Hey People, I'm growing a baby here!!!!

Exhaustion does that word even do your second, third, fourth, fifth and so on pregnancy justice?

 Yeah I don’t think so either.

I remember my first pregnancy seemed as though everything was happening right along with my, “ What to expect when you are expecting” book. It was my mission to lie on the couch and read my updates for the week, and confirm that everything is going as it should.

My second trimester hit and just like the book said I felt ALIVE!  It said you could also be feeling frisky. It was great I was rejuvenated and wanting my husband so much that I would wake up at 4a just before he got up for work, for sex. 

Yes Sex!

Well what happens with your second?

I’m still waiting for that second trimester like with my first. Some days I lie in bed thinking I’m only 27 and I'm too tired for sex. Then my mind wonders thinking but you are in your second trimester….

I’m tired all the time. 

 It must be the fact of taking care of another child, your husband, and you and that growing baby. I also top it off with building a house on Wed. and Sat. and you got me begging for sleep by Saturday evening.

And the messes, the demands, the food, it doesn’t compare to when it was just two adults.  My advice when you are pregnant for the second time is, to know your cues.  It is very easy for me to not eat as much as I should because I'm busy being a mom.  But when I wait too long to eat, things can get ugly very quickly.  And I know as soon as I start to snap at Riley, that I need to take care of myself first thing in that moment. Now I can tell Riley, that mommy has to eat, and explain to her the baby and she backs right off. I try to remember that messes are not important. The piles of dog hair in the corner can wait, the toys the stuffed animals all across the floors, can wait.  Because you know what they say, keeping a clean house with a toddler is like shoveling while it’s still snowing.

My second piece of advice is, when you are tired, sleep.  Find a way for your child to occupy themselves even a 15 min. nap really helps. When I need just a quick boost I take Riley up to her room, we shut her door and I tell her that mommy needs a rest. She usually then plays with her Teddy's and gets them dressed over and over. And the nap is usually 15-20 mins until she has to go potty! And I feel much better. ( notice the word usually, it doesn’t happen every time I want!)

My third piece of advice, for when you are so tired, and it’s not possible to nap, and your child is driving you to wits end, take some quiet time with God. They don’t have to be “quiet.” If you wait for moments in order to pray and be refreshed by scripture they may never come. Your children need from you the love, strength, and wisdom only God can supply. Keep your bible open. Pray quick, specific “arrow prayers” throughout the day. This will be a great model for your children, and someday your quiet times with God will be quiet again.

Quick thing with modeling behavior,  I was singing a song from church the other day, and it had Jesus in it. Riley started singing with me and then when I stopped she started putting her hands together and rocking back and forth singing,  yes Jesus loves me, Yes Jesus loves me….” It was so precious. I had never even thought to sing this song to her. I have never heard her sing it before. I am assuming she learned it at church, but I think it was my singing of Jesus that brought it on for her to sing it for me!

Today I learned this.  Riley usually naps around 11a or noon. Well it was 11:30 we had already been outside out an about and I was hoping she would go down soon. She still seemed too awake. I was feeling tired. So I tried eating, helped but not enough. I couldn’t shake the feeling of I'm about to pass out.  

So it’s 11:30. I told Riley that I had to take a nap and it was just about nap time for her too. I told her that momma was gonna go lay down in her bed and she could take her teddy and piggy in her bed with her along with her milk and she could take a rest. She was excited to play in her bed with them.  I laid down got to listen to her sweetly play with her stuffed animals for about 20 mins. Then she started with her mommy Mommy.  I told her I was sleeping in my bed and she should sleep too.  She played a few more minutes. Then I heard nothing. We both feel asleep for two hours! It was great and stress free.

So sometimes, not all the time, explaining things to a 21 month old can help.

When I was visiting my family, they wanted me to stay up with them so bad.  I couldn’t.  Everything was so exhausting.  I could barely make it up til ten and let alone not take a nap.  When my dad started to whine about me staying awake and join the party, I said, “   PEOPLE, I’m growing a baby here.” They laughed, I laughed and then I passed out J

 I think it’s important when we can’t get those moments to take a nap, find rest, to seek God’s wisdom.  Everything can just over take us, and when your tired it’s easy to put off checking with God about all the decisions we make.

“If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask  of the giving God who give to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly without reproaching or faultfinding and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

If things seem so complicated that your no longer able to enjoy the life as God intended, it’s time to see God’s wisdom. In all things, God wants you to acknowledge and seek Him, use wisdom, and make the best decisions you know how to make.

Through a simple prayer from wherever you are, you can ask God for wisdom about any situation you face. Before you commit to something, or buy something, check with God.  If you have peace about it proceed, but if you don’t feel right about it, then wait.

Seek Gods wisdom and make decisions based on what you sense in your spirit. This I find is so important with pregnancy too. Then move forward believing that God will bless you because you acknowledge Him in your decisions. 

How can I put down my overloaded bags of worry?

It's amazing how when you become a mother you just have a way to fix almost anything. It doesn't matter if inside our heads we are freaking out wondering how will we fix this, because what we show is we get the job  done. Mothers take care of things. Wouldn't you agree?

I guess once you have a baby you learn quickly how to be prepared. It seems that may be one less worry when you are carrying your second, third or  forth child. It may seem that because we have done it all before we are more prepared for the next.

But with all new unpredictable things in life worry is hanging on the backside for dear life.


Dang right?

It seems that once worry grabs on tightly enough we carry a heavy load around.

And you can only carry a heavy load for so long before it gets harder and harder to take steps towards anything.

Take for example the diaper bag. First time moms probably pack it with EVERYTHING you can think of for any situation and then still stress thinking they might have forgotten something.

But haven't you been known to pack unnecessary things in that bag?

The chances are you did this today. Not with material things of course, but with burdens from the day before, the day ahead and the hours upon you.

