A Cool Mom Site

Yesterday on my way to Tampa, I was listening to XM. My favorite stations on XM are Take 5, 155, and Oprah and Friends, I think it is 156. I love the fact that I can listen to talk radio for women all day long if I want to. If you love to have a variety of music and talk with limited commercials, you should check out XM. It is affordable and convenient, especially when traveling. You never lose the station while you change cities, plus they have every kind of music- kids, country, 30's - 90's stations, and TALK!

I digressed from my original thought- it is late and I am sleepy!

So I was listening to Jean Chatsky in the car. Since I did not have my kids with me, I got to listen to whatever I wanted!! I love Jean Chatsky because she offers great financial advice. Yesterday, she was speaking to two women that started their own business for moms called Mom Space. It is a mom resource for all types of businesses and has a great mom chat group I joined tonight with lots of groups to join. I highly recommend you check it out. It is new, so it is