1) I am trying to change my makeup routine and decided to browse around Sephora in JC Penney last weekend, and oh my goodness it was overwhelming! A male worker, feeling pity for me who knows waaaaaaayyyy less about fashion and beauty than he did (embarrassing), came over to help me as I tried to explain that I was looking for a mascara.
He asked what exactly I was looking for and I said that I wanted a mascara that would make my eyelashes look less "spidery":
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| not my eye |
and more "feathery":
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| also not my eye |
and he totally got what I was saying! He said, "So you want them to look less gathered?" And I said "Yes, less gathered, that's the word I was looking for". He suggested a mascara that has a more of a comb wand but when I saw it was $22 I left. I guess I'm actually not that committed to changing my routine yet.
2) Maggie was looking and looking at my feet in nude pantyhose (a rarity) and said "Mom, I can tell you're wearing socks because your feet are all sparkly".
3) Our local Chinese restaurant must have gotten a new fortune cookie company, because instead of the lame-o fortunes we usually get, we got these:
4) Soccer season is over! And all the angels sang a Heavenly Alleluila for this tired momma of four soccer players. Up next is basketball (times three boys).
5) Back in July, a sweet reader named Shelley emailed me asking about NFP because she wanted to try it. She wrote:
Hi Colleen,
I love your blog! I found it while looking for information on NFP and I have found it very inspiring. I feel like I am the only person that finds this hard and I struggle with what is a GRAVE reason to avoid pregnancy. I was wondering if you had any information on resources that helped someone learn and practice NFP at home. I live in a very rural area (Canada) and every method seems to require teacher couple training which is not going to work with several small children to transport. Do you have any suggestions for learning at home?
I wrote back:
Hi Shelley,
Nice to "meet" you! I did learn NFP from a class, but my 3 sisters learned by teaching themselves the sympto-thermal method from this book. You would also need a basal thermometer. I'm not sure what you've been using (if anything) in the past and how much you know/don't know about NFP in general, but I think learning this method first is best because it gives the whole picture of temperature plus physical signs that can help you double check everything. Good luck!!!!
We had a couple more exchanges, and then this week, Shelley wrote back:
I just wanted to send you an update and let you know how things went. I took your advice and we have been using NFP for 4 months and have been very happy with it! I also follow your blog...your family is beautiful! Thank you for all your help and your inspiring posts!!!
Isn't she the sweetest? I seriously feel that all the time and energy spent typing out way too many details of my life is now justified :)
6) I'm thinking about Christmas this year - and I'm really leaning towards ONE nice gift per child and the a stocking full of inexpensive toys/candy. That would alleviate a lot of stress and shopping. But the gift giver in me is afraid that the kids will be disappointed to only have one gift to open, even if it is the item they've been talking about all year.
How do you moms handle this?
How do you moms handle this?
7) I can't handle the time change crazies anymore. You know what I'm talking about, right? You turn the clocks back or forward one hour and your kids just can't.seem.to.get.with.the.program!! On Monday, Maggie woke up at 4:45 am, turned on the light and started playing with her baby brother. Every morning since then, the kids have woken up at 5:15 and are down in the kitchen looking for breakfast! I'm not asking for much, just a 6:00 am wakeup time like we used to have would be lovely.
The upside to the whole early morning wakeups is that they are going to bed at 7 pm (as usual) and not even wanting the light on to read for a while. They just ask to go straight to sleep!
Have a fun weekend everybody!
The upside to the whole early morning wakeups is that they are going to bed at 7 pm (as usual) and not even wanting the light on to read for a while. They just ask to go straight to sleep!
Have a fun weekend everybody!
My sister does this really cool thing we are going to start doing. One gift from momand dad, one from Jesus and one from Santa (I think you don't do Santa, so you could get rid of that one). The "best" gift comes from Jesus and it is a catechetical moment discussing how our God is so good that we get showered with gifts (figuratively and literally) on his birthday. Mom and dad and Santa gifts are small.
ReplyDeleteWhen are we meeting up? I have a million things to respond to all! the! takes! but will get distracted typing it all out. What about- you know what? Let me just email you.
ReplyDeleteDer.
(filed under: stupidest comment ever)
I am so jealous of your sleepers. My kids get up at 5 but at 7 they are just getting their second wind of energy.
ReplyDeletethe one gift thing sounds appealing. I would do it now while you still have little ones and just tell the older ones to get used to it...:)
Having a bunch of kids does make it hard financially and.too.much.stuff. as in just stuff.
ReplyDeleteI try to make it 3 presents each because that is how many Jesus received. Not too many? Not too few? Just right?