Us moms we carry the suitcase of GUILT!

Here's what Max Lucado says about our suitcase of guilt.

The sack of discontent. You drape a duffel bag of weariness on one shoulder and a hanging bag of worry on the other. No wonder you're so tired at the end of the day. Toting those kinds of bags is exhausting.
What you were saying to me, God is saying to you, " Set that stuff down! You're carrying burdens you don't need to bear."

"Come to me," he invites, " all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28
If we let him God will lighten our loads.
But how do we let him?

May I invite an old friend to show us? The first few verses of 23rd Psalms.
The Lord is my Shepard;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
e leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

Have you been packing your purse with some burdens of your own? Do you think God might use Davids psalm to lighten your load? Traveling light means trusting God with the burdens you were never intended to bear.

Why don't you try traveling light? Try it for the sake of those you love. Have you ever considered the impact that excess baggage has on relationships?

We've made this point at our church by virtue of a drama. A wedding is reenacted in which we hear the thoughts of the bride and groom. The groom enters, laden with luggage. A bag dangles from every appendage. And each bag is labeled: guilt, anger, arrogance, insecurities. This fellow is loaded. As he stands on the altar the audience hears him thinking, Finally a woman who will help me carry all my burdens. Shes so strong, so stable, so.......

As his thoughts continue, hers begin. She enters, wearing a wedding gown but, like her fiance, covered with luggage. Pulling a hanging bag, shouldering a carry on, hauling a makeup kit, a paper sack-everything you could imagine and everything labeled. She has her own bags: prejudice, loneliness, disappointments. And her expectations? Listen to what she is thinking: Just a few more minutes and Ive got me a man. No more counselors. No more group sessions. So long, discouragement and worry. I wont be seeing you anymore. He's going to fix me. 

Finally, they stand at the alter, lost in a mountain of luggage. They smile their way through the ceremony, but when given the invitation to kiss each other, they can't. How do you embrace someone if your arms are full of bags?
For the sake of those you love, learn to set them down.
And for the sake of the God you serve, do the same.
He wants to use you, you know.
But how can he if you are exhausted?


God has a great race for you to run. Under his care you will go where you've never been and serve in ways you've never dreamed. But you have to drop some stuff. How can you share grace if you are full of guilt? How can you offer comfort if you are disheartened? how can you lift someone else's load if your arms are full with your own?

For the sake of those you love, travel light.
For the sake of the God you serve, travel light.
For the sake of your own joy, travel light.

There are certain weights in life you simply cannot carry. Your Lord is asking you to set them down and trust him. He is the father at the baggage claim. When a dad sees his 5year old son trying to drag the family trunk off the carousel, what does he say? The father will say to his son what God is saying to you.

"Set it down child. I'll carry that one."

"Unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you." 1 Peter 5:7

2nd pregnancy= Oh yeah I'm pregnant

So let me tell ya, it was like it was just moments ago, that my feet still feel relaxed,
 that I took in deep breathes of pure relaxation from my almost daily foot massages from my husband.
 Being pregnant for the first time was a whirlwind alright, but boy oh boy was the treatment spectacular.

Funny how the second time around I have to dangle my feet practically in his face. I get a rub with my socks on and its oh 45 seconds.

I push for the " You know its really alot better with socks off and lotion." He agrees with me. Oh thank God I think, I can still get some special treatment here for helping a life DEVELOP inside me..

The socks stay on the rubbing decreases and boom a whole minute later its over.

I'm 20 weeks pregnant. Thats the only foot massage I've gotten.

With Riley I got texts all the time asking how I was feeling.

Oh let me think, one two, three, fou...not three thats how many I've gotten now. And those were in the first two weeks and when shock was still taking over.

It sure is different with the second isn't?

We took a pregnancy test around the same time I did with Riley. It was exciting and shocking of course like it always is for some reason.

When will we learn that unprotected sex pretty much means = BABY! :)

We didn't tell anyone for awhile.
And it was nice.
I liked having our own little secret and I liked not having people ask me all the time how I was.

I think when you are pregnant with the first and people are always telling you advice and asking you how you are, it really keeps you focused on the pregnancy and all the worries.

And although I miss the special treatment from my husband he is also tied up with our daughter. And in all honesty I am feeling just fine! ( But who doesn't love attention from their husbands, when we are constantly reminding them I carried this baby for 9 months and breastfeed it for 15 :)

Second time around, the constant reading of books and searching online are gone!

And that just may be because you have a toddler running around pulling at you every second, or the exhaustion from the baby, work, and toddler, and your husband.

The first time I was pregnant I'll be honest, I gave in to those cravings and hunger pains like I was feeding myself and an 8 pound baby. Heck yeah I was eating for two. ( This was in the first trimester before I found out I had gestational diabetes)

And heck yeah my husband ordered me pizza at 10 p.m. on a work night.

This time I haven't had so called cravings like that. Thank goodness, because I doubt he would do that again...

Or just maybe he would!

Of course being pregnant is exhausting. So I am feeling exhausted. But besides 15 min cat naps you know what the other thing I do that really energizes me?

Riley and I dance.

We start out in the living room and make our way through the whole house.

But its not to any music, its to usually Jars of Clay, but any type of worship music.

Hearing her say to me " Mommy dance" and seeing her crazy awesome funny dance moves and dancing myself knowing we have the next little person coming into our family just warms my heart.

And it has to be worship music because through the dancing we are singing and praising God, and feeling his spirit lift me up is just the best. 

Im reminded of how much he loves us. How precious this time is with our kids as they are young, as we are pregnant, as our marriages shift a bit. 

I am reminded that I have a family. 

So blessed. 

So grateful.

So excited.

So this time being pregnant is pretty sweet!

Our  favorites is Faith like a child. By Jars of Clay.

Here are the lyrics just in case your interested!

