Live Wholeheartedly

A little later than I hoped, but here are pics of the Valentine projects my BFF Jessie and I made for our peoples this year! We altered the large size Starbucks Frappuccino bottles into pretty candy jars, and made Cookie Bouquets! It was so much fun! We also made a 'prescription bottle' up for our husbands...used large prescription bottles and made fun labels for their "perscription for love", and filled them with Red Hot Hearts :-) For some reason we didn't get a pic of those...but you get the idea, I'm sure! Jessie and I had a blast putting them together (always lots of fun and giggles!!), and the recipients all loved them, so it was a total success all-around:

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentines with your favorite people! I know I did :)

Posted in: crafts, Family, friends, gifts, holidays on Monday, February 22, 2010 at at 9:47 AM 2 comments    

I made this for a friends' 30th Birthday. Today is her party, and since I needed something for her anyway, I figured why not go ahead and try my hand at making an altered frappuccino gift now? This way I can work out any kinks before I start my Christmas projects. But suprisingly - no real kinks to work out - this was a lot of fun! What do you think?

That's not even all of it...are you clearing out room for me?? Haha...oh and are you wondering what that green inferno is looming in the back of the picture? It's your Christmas pressie, of course! I told you I'd get it to you before Valentines... :-)

Until next time - Love!

Mariah

Posted in: Being Frugal, christmas, crafts, friends, gifts, holidays on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at at 12:07 PM 2 comments    

This first idea...altered Starbucks Frappucino bottles...is one that is on my list to make for teachers, co-workers and our neighbors next year. Usually I do baked goods/candies for both our neighbors and teachers, but since I am swearing off most of my usual Christmas baking next year (a little sadly, because I do love it...but for good reason), to make it a little less stressful while getting ready for both Christmas and a vacation to Disney - these will fill in quite nicely, I think. Still homemade, unique and heartfelt :) Plus, we usually take our neighbors their gifts on the morning of Christmas Eve...since we'll not be there Christmas Eve I was trying to think of something we could give a week before that they would be able to enjoy in the week leading up to Christmas...I saw an idea on another blog using these for a hot chocolate gift "basket". The best thing is that although I won't want to fill the jars too far in advance, I can have them all decorated up and ready to fill wayyy ahead of time, so that all I have to do before I hand them out is fill the jars, which shouldn't take any time at all! I am also thinking of using the same idea but changing it up a little to be some sort of 'pamper' gift...something like homemade milk bath in one bottle, bath salts in one and shower scrub in the 3rd...then maybe leaving the 4th jar out and putting a scrubbie or something in the 4th section? Come to think of it that might make a good teacher gift instead of the hot chocolate...hmmm! Things to think about. I will have to figure out exactly who will get what kind before I decorate them but I have already started collecting the 4-packs of Frap drinks for this project. Who knows...while working on them the creative juices might get flowing and give me even more ideas for others on my list.

Here is a pic of the one another blogger made:

This cute set was made by http://pixelsnpaper.blogspot.com/. What an adorable inspiration!!

Another idea I am working on for my Sister in Law and her Hubby is an altered Family Scrabble Board. It will look something like this, although with different wording and their last name will be the "center" word that I build the other words off of:

Unfortunately, I saved this picture a long time ago and do not remember where I got it to give credit to the creative person who made this - but whoever/wherever you are - thank you for the beautiful idea!!

So far that is all I've found that I'm working on...except making fleece sleepmasks and pajama pants for my 4 kids that are Disney themed...I don't have any pictures of inspiration on those yet though because I haven't looked for patterns/ideas yet. I just know it's something I will be doing. I will post other ideas and pictures of my finished projects as I come up with them.

God bless and Happy New Year!
Mariah

Posted in: Being Frugal, Budgeting, christmas, Family, friends, holidays, vacation on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 at at 8:13 AM 0 comments    

I sit here at my computer, thinking about my blog and realizing it was almost this exact same time last year that I thought starting a blog back up was a great idea. Now here it is...a year later...and I've made a seriously pathetic number of posts so far. I started this blog as a way to remind myself to be motivated, be creative, be inspired...maybe even to help keep my goals. I still want this blog to represent that...and everything about life that I love so much - God, family, home, writing, crafting - living my life to the fullest. Enjoying every moment and hoping that I make the people in my circle feel as blessed as they make me feel.

There are reasons...or excuses...as to why I have neglected to post - we really have had a very busy and very productive (!) year. We went from a family of 3 to a family of 6 almost overnight. That all started about mid-year...right after we were licensed to be foster parents. We started on the fostering journey thinking eventually we might adopt a child, maybe even two that came into our care along the way. That all changed pretty suddenly when 3 little blessings came our way, and the only way I can describe how it all happened is that it was meant to be...pre-destined, pre-determined...God's plan for our life. Everything that happend was simply too unbelievable, too coincidental to have happened by some happy accident. These 3 kids were meant to become a part of our family, from the very beginning...all roads have led us here. I know this. So...now our happy little family of 3 is a happier, larger (and of course, busier) family of 6. The 4 kids we always dreamed of but knew we could never have...well now we have them. Life is good, God is amazing.

