24, 2010

Aloha! Happy Friday to all. Boy is it hot here! So much for the arrival of Fall. It's in the mid-nineties. I'm ready for a cool, crisp Autumn day with blustery breezes and leaves crunching under my feet.

My question for the day is: What are your plans for the weekend? Do they include any fall festivities?

Thanks for visiting today! Your comments make my day :) Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun. Have a fabulous weekend!

PS, I just realized this is my 1000th post. That calls for a little celebration. I think I'll go treat myself to a chocolate chip cookie ;)


Thursday Challenge

Thursday, September 23, 2010

I'm trying out a new meme today. Ifigured it was time to mix it up a bit, so I'm joining in on the Thursday Challenge.

Here's how it works:
Thursday Challenge is a place for photographic fun and learning. A theme is announced on this site each week. You may either take a new photograph related in some way to the theme or select one that you have taken previously; Then submit your single permanent link here.

This week's theme is "FUN" (Festival, Fair, Carnival, Party, Playground, Dancing, Laughing,...)






Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Baby faces:



Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :)
For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ

Hey Mom! Taking a Guilt Trip? How to Unpack Your Bags - A Guest Post by Lynn Banis

Monday, September 20, 2010

Mom's are notorious for going on guilt trips. I personally think they are a waste of time and effort. If you can do something about what you feel guilty about do it; if you can't do something about it let it be. In either case, drop the guilt trip. It only zaps you of energy and creates drama in your life. I'm sure you have plenty of that already without adding more through guilt! Don't let other people send you on one either. Nobody can buy you tickets unless you let them. Close the ticket office and make it off-limits to everyone.

Here are some of the more typical things moms feel guilty about. You probably can add your own to the list.

1. Feeding baby formula. Whether this is on occasion or all of the time it can get mom's upset. You do not have to be the sole provider of sustenance for your baby. You get to decide what you are going to feed him and when you are going to feed it to him. Don't let other people's opinions make you uneasy. You are not going to harm your child unless he has an allergy in which case there are ways to address those needs as well.

2. Letting your kids eat junk food. As long as this is not a constant thing it is probably all right. Everyone loves a little of it. Don't let it be a treat though. If you do then kids begin to think of it as something special and they want it even more.

3. Leaving you child with a babysitter or other caregiver. This is a fact of life now. Most families need two wage earners to make ends meet. The trick here is to do your research and be very confident that you have your child in a place that is best for her and that she will get great care. If you have done that she will be fine.

4. Using the TV as a babysitter. Sometimes there is no other way to get your work done. I don't recommend this as an all day, every day thing but for an hour a day it is ok. I know moms who use that time to get their shower and do their hair. Some even sit in the tv room working on their computers as their kids watch a bit.

5. Yelling at your kids. While this is not ideal it does happen occasionally. Kids need to know that you have feelings and that you can get exasperated. When you lose control though you teach your children that that is acceptable behavior. I would encourage you to apologize when you do it and explain what your feelings were at the time. If you have a habit of yelling at your kids then I think you should examine your own behavior and get some help if you can't control it.

These are just a few of the guilt trips that moms tend to take and some things to do to get over the guilt. What are other ones that trip you up?

Lynn Banis, PhD, MCC

The High Performance Coach

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Lynn is a Master Certified Coach with years of experiences helping moms through tough situations. She would love to answer your questions on a weekly basis. What are you struggling with? What questions do you have about getting through the day? Leave her a few comments with your questions and concerns and she will be happy to write about them in future posts. To find out more about Lynn and how she can help you live your passion, visit her at: www.discoverypointcoaching.com/blog

Quotable Sunday - Hope

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Hope is some extraordinary spiritual grace that God gives us to control our fears, not to oust them. ~Vincent McNabb

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown

There is nothing so well known as that we should not expect something for nothing - but we all do and call it Hope. ~Edgar Howe

Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. ~Anne Lamott

The road that is built in hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination. ~Marian Zimmer Bradley

You've gotta have hope. Without hope life is meaningless. Without hope life is meaning less and less. ~Author Unknown

Hope is the feeling we have that the feeling we have is not permanent. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Lord save us all from... a hope tree that has lost the faculty of putting out blossoms. ~Mark Twain

Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. ~George Iles

Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier. ~Author Unknown

Hope, deceitful as it is, serves at least to lead us to the end of our lives by an agreeable route. ~François Duc de La Rochefoucauld

Once you choose hope, anything's possible. ~Christopher Reeve

And my favorite:
Hope is that thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops... at all. ~Emily Dickinson



For More Quotable Fun visit LT at A Day With Two.

A Day With Two

Aloha Friday

Friday, September 17, 2010

Aloha friends! Hope you've all had a great week.

My question for this week is: what's your favorite local attraction?

Mine is probably Colonial Williamsburg. I have memories of visiting when I was a kid and I love the quaint feel of the town. In the Fall, the warm apple cider and ginger cakes can't be beat!