Dear God, surround me as I speak,
the bridges that I walk across are weak
Frustrations fill the void that I can't solely bear
Dear God, don't let me fall apart,
you've held me close to you
I have turned away and searched for answers I can't understand

[Chorus:]

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them crashing into the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
with faith like a child

Sometimes, when I feel miles away
and my eyes can't see your face
I wonder if I've grown to lose the recklessness
I walked in light of you

[Chorus]

[Little girl:]
"I've got joy like a fountain!"
"Be kind one to others"
"In Jesus Christ Your son"

They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
with faith like a child

THE PORTER POTTY & Pregnant... NO GOOD

So as you know I have started working for Habitat for Humanity. It's awesome. I still feel like its not really work. I actually really enjoy it. When I first started I knew working on the job site was going to bring the biggest challenges, like how it took me over an hour to pull out nails from 3 2X4 and I got a few good blisters from it.

Or how I worked with a volunteer  to nail a board up to a wall and he decided to "help" me by holding the board for me. Well his hand was right under the nail I needes to pound in, I told him you sure you want to leave your hand there?  He insisted, I warned him. I missed the nail, thank GOD I did not hit his hand, but sure enough he didn't keep his hand there anymore.

Not many women on the job site. Especially pregnant women on the job site. I pick up coffee and donuts every Wed morning from Tim Hortons, every Sat. morning from Dunkin, the battle within myself of eating or not eating a donut goes on until its time for lunch. I hear myself saying your pregnant who cares, then I hear myself saying 2 donuts a week is not gonna look pretty on my ass after this baby is born.

I must have a cup of coffee. Experimented with this and the migraines come instantly when I do not . With Riley I had no coffee.... Funny how the second baby you are instantly way more laid back.

Well with the coffee comes my wonderful meetings with the job site bathroom. The John, whatever you wanna call it. The first few Saturdays I was working my butt off that I didn't have to use it much. But now oh man oh man... Why is it that every time you walk into one you have to look down in there?

Maybe its just me, but I know that thing hasn't been dumped or anything so I looked once and that's all I should have done. But nope I still look and I still almost throw up and the thought of throwing up in there just makes me wanna passs out... outside of the thing that is. I mean the smell of rotten well you know it doens't mix so well with the bright sunshine on it and me, the pregnant woman on the job site!
 So I rush to pee and use the sanitizer and get outta there and go walk to the back and pray I can hold it together.

Today I got to use one of those pneumatic nailers .. I used this thing in one of my theatre classes and I screamed so loud in front of the whole class when I pulled the trigger and the nail went way down on the wrong end of the board. I vowed to never use one of those again..
So because there was only 2 other volunteers I was in a tight spot. I had to do this job. I couldn't hand it off on someone else. I was starting to panic. Hmmm do I use the I dont feel comfortable while Im pregnant card? What other excuse could I come up with? Oh I have to be at the office right now there's a crisis? My mind was racing and before you know it the gun was in my hand. Sparks when a nail goes in.. so intimidating.  No excuses came gun in hand I had no choice.
And everything went really well. I took some practice shots and then ended up using it on my own the rest of the morning.


So all this is that I am learning so much, so many things I would have never thought someone would be paying me to do. And every day I grin more and more on the inside taking all this in, so I can really show my husband I know exactly what hes talking about, if not a bit more. Sure he works in HVAC, but commercial businesses and houses? Come on... Im seeing it all done. Not just one aspect! :)  I love that I get to learn new things every day and help such an amazing organization!

Oh man, here comes a Lukewarm Christian again.

Are you a lukewarm Christian? It breaks my heart to admit that there are many times I have to say yes I was or am. It seems as my brother’s progress is at more of a stand still my fire for God is diminishing. Of course Im reminded to praise him for all the good things I have and that is easy to do every day. But when my brothers health just kept plummeting and we didn’t know what was happening I leaned so hard on God and dug so deep into his word that I felt his presence in me all the time.

Now I  hate that I have become busy.  I wrestled with God about staying home, but boy oh boy did it bring me such a sense of simple and thankfulness. Again so close to him.  Now that I am working our schedule has become a bit more hectic, but in all honesty not much. I only work 16 hours a week, but it’s the stress of Childcare and having new responsibilities at work that keep it seeming busy.

I remember my first week starting at Habitat I did not feel nervous. I did not have expectations going into the job and since having a baby my priorities were completely different. First I knew that God had complete control and to trust him and that no matter what if things were not working out for Riley then this was just a job, but yet God has reminded me that this is more than just a job. I mean what Habitat for Humanity started out as and what it stands for alone is all about God. I have a job where I get to lead us in prayer.  A job where so far almost all of the volunteers are connected to local churches. So far I’ve got to hear personal testimonies of those who have come to know Jesus. I get to see so many people give their time to work hard on a house for someone they do not know. It’s very inspiring.  My job is a constant reminder of how much God loves us, and yet I can feel that I’m still not making him my top priority. How can that be?

I guess because sometimes just talking about God isn’t enough. It’s going to that place where you can feel his spirit move through you. Have you found that place yet? My husband and I always seem to make major life decisions in front of water. Its where we always just reflect and come to peace. I know he feels God through nature more, and I do too.  I also feel God a lot through music, which is why I love worship so much. But we are all different and everyone can feel the holy spirit move through them in different situations. It’s just important that once we find those spots to go there, with intentions of being with God.

So here are some reminders that we may be a lukewarm Christian and we need to make God our number one priority over everything else. And why shouldn’t he be? Look at how much he provides for u and how much he loves us? If you are questioning those two things then it may be time for you to surrender and trust in him.

Heres a quote from David Goetz, “ Too much of the good life ends up being toxic, deforming us spiritually.” A lot of things are good by themselves, but all of it together keeps us from living healthy, fruitful lives for God.

Here are a couple statements to see if you are “lukewarm”  Take a deep breath, truth can sting a bit.