It is a piece of cake when they are little but once they are teens...It's like you need to buy a car, a plane, a island off of Peru to feel like it is a "gift".
Glad you could help out a wonderful woman with NFP. I was lucky to just be pregnant and nursing all the time.
those have to be the best fortunes ever!! Also, how awesome is it that through your blog you have helped/inspired someone to use NFP?! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteThose fortunes are hilarious. I bet the chef was glad those were in the basket! Here is our house we are struggling with the time change too... my daughter hasn't gotten the memo. Putting the pillow over my head as she says, "I'm hungry, I need to go potty, its too dark in here" only works for so long!
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
So I'm not the only one whose kids sleep is now FOREVER FREAKIN' DISTURBED by the evil of DST??? I'm convinced it was some governmental conspiracy to curb population growth. I've had it. Our kids have been going to bed at the same time but waking up hours earlier. About to lose my mind. Hence the lack of blogging lately.
ReplyDeleteIn the past I've done one bigger gift (from us...we don't do Santa) as well as stockings and maybe a small handmade thing and a special ornament. This year I'm doing a "fun" gift, a book, a homemade gift (but also fun!), ornament, and new p.j.s the night before. And stockings. Stockings have socks, candy, lip balm, and maybe a small toy...
uhhh yeah, still don't have the time change thing down here either. Today Annamarie got up at 6:45 and normally I could get her to at least sleep in til 7:30/8 and then lay in bed with me for a bit. I am not a morning person
ReplyDeleteKudos on the great NFP help! I sometimes feel like I should be helping other people learn, but the method I use is so proprietary. I would use another one, but the one I use is what my doctor needs in order to treat me.
ReplyDeleteI have been struggling with the gift giving thing, too. I always start out with good intentions...but then my ideas out number my budget and I have a hard time reigning it all in. I want my kids to feel special, but I don't want to stress out our budget. I feel guilty if I buy too little...guilty if I buy too much! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteSo often I find myself thinking about the kids in parts of the world(and our own country) who have so little, and feel guilty for all that we have. I want to find the balance with making each of my kids to feel special and touched by the gifts they receive...but I don't want the holiday just focused on 'things' either. A friend of mine does a 3 gift system to mimic the gifts Jesus received. The 3 gifts are comprised of something they need, something they want, and something for the family(like a video). There's a Santa gift, too.
There are many cool things that my kids would enjoy, but they already have so.much.stuff! I would rather have a couple meaningful things that they can enjoy and focus on.
(Now I just have to stop shopping when I'm done with my list!)
#6 I would just make sure you sit them down and explain it to them, and then be consistent each year. My parents would tell us we were getting less, and we would, and then the next year it would be back to normal. It toyed with our emotions... get it? Toyed? :P But anyway, in a year or two it will just be normal and they won't think twice about it!
ReplyDeleteWow, first of all, Super job of evangelizing NFP!!!
ReplyDelete(Way to go Shelley too!)
Next, Christmas, we do the one gift from us and one from Santa and stocking stuffers like mini lego guys (they all love them) socks, lip stuff, nail stuff, jewelery, candy etc...The kids know ahead of time, it's expected. They also get from grandparents, so that's 2 more gifts. If it's talked about ahead of time, they'll be fine. They will understand it much more too. Makes all the other stuff more fun too, cookie baking, baking for neighbors, tree decorating, Advent stuff, Christmas craft stuff, etc...the whole season of stuff--it's all fun...the gifts are a bonus!
Oh, and time change? Don't even get me started. The only people who "gain" an extra hour are single people with no responsibilities. Everyone else loses more than an hour. KIDS DO NOT DO DAYLIGHT SAVINGS, AND BABIES STAY ON THE OLD TIME FOR A LONG TIME.
I love Maybelline's "The Falsies" mascara, and it is pretty cheap, also Cover Girl's curved brush ones are nice, I forget what they are called, lol. I have much more I wanted to type, but I'm typing with one hand and Ells is tryin' to jump down, so the end. xoxo lol
ReplyDeletePS, the answer to number fiVe is YES!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.somewhatsimple.com/kids-christmas-wish-lists/
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of "something I want, something I need, and something I'll read"
We also had four soccer players and I was so happy when it was over. My kids receive no gifts from us on Xmas, but on epiphany they receive three presents each: a large item that they've asked for (usually legos), a book and a small game or clothing article. We do stockings for Christmas and they are all dollar store items.
ReplyDeleteMy kids receive presents from Grandparents on Xmas and if they are disappointed we shrug and say that Xmas is not about gifts.