Thanks for visiting today! Your comments make my day :) Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun. Have a fabulous weekend!


A Thousand Words Thursday

Thursday, September 16, 2010


This is a photo of my two girls with my dad. He had heart valve replacement surgery in late July and had made a phenomenal recovery. He recently made the trip to our house to meet our new baby girl. This picture is definitely worth 1, 000 words to me! 

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great thursday!!



For more Thousand Words Thursday stop by Cheaper Than Therapy
Cheaper Than Therapy

Wordless Wednesday

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Why I oughta...!"

Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :)
For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ

ToiletTree Fogless Mirror Giveaway Winner!

Monday, September 13, 2010

Congrats to lucky #21 who won the Fogless Mirror from ToiletTree:
petteytiffany@yahoo.com


Thanks to all who entered. Be sure to check out my current giveaway for a set of Rock 'N Learn Phonics DVDs!

Manners Matter: How to Help Your Kids With Theirs - A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

I was recently visiting my daughter when my grandson had a friend over to play. This young man, at eight years of age, had the best manners I have ever experienced in a youngster. He was extremely polite, self-assured and talkative with adults. I wondered how his parents had managed to teach him to be such a fine young fellow. While I do not really know what they did specifically I can share with you some of the things that I think are important in teaching young children how to conduct themselves in public situations and with adults.

1. Be a role model. Use good manners yourself with your spouse, your friends and relatives and with children. Expect that of your child and praise him for using good manners.

2. Talk about and read books about good manners. Children need to know what to expect and they need to practice. Books can help and so can discussions of how to act in different situations.

3. Role play. Give your child a chance to experience what it is like to use good manners. You can get her to role play by putting on puppet shows where the puppets act out scenarios where they practice using good manners.

4. Require that your child use good manners all of the time. Just because she is playing is not a reason for being rude or impolite.

5. Limit exposure to television and computer images of poor manners. When children do see those things explain that you have higher expectations of them than they are seeing in shows and on videos.

6. Make corrections as mistakes happen. Do not let time pass - that only makes the child think it is not very important.

7. Make sure your child has plenty of opportunities to be around adults. Help him get comfortable talking with them and interacting with them. This will give your child confidence that he can carry on a conversation and feel good about himself doing it.

8. Teach your child to be interested in other people. Help her create questions to ask in social situations that are appropriate and that lead to interesting conversations.

9. Help your child learn to have good self-esteem. Celebrate genuine success with him and encourage him to feel good about who he is.

10. Keep your child talking. Use meal times to engage everyone in family discussions and conversations. Teach your child that good conversation is fun and stimulating. Help her increase her verbal ability as often as you can.

These are just ten things you can do to help your child have good manners and be able to converse appropriately with adults. If you look, you will find many more things you can do during the normal course of your day. The most important thing is to be consistent. Like any other thing in parenting consistency is the key to making great things happen with your child.


Lynn Banis, PhD, MCC

The High Performance Coach

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here, or click on the "Parenting" tab under Labels in my side bar. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Lynn is a Master Certified Coach with years of experiences helping moms through tough situations. She would love to answer your questions on a weekly basis. What are you struggling with? What questions do you have about getting through the day? Leave her a few comments with your questions and concerns and she will be happy to write about them in future posts. To find out more about Lynn and how she can help you live your passion, visit her at: www.discoverypointcoaching.com/blog

Quotable Sunday - Gratitude

Sunday, September 12, 2010

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ~William A. Ward

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. ~G.B. Stern

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Gratitude is the memory of the heart. ~Jean Baptiste Massieu, translated from French

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton

The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you. ~John E. Southard

If you have lived, take thankfully the past. ~John Dryden

As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world. ~Terri Guillemets

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live. ~Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear


For More Quotable Fun visit LT at A Day With Two.

A Day With Two

Aloha Friday

Friday, September 10, 2010

So I've officially entered the fog of motherhood. I'm exhausted and this week has been a blur. It's the first week hubs was back at work after the birth of our 4th baby and I'm on my own with the four kiddos trying to homeschool, breastfeed, keep house, etc. I actually thought yesterday was Wednesday and was so convinced that I argued with my husband over the fact. I even posted my Wordless Wednesday post yesterday. Hmmm, mama needs some sleep!

Anyway, now that I know what day it is...here's my Aloha Friday question for you:
What's your favorite thing about Fall?


I love the cooler temps after the August summer swelter and the colors! The leaves here are already changing. What about you?

Thanks for visiting today! Your comments make my day :) Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun. Have a fabulous weekend!


Wordless Wednesday

Thursday, September 9, 2010




Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :)
For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ

Hey Mom, How About A Make-Over? A Guest Post By Lynn Banis

Monday, September 6, 2010

The Days to a New You

We all could do with a make - over now and then. Here are several things you can do to create a new you. Just do one a day, make it a habit and soon you will have a whole new persona and outlook on life.