Lukewarm people attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe” good Christians do, so they go.

“The Lord says :These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” Isa. 29:13

Lukewarm people give money to charity and to the church… as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerfulgiver, right?

“King David replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing.” (  1 Chron. 21:24)

Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict.. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions ( like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.

“ I know your deeds, you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.” ( Rev. 3:1)

Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sit and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.

“ I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can w e live in it any longer?” ( Romans 6:1-2)

Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expected of all His Followers. 

" Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22)

Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighb ors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.

"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heave. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." 

I'll post the rest from Francis Chan on Lukewarm Christians next!!

The Bolands Diabetic Living Article

So, for those of you who have been dying to read this article I have uploaded the article to the site. But with that said, if you are a diabetic this magazine has some really great articles and recipes that are totally worth checking out. You may even want to browse their online stuff here. Thank you to Diabetic Living for publishing my story. Thank you to my husband for the inspiration as well as my daughter. You two are my world! This is the only way I can get the article on here so it may be blurry or hard to read and in that case.. I guess you better go out and buy the magazine!!

Ok that is not easy to read. So here is the article

My husband, Eric, has lived 

with type 1 diabetes for 

18 years—since he was 

8 years old. I have sympathized with 

him, helped him count carbs, and 

shared his frustration when his 

meter readings were less than 

perfect. But I never really knew what 

living with diabetes was like. That is 

until last year, when I was diagnosed 

with gestational diabetes.

A lot to learn

Eric is the first person I ever met with 

diabetes. In college he was very 

reserved about his diabetes, and, like 

many people, I was clueless about 

the disease. I thought it meant he 

just couldn’t eat sugar. As years went 

by and I learned more about 

diabetes, we would have occasional 

arguments about how he managed 

his diabetes. 

I’d sometimes grab his meter off 

the kitchen counter to look at his 

numbers. If I saw that they were high 

or that he only tested twice, I’d 

accuse him of not taking care of 

himself. He would respond with a 

blank stare, and I could see the 

anger rising in his eyes. I didn’t care 

what his excuse was because, 

according to all the books, it was 

bad to have a blood glucose above 

150. He didn’t care what books said, 

because he knew there were some 

days that his numbers were off no 

matter what he did.

Boy, did I learn that lesson.

A dietitian taught it to me when I 

was six months pregnant. I recall 

simmering with anger as she told 

me I was not supposed to eat more 

than three servings of carb for my 

meals and snacks. I was 27, wasn’t 

overweight, and well within my 

target pregnancy weight. I ate a 

healthful diet, yet my blood sugar 

Gestational diabetes gives one woman a new understanding 

of what her husband lives with every day.

photos by Alexandra Grabrewski

numbers were still too high. An 

endocrinologist told me that I 

needed to take insulin before every 

meal and before bed. It took all I had 

to stop the tears from streaming 

down my face. Eric was right there 

next to me, and suddenly I didn’t feel 

as scared. He knew exactly what I 

was feeling. 

I cried the first time I gave myself 

an insulin shot. I remember asking 

Eric, “How can I possibly go through 

Thanksgiving only eating four 

servings of carbs?” He grabbed my 

hand and said, “It’s only for a few 

months; this is how I have to

live forever.” 

I quickly learned how important 

carb counting is and that the type of 

carb matters, too. I understood why 

my husband would have a short 

temper or just want to sleep 

because his blood sugar went too 

high or it came down way too fast. 

A brighter future

My three-month experience even 

helped Eric make some needed 

changes. Even though he wears an 

insulin pump, he finally realized he 

really shouldn’t go back for more 

Tasia Boland blogs at 

tasiasideasandthoughts

.blogspot.com.

If you had gestational diabetes, you have a  

35–60 percent chance of developing diabetes 

in the next 10–20 years. Doctors recommend 

scheduling regular checkups to guard against 

diabetes’ return. Tasia Boland knows she is at 

risk with future pregnancies and later in life. 

    “If it happens, it will be OK, because today I 

have control of this disease,” she says. “The 

healthy choices I make every day let diabetes 

know who’s really in charge.”

once he’s had four carb servings. 

He would see me testing my blood 

glucose all the time for fear of 

having a large baby, and he, too, 

began testing more. 

Our daughter, Riley, was born 

February 8, 2011, weighing a healthy 

7 pounds 8 ounces. Her blood sugar 

was 115, and the nurses tested her 

every hour until it returned to normal 

range. Today she’s doing great. 

 Eric and I are eating healthier 

now. We’ve eliminated processed 

foods and include more fruits, 

veggies, and whole grains. We even  

take walks. For my family, gestational 

diabetes was a blessing in disguise

A rare Reese Artichoke coupon

Hey everyone!

I just found this coupon that I have never seen before and am really excited because with fall and winter coming up my hearty meals start including artichoke hearts! So here is a coupon for $.50 off! Not bad when doubled !!

Bacon and more random freebies!

So I wanted to share with you some random items that were free or pretty darn cheap with coupons and how awesome it is to get free products at Tops with coupons because you get 10 gas points for every coupon you use.

Also wanted to update you since I have started clipping coupons and actually finding recipes that use the ingredients I already have for the last 2 months I have not spent more than $45 a week. ( I kept all my reciepts!) With that $45 budget it includes toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant.  I was really surprised to see that I kept this budget because there were some weeks where I felt I wasnt getting good deals but really always waiting for a sale and using coupons saves so much money.

So the above I got for $14.56, not bad considering the bacon is $6.99 a package. 