So now, here I am...seemingly back to where I started. Right after Christmas, vowing next Christmas I will be more prepared, ready ahead of time and have made most of our family gifts. That didn't happen for this Christmas - but I am even more determined than ever to make that happen next Christmas. I realized this Christmas just how hectic it is and how fast it goes with 4 kids...so much faster than it went with just our daughter. I think I took for granted her first 11 Christmases, the calm, the time we were able to spend together just enjoying the season. Things sure went differently between work, therapy appointments, doctor appointments, shopping for more gifts than I've ever imagined buying for one occassion. And although next year we will also be busy, decidedly so, at Christmas...that is pushing me even more to vow that I will be 95% ready for Christmas by December 1st (5% reserved for baking which can't really be done that far in advance, haha). The reason we need to be ready so early? Because over the week of Christmas, to celebrate the first Christmas after finalizing the adoptions, we will be on a family vacation to Disney World! I am so excited about that...and want everything to go smoothly. The first 5 days of vacation will be spent at the parks, and the last 2 relaxing and enjoying each other. We plan to drive to the coast and spend Christmas Eve watching the sun set over the Gulf. So you see...I really do need to be more organized, more productive and more prepared for 2010. I have set several goals and I am hoping that I can see most of them to fruition.

Goals for 2010
Lose 5lbs (or more) per month
Continue to pay down debt
Save for and plan Disney Christmas Vacation
Work on Christmas gifts for 1 'family' ('family' here means any set group of people, ie teachers) on our list each month
Have all Christmas gifts made or bought by December 1, 2010

I will have to get creative and really push myself to make sure I meet these goals...usually I rely heavily on home-made goodies (candies, cookies, etc) as gifts for friends, family and teachers - however having to have all things made by December 1st that really will limit food gifts this year. I will still probably do a few things but I want December to mainly be un-scheduled and un-stressful, so I won't be doing very many food-gifts at all. I have come up with a few ideas though - I have a really neat idea for my Sister in Law and her husband...a "Family Scrabble Board" where you take and alter a scrabble board with scrapbooking supplies and use the tiles to spell out their names, and words that symbolize 'family'. I think it will be really neat. I also found an idea for altering Starbucks 4-pack Frap bottles...you can do so many things using scrapbooking supplies and a little paint and ribbon, they turn out so cute. I have seen ideas for hot cocoa gift sets using those (two bottles filled with hot cocoa mix, one with marshmallows, and one with peppermints) which is something I'm definitely planning on doing...the only thing I would have to do *after* December 1st on those would be add the marshmallows (wouldn't want to add them too early and have them get stale or clumpy...eww). I also make a killer chai tea mix so I am thinking I could come up with some ideas along those lines also, just have to figure out what to package with it. Maybe just some festive store-bought christmas candies? The one other idea I am excited about is making fleece pajama pants. I am definitely making them for my 4 kids, my SIL's 4 kids and also my cousins 3 kids. I might even think about making them for some adults on our list. I have tons of ideas saved in a folder in my e-mail, so I will be going through those over the next month or so to see if there are any good things to add to my list also. I'm pretty excited about this right now...I just hope that I can stay this excited/motivated about it! If I can, then I'm sure I will be more than ready for Christmas 2010 and our Disney Vacation well ahead of my December 1st goal :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. For me, although hectic and crazy, and except for a few not-so-great moments, it was one of the most wonderful Christmases yet.

God Bless and have a happy and SAFE New Year!
Mariah

Posted in: Adoption, Being Frugal, blogging, Budgeting, christmas, Faith, Family, Foster Care, friends, holidays, Prayer, Shopping, vacation on Monday, December 28, 2009 at at 8:47 AM 0 comments    

I'm coming to a sad realization about my life...for too long I have been the 'people pleaser' or the 'peacekeeper'...'pushover' would be the non politically-correct way of saying it, really...practically letting people walk all over me just so they wouldn't think I'm not a nice person. I don't know what happened, but when I hit 30 I think I started taking back my life a little. I am still a nice person...that is just me and I wouldn't ever want to change that. If you are my friend, I will give you anything or do anything for you if it is within my power. But the walking-over-me part has gotten old, and I've started to tire of it. I've started to speak my mind. Not all the time, but when something has really been bothering me or when it really matters.

In doing this, in gaining this newfound self-empowerment...or self-respect (as opposed to respect for everyone BUT myself...respect is a fine line and I'm learning if you don't respect yourself you're not REALLY respecting anyone else either...you're just being their doormat disguised as being respectful), I have found I am losing in another way...a couple of (so I thought) really good friendships. Although my husband would say if that's the case they weren't true friendships to begin with...I don't know. I always thought they were. I loved them as family. But perhaps your friends get so conditioned to you being at their beck & call, with no return requirement, they don't understand you when you suddenly become this different person, who is actually better...but they can't compute that fact. Can't compute that I'm being a person now who is good for ME, and as my friend they should want that. Even if it requires for them to be there for ME sometimes now, and that I now make that point clear. In fact they used to comment on how I SHOULD stand up for myself more.

I guess it's kind of like the skinny friend who is all for you getting healthy and losing weight until you actually start losing weight and they try to (subconciously) sabatoge you...because they are really comfortable with who you are, and your dynamic, and are scared of the change.

Don't get me wrong, I haven't gotten mean or aggressive or even disagreeable. I still try to be nice when I'm pointing out that I don't like something or that I need something...but it is change and I guess for some, it isn't good. It is hard to have friends completely stop communicating with you simply because you point out (in a too-nice, almost apologetic way) that the friendship runs two ways...and that if you really miss me like you say, you can come see me too.

But maybe if you drive on a one-way street long enough, and become conditioned to no oncoming traffic, a crash is inevitible when you try to make that turn onto the highway.

Posted in: friends on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at at 10:35 PM 0 comments