1. Put your needs first. When you always let the needs of other come before your own you soon feel angry, over whelmed and put upon or used. Remember that if you don't take care of yourself first you will have mothering to five to others.

2. Live intentionally. Know what you want and how you want to impact others and the world. Stay aligned with your intentions. You will feel strong, empowered and alive.

3. Acknowledge your impact on others and the world. We are all connected and what you do and say reverberates across many, many people. Be sure you think through the repercussions of your words and actions.

4. Take a stand. Don't let the opinions of others run or ruin your life. If you are living intentionally and acknowledging your impact on the world around you the negative opinions of others should be something you can easily shrug off. They are just not valid or important.

5. Live in integrity. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Know what your values are and live according to them. They are your rudder through all the storms in life. Stick to them, they will serve you well.

6. Build your confidence. You are a unique work of art. Speak out and let the world know who you are and what gift you bring to share with others. Dare to be all you can be.

7. Accept your mistakes and move on. We all make mistakes but the healthiest of us learn from them and then shrug them off and move on. Join the healthy crowd and do this for yourself.

8. Play. Don't take yourself and your life so seriously. Laugh and be silly. Enjoy what you are doing. Life is far too short to be bogged down in seriousness all of the time. Lighten up and put joy into your life and the lives of others.

9. Write. Use a journal or notebook to work through the issues in your life. You can usually hash things out in about eight hundred words. Reread what you have written, extract the wisdom and move on. Dwelling on issues any longer just gets you stuck in them.

10. Get a hobby or special interest in your life. It will broaden your horizons and make you a more interesting and interested person.

Lynn Banis, PhD, MCC

The High Performance Coach

Read more posts from the Hey Mom Series here, here and here. Moms work hard and deserve encouragement! Please share this post with other Moms you know.

Lynn is a Master Certified Coach with years of experiences helping moms through tough situations. She would love to answer your questions on a weekly basis. What are you struggling with? What questions do you have about getting through the day? Leave her a few comments with your questions and concerns and she will be happy to write about them in future posts. To find out more about Lynn and how she can help you live your passion, visit her at: www.discoverypointcoaching.com/blog

Quotable Sunday - Grandparents

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Where would we be without grandparents? Don't forget Grandparents Day September 12th:

To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

Grandchildren are God's way of compensating us for growing old. ~Mary H. Waldrip

Few things are more delightful than grandchildren fighting over your lap. ~Doug Larson

Grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief they haven't thought of yet. ~Gene Perret

A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart. ~Author Unknown

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~Attributed to Claudia Ghandi

A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do. ~Lois Wyse

You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them. ~Desmond Tutu

No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet. ~Author Unknown

To a small child, the perfect granddad is unafraid of big dogs and fierce storms but absolutely terrified of the word "boo." ~Robert Brault

Just about the time a woman thinks her work is done, she becomes a grandmother. ~Edward H. Dreschnack

For More Quotable Fun visit LT at A Day With Two.


A Day With Two


Aloha Friday

Friday, September 3, 2010

Greeting friends from soggy SE VA, I hope you are well and having a fabulous Friday!

My question this week (with Earl on the move): What is the biggest storm or natural disaster you have experienced?

Thanks for visiting today! Your comments make my day :) Be sure to stop by An Island Life for more Aloha Friday fun. Have a fabulous weekend!


A Thousand Words Thursday

Thursday, September 2, 2010

This photo credit has to go to my mother-in-law. I think she did a great job capturing all of my favorite people!


Thanks for stopping by today. We're buckling down for Earl. Hopefully we won't lose power (fingers crossed). Leave a comment so I know you popped by and I'll be back to visit you as as soon as I can ;) Have a great thursday!!


For more Thousand Words Thursday stop by Cheaper Than Therapy
Cheaper Than Therapy

In Honor of Our Anniversary...

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Selected Quotes on Marriage:

What a happy and holy fashion it is that those who love one another should rest on the same pillow. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne


The bonds of matrimony are like any other bonds - they mature slowly. ~Peter De Vries


I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life. ~Rita Rudner


Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open. ~George Bernard Shaw


Newlyweds become oldyweds, and oldyweds are the reasons that families work. ~Author Unknown


Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret


Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate. ~Barnett R. Brickner


A long marriage is two people trying to dance a duet and two solos at the same time. ~Anne Taylor Fleming


More marriages might survive if the partners realized that sometimes the better comes after the worse. ~Doug Larson


A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. ~Paul Sweeney


In a time when nothing is more certain than change, the commitment of two people to one another has become difficult and rare. Yet, by its scarcity, the beauty and value of this exchange have only been enhanced. ~Robert Sexton

Happy 9th Anniversary babe! I love you with all my heart.


Wordless Wednesday

Love at first sight:




Thanks for stopping by today! Happy WW to all :)
For more Wednesday fun be sure to visit these fabulous blogs:
5 Minutes for Mom
7 Clown Circus
Wordless Wednesday HQ

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