My total before coupons was $30.66

Here is the breakdown:

St. Ives was on sale for $1 used a $1 off any one St. Ives product ( online no longer available)

Final Price- Free

John Frieda was on sale $4.99 used a peelie from last one I bought for a $1.00 off

Final Price- $3.99

Wholly Gucamola used a $1 off from newspaper

Final Price-$1.99

Sorrento Ricatta cheese was on clearance for $1.84 Originally priced at $3. and something

Helluva Good Cheese was not on sale, but we needed cheese but I used a $.75 Tops manufacturer coupon that said it does not double, but they doubled it! So I got a $1.50 off

Final Price- $1.79

Glade Expressions Spray was on sale for $3.99 Used a $3/1 coupon here 

Final Price was $.99 but you receive a $1 off next shopping order from buying this item, so really it was FREE!

Starkist Tuna on sale for $1.34 used a $.55/1 coupon from newspaper. That was doubled.

Final Price was $.24

Oscar Mayer Select Bacon- $6.99 got a coupon in mail for a free package from their facebook page!

Final Price- FREE

Gerber Grabbers was on sale for $1.50 used a $.75/1 coupon here doubled.

Final Price- Free ( There is also a $.75/1` Gerber Organic pouch that you can use here and would be free too)

So this trip I earned 96 gas points as well!! Gotta love Tops!!

Are you a No Trans Fat Christian?

So I want to share with you some more from the book " Crazy Love" Im reading by Francis Chan. He has a great analogy of the labeling we find often now on food, " No Trans Fat". I decided to post this so you get an idea of how straight forward he is before I post what he says about Lukewarm Christians, just because that will hit ya hard after you read it.. Well for most of us it will! This was a great reminder for me when I feel far from God or disconected to do something about it , Right away. Because like Chan says loving God is what its all about. Following God and learning what love is, is what leads us to eternity... which we will all face one day.

And so it begins with potato chips!


(From the Book "Crazy Love")

Recently I saw a  bag of potato chips with a bold declaration splashed across the front: " Zero grams of trans fat." I was glad to know that I wouldn't be consuming and trans fat, which research has shown is detrimental to my health. But then I flipped the bag over and read the ingredients list, which included things like " yellow #6 and other artificial colors and partially hydrogenated oil, which is trans fat, just a small enough amount that they can legally call it " 0 grams". I thought it was incredibly ironic that these chips were being advertised in a way that makes me think they are not harmful yet were really full of empty calories, weird chemicals, and ironically, trans fat.

It struck me that many Christians flash around " no trans fat" label, trying to convince everyone they are healthy and good. Yet they have no substantive or healthful elements to their faith. It's like the Laodiceans, who thought they had everything until Christ told them they were poor and wretched. They were all about declaring, " Look we have no trans fat, . We are wealthy, or we have good families, or we go to church every week." Obviously, its not what you advertise that counts, its what you are really made of.

Gods definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love. 

Paul writes that even if " I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but haven ot love, I gain nothing." ( 1 Corn. 13:2-3)

So God assesses our lives based on how we love. But the word love is so overused and worn out.  God tells us this about love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

But even those words have grown tired and overly familiar, haven't they?

Here's a little exercise for you to try. Read through the scripture again and insert your name. For example, Francis  is patient..... Do it for every phrase in the passage. 

By the end dont you feel like a liar?

Following Christ isn't something that can be done halfheartedly or on the side. It is not a label we can display when its useful. It must be central to everything we do and are. 

If life is a river then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream. I believe that much of the American churchgoing population, while not specifically swimming downstream, is slowly floating away from Christ. It isn't a conscious choice, but it is nonetheless happening because little in their lives propels them toward Christ.

Worry and Stress taking over? Check this out!

So I’m reading this book called, “Crazy Love” Overwhelmed by a relentless God by Francis Chan.

And I wanted to share with you what he writes about worry and stress. It was as great reminder for me as I approach a few big turns coming up in my life… a few I’ll share with you are my brother’s exploratory surgery coming up in a couple weeks at Cleveland Clinic and starting a new job as Operations manager at Habitat for Humanity in Genesee county, and of course there are a couple more things squeezed in between those..

So as my mind started to think about this surgery for my brother and what it will mean for his future and how can I be strong for him and also show him my confidence in God, when we have no solid truth as to what is going on with him and what his future will hold, I realized I have to get into God’s word. That’s the only place where truth is right there instantly. ( Well you hope sometimes it takes a day or so for me to really have some scriptures sink in and speak to me!)  It just continues to ring true to life for all of us I guess. I mean we all do not know what the future will hold. We have to trust in God. 

So here’s what Francis Chan says about stress and worry.

“When I am consumed by my problems- stressed out about my life, my family, my job- I actually convey the beliefs that I think the circumstances are more important than God’s command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a right to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.

Worry- implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.

Stress- says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.

Basically these two behaviors communicate that it’s okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we’ve been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won’t be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of Gods strength, our problems are small indeed.

Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?

I find myself relearning this lesson often. Even though I glimpse Gods holiness, I am still dumb enough to forget that life is all about God and not about me at all.”

So I’ll leave you with that today and hopefully we can be reminded to give our worries and stress to God, to not let them consume our everyday choices and actions.  

My Homemade successes

So I have been trying to make some things we eat often homemade... less preservatives and cheaper... and here they are!  I would post pictures of them but our camera died after I fell in the water at Stony Brook Park! haha

1. Homemade yogurt! Came out nice and thick.  Here is the recipe ! I let mine sit in the cooler for 6 hours.  I also used 2% milk and only used a half gallon of milk.

2. Blackberry Muffins. We have soooo many in our backyard. Here is the recipe!

3. Strawberry Fruit Roll ups. I just used the recipe from my dehydrator. Its super simple.

4.  Graham Crackers. Let me just say... SO DELICIOUS! The dough is so good and you can eat it worry free because there are no eggs in it!! This is my favorite find! Here is the recipe.

Next I want to try mayonnaise and ranch dressing since we go through quite a bit. It's been fun making things like this and knowing it costs less and is SO much better for you!! 

Do you know where Oshkosh is?

It's been awhile.
I haven't really felt inspired to write anything, and a lot has been going on. I also enjoy spending time in the pool during Riley's nap rather than inside. But right now the fan is feeling pretty good.

We went to Wisconsin to visit my family. It was an amazing time. Everything about it was so meant to be.

In wisconsin it was awesome at night my grandma, dad, Eric and I got to talk about heaven and ghosts and just really discuss God. I love it. I love seeing my husband's love for Jesus grow more and more. The visit was so heartwarming to be with my Grandma and my best friend and her family.
I am so blessed with that friendship. We have been friends since 1st grade! We are now 27!!! It feels so amazing just being at her house hanging out with her and her kids! It also is so nice because our husbands get along great!!

It was so awesome to see my cousins and meet their little families. It was so awesome to see God working in all of us.

It was great to go by my childhood house. The house I dreamt about for years after we moved from it. So many memories.  We freaked ourselves out because the owners of it now asked my mom if we ever experienced any paranormal activity...

So the one night it was around midnight and Dad, Eric and I were idiling in the car across the street from it. We decided the owners were not home because for the last few days the same lights were on. Dad and I actually went up on the porch and window peaked. It was a crazy wave of emotions. EVerything except the living room still looked the same. And that dining room always creeped me out and then hearing about ghosts I almost  couldn't peak it.

Then we drove around the other side looked at the back yard.  Then went back in the driveway just looking at it.

Well then the neighbor pulled in( its a shared driveway too!) So we pulled out and then stopped and waited to see who got outta the car. We HAD to know if it was our old nightmare of a couple neighbors. It wasn't.
It was a young guy and all three of us are staring at him and he starts putting his hands up like WHAT WHAT? Im like DAD DRIVE AWAY< GO!!

So we get back to grandmas house. And my cousin is spening the night too. Well she says a black car ( same one as the neighbor) pulled in the driveway. I think oh no. Then she says a man is getting out.

My heart is racing. THAT MAN FOLLOWED US! Oh boy dad is gonna get it.

Sure enough, Knock, Knock on the door.

We all looked at eachother with HUGE EYES, phew it was just my grandmas neighbor.

Now why was he coming over after midnight? ha he wanted to talk to my dad.. hang out!

Dad tells him we are going to bed.

Then the craziness begins...
( Heres a link to our old house. They painted it purple.. Horrible my parents re did that whole house all victorian including beautiful paint job..)

We start scaring the shit outta each other.. including my grandma.

Eric got Dad so good. First I hid on the side of his bed. He was staying in what used to be my great grandmas room. He said he was already creeped out in there. So I jumped up and scared him!

Then we took turns getting one another.

Eric hid in the closet in Dads room. I never heard my dad scream like that!! He got so scared he fell back onto the bed.
I haven't heard Eric laugh that hard in awhile.

We couldnt stop. My grandma went outside with a flash light and was scaring us through the windows.

When she came in she cracked me up so much, saying I think I stepped in dog shit!! of course she went out with no shoes!

I put a sheet over myself and just was randomly standing in the kitchen. Got my cousin and Dad pretty good.

We just had fun.

We made my grandma a garden and eric moved a pipe for her. So we created a nice little outdoor area next to her patio and swing.

We were out there hanging out and wanted pizza at 10pm. I guess its not like New York, all the pizza places were closed.

So where did we order from? Buffalo Wild Wings!
We ate outside with wings at 11pm. Then just as we were about to finish it started thundering!

We just had such an awesome time enjoying each others company.

Even though I hadn't seen my family in forever our conversations flowed and were easy. My husband met most of my family for the first time, and he was talking the whole time.

I just was so moved by the love from family.

It is so special to see my dad and husband together. They actually seem like great friends instead of father son.

They laugh and laugh together. I got to hang out with my best friend while they went to the bar to play pool.

Of course once we got home I started to have those negative thoughts creep up.

The pity party was int he closet waiting to jump out and start celebrating how much it sucks that I am so far away from my family. The part of feeling alone and how they are missing out on Rileys every day activities.

But then I remembered GOD!

He has a plan. He knows our hearts desires. And... I just had an amazing week with everyone. That right there is reason to celebrate. I know it makes all our visits more special than if we saw each other every day. I was able to thank him for the relationship I have with my family and the closeness we share. I realized I have a lot more to be thankful for then the few I wish it were like this...  My thankfulness squashed down the devils attempt to ruin my vacation.

Sure my heart breaks when I just want to say to my parents and brothers, hey come meet us at the splash park. But I know Gods love brings hope! And this world is temporary.

One day we will be together in perfect harmony. And if its Gods plan to have us wait until that day. Im ok with that. Because while I'm here on earth as long as Im trusting in him, he gives me everything I need at the perfect time.


" Those who bring trouble on their families inherit only the wind. The fool will be a servant to the wise." Proverbs 11: 29.


What that verse is saying is this- " One of the greatest resources God gives us is the family. Families provide acceptance, encouragement, guidance, and counsel. Bringing trouble on your family- whether through anger or through an exaggerated desire for independence- is foolish because you cut yourself off from all they provide. In your family strive for healing, communication, and understanding." 

My craigslist encounter :)

So selling things on craiglist is new to me. As you know we got rid of Verizon so I figured I should sell my phone and use the money for that nice little cancellation fee they charge!

Well of course I had a phone that was free when upgraded and on Verizon's website it was only $50. So I put it up on craigslist for $25.

Someone wanted it that night... Great I though,t "I sold it too cheap!" I could have gotten MORE MONEY!!

Then I did a search online and saw that on Amazon this phone was selling for $3! Oh that got to me. I couldn't give this poor lady who is buying the phone for her daughter this phone for $25..

Then I remembered how Dave Ramsey talked about giving.. Truly giving not when it is conveinant for you. He told the story of a couple going into IHop and leaving a very generous tip. (I can't remember the amount but it was more than $100!) And it was all money that they had saved!

So I decided that I would give this phone to her.. So Riley and I are having fun singing songs and eating snacks in the car and a mom and daughter pull up. Shes got the money in her hand and as she hands me the money I tell her, " You know God has blessed me with so much in my life, I want to pass the blessing on to you!" I was nervous and excited and she paused the look on her face was so amazing. She was so grateful and her daughter was so excited!

It was a great feeling.. It made me think, "Why don't I do this more?"

And on this note... BIG NEWS!  You are now reading the blog of the OPERATIONS MANAGER for Habitat for Humanity in Genesee County!! WHoo HOooo...  God's plan amazes me so much and keeps me laughing as I always have moments where I think I know me better than he does.. and that is always proven WRONG!!
So a new chapter begins again!

Free Pasta and $.90 Hefty Bags:)

I have been in Tops.. oh every day since Monday this week! :) I have spent $27.. so it's not crazy, its just you can only use 10 coupons per day... Anyways these are some great coupons to print and use this week! Everyone needs pasta and Hefty Bags right???

Here's the deal at Tops


Hefty Slider Bags

Selected Varieties, Storage and Freezer Bags, 13-22 ct. pkg.

2 for$4

Use $.55/1 here doubled

You Pay: $.90

Muellers Pasta on sale $1

Sign up for a free $.55/1 coupon.

That doubled means FREE pasta! 

Yeah the formatting on this is messed up and I gotta go spend time with my husband !! 

Thanks Dave Ramsey, I now do not have cable :)

No smart phones, no cable, home made this, home made that... Not how I would have pictured my lifestyle 8 years ago when  I just started college and was set on being a " career woman." The funny thing is I think I get more excited seeing my grocery bill go from $80 to $25 with coupons, then seeing my name published with an article I wrote... It's interesting how these things happen.

This morning was different. We took our cable box in to Time Warner last night. A couple weeks ago we decided to get rid of Verizon and go with Straight Talk. These decisions are not because we are so strapped for cash they are because we are trying to pay off debt. My husband has been listening to Dave Ramsey on his way home from work and we have been putting forth much more effort into disciplining ourselves. Before Dave Ramsey we got rid of all our credit card debt, now with Dave Ramsey we are on a mission to pay off student loans, car loan, and our HOUSE! Which is crazy to me, but the truth is, we do not own this house... we are in debt to the bank... ugh...

We've done pretty good I must say so far in the last year especially with me not working.. but to get  debt paid off we are decided to go without the wants in life.

So what if I drop this phone the whole thing falls apart, or I can't talk to my mom while Im walking around in Walmart, or the fact that Ican't be connected to the Internet on it or I have to sort of keep an eye on how many texts Im sending...

It's all WORTH it! We are saving $80 a month with our phone, that's $960 a year! We were spending $1,680 a year just on our phones with Verizon and they were not even smart phones...

Couponing, I can not begin to tell you how much we are saving on our grocery bill. I can't believe how I walked into Walmart today and glanced at some of their prices and felt like it was so much compared to Tops sales matched with coupons.. I actually went to Aldi the other day and spent more money their than with my coupons...

Now we are saving  $360 a year by not having cable.    Which is not going to be easy but it's not forever and it's worth it and already I think this is gonna have an amazing positive impact on my family.

This morning was weird when I wanted to watch the news while I drank my coffee and Riley reads her books... But instead I drank my coffee and read books with Riley.

Last night the three of us were hanging out after dinner and it was routine to turn on the tv. Not because there was a show we wanted to watch just to have it on.

Today when I stopped to eat lunch I wanted to put the tv on.. but not because i wanted to watch something in particular I just wanted something to do while I ate.

Last night not having the tv on I felt so much closer to my husband. I think that I was using the tv to relax and kinda be in my own world, but now I feel like I can be relax and just be with my husband.

Im excited to see what's gonna happen without cable.  Im also excited to know I can still watch all my shows  ( except Master Chef! I gotta get Hulu Plus ( which soon we probably will for $7.99) "e!

It's an interesting thought to think we can get so many things from one source isn't?

It's an interesting thought to think we can get all we need from our one creator...

I'll leave ya with a couple of verses

"Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives this victory. " 1 John 5:4

"Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3

Why do I have to tell people about God?

My grandma is 76 years old.

 She  lives in her house alone.

Walks down her basement stairs every time she needs to get laundry done.

  Does water aerobics weekly.

Walks at the Y weekly

Stays very active at her senior center.

She takes the bus everywhere because she has never had a license.

 She’s an inspiration to me and I love her so much. The other day we were talking and she told me how she went to visit an old friend that lived across the street from her when her boys were young.  This lady had four children and 2 husbands. All her children and both husbands have died. She is almost 90 years old.  My grandma said what my heart was saying, “ It has to be the worst to lose your children.”

Then Grandma went on to say that day she felt ready. Ready to leave this earth and join her loves in heaven.  She said that she feels peace because all her children know the Lord.

I thought about that. And that’s exactly how I would feel. I want my daughter to know the Lord and I pray now that she does.   Last Sunday at church the message was how it is every Christians responsibility to tell others about God.  All the excuses we make mean nothing, we have a duty to fulfill, and many of us shy away from it. 

Which brings me back to my grandma.  Every time I had a new boyfriend or a new friend ( we moved around a lot so I made lots of friends!) she would ask me, “ Do they know the Lord?” It never mattered to her what religion they were, if they went to church every Sunday, she just wanted to know if they knew the Lord. Many times I would answer "well yeah so and so goes to church".. and I never realized until later in life how important that question is and that going to church every Sunday is not a free pass on knowing God.

My grandma is asking the most important question and how sad is it, if that every new person we meet who doesn’t know the Lord, we just pull out an excuse on why we can’t tell them about Jesus?

In college I told people that I was a Christian. Yet I didn’t give 100 percent of my life to God. I still liked to have control.  I was still exercising my freedom of being 750 miles away from my parents.  Yet my dad loves Jesus so much and because of him and my mom I had Jesus in my heart.  

But I kept my excuses handy in my pocket and never hesitated to use them when I felt there was a time I could have witnessed to someone. I wanted to get over the feelings of embarrassment and mostly the fear of not knowing enough. 

I worried that someone would ask me something I didn’t have an answer for and then I worried what they would think of me.  Mostly in college I wanted to start going to church because guilt was my motivator, and honestly that isn’t always the best motivator.  I was having a lot of convictions at the time. I was split 50/50. I wanted to be close with God and tell others but I didn’t want to give up bad habits that made me feel comfort and apart of something. 

So when I wanted to tell someone about God my actions swelled up in my throat and I felt ashamed.  But God didn’t give up on me.  He just used a more drastic approach… for me I was stubborn. There were 3 times when I was feeling convictions and  was involved in 3 car accidents. ( I will post these experiences next)

The truth is when we give our life to Jesus and just say YES! We are excited about the ways he has changed things in our lives, in us right? When we say Yes to God’s word, Yes to prayer, yes to worship, he works in us, and because of his love for us amazing things happen, some call them miracles.

Although we are not to judge others, we are meant to tell others about Jesus. The harsh truth is what will happen when you die? When Judgment day comes upon you?

  The best news is, God knows you. He will help you speak to others to overcome whatever excuses you find yourself digging for.  He allows us to start over every day, get another chance.  So today I’ll pray that I can find the right words, keep my eyes open for the opportunity when someone needs to hear that Jesus is their savior. If you’re feeling guilt like I was, confess you sin. Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Ask God to forgive you. Let him change your heart.  

Like most things the first time will feel crazy, and nerve racking and you may not say everything exactly how you hoped, but that’s ok. Because each time it gets easier and God will continue to work in your heart and you’ll be bringing others to heaven with you.

My dad and I had a great conversation the other day about heaven and being rewarded for what we do here on earth. He asked an interesting question, I’ll leave you with......

What happens when we get to heaven expecting to see a loved one and they are not there?

“When the son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels  with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepard separates the sheep from his goats. He will put the sheep on his right andgoats on his left. Then the King will say to those on His right, “ Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world….” Then He will say to those on his left, “ Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”.. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life( Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46.

Apple & Eve juice $1.40 and great pierogie deal!

This week at Tops they have the 64 oz Apple and Eve Fruitables Juice on sale for $2.50. 
Use $.55/1 doubled at Tops here
Pay $1.40 :) each! 


Also  Tops has a deal going if you buy 3 boxes of Mrs. T's Whole Grain Pierogies you get a half gallon of Tops Ice cream free! 


Supposedly there will be a coupon for Mrs. T's   Pierogies in today's paper. 
Print (2) $1/1 coupons here
Buy (3) using 2 coupons pay $1.67 each! If there's one in today's paper for $1/1 you will pay $1.33 each!
You will also get 30 gas points and free icecream!! 

Nursing = Do I even have boobs anymore?

If you are a male, you not going to not want to read anymore..  If you do continue on, well I warned you… but you will defiantly get more information than you wanted about my boobs.

It’s rainy and cold and just dreary and it matches my mood perfectly. Although I should be feeling great because my daughter had an awesome doctor’s appointment and is now sleeping, I can’t help but throw my mommy jacket on the floor and complain about my so called womanhood. I say so called because after my experience today.. what’s left? J

Why do women have to go through so much when having a child? Think about it.  Not only does our world change our bodies change, everything changes and there is no going back…Do men understand every little thing that we go through when having these babies? Not to mention we still get a period every month?! And do we really need to remind them of how well that goes over every time?!

I nursed Riley for 15 months ( well almost 15 she stopped about 2 ½ weeks ago. )  I loved my boobs while I was pregnant and after the first couple months after she was born!  It felt great being in a C cup!

Today a very upsetting moment occurred.

 I tried on an A cup and it was a little too big!  Yep my first thought was it’s this brand.

 Then my second thought was how does this even make sense when Im wearing a b cup. 

Then I put on my old b cup bra and was horrified.. 

This bra was too big..  

Then I told myself I’m delirious from watching my baby get 2 shots..

So I sat down to finish my coffee thought about what just took place and did the unthinkable.  

I walked back into that bathroom determined something is not right and looked in the mirror with my shirt and bra off.. 

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE I’ve made today so far.. and it’s only 11:30a…

Don’t do this ladies.. It’s just setting yourself up for a disaster..

Got dressed got my coffee sat down and here I am.. baffled. 

They are the smaller then before I was pregnant….  How is that possible?

Well, there is another good thing about this day, at least I got my new a cup bras that are a tad too big on clearance for $4.00 each… If I’m gonna be wearing an a cup I better damn get them on clearance!!!  It did actually break my heart that the coupon I had was for a bra that was over the amount of $16.99… But I guess I can settle for buying something on clearance without a coupon, this one time J

Gotta Stock up on your cereal this week!!

My Total Spent was $6.25 and I got 6 more coupons! If you shop at Tops you may want to consider signing up for Your Bucks here! I got 2 coupons that are for $1.50 off ANY soap and shampoo or conditioner with Your Bucks.

Here are a couple places to print your cereal coupons! They are on sale 4 for $8. You must buy quantities of 4 to get $2 price otherwise they are $2.50/box

 Nothing like getting cereal for less than a dollar! 

(2) $.50/1 doubled for Mini Wheats ( sign up)

(2) $ .70/1 doubled for Crunchy Nut

That makes em.. $.80 a BOX!! 

Also I got a monopoly piece for $.25 off a box of Mini Wheats! Even better :)

And that Welch's natural Jelly had a coupon  from 4/1 for $.75/1

Which means you pay. $. 50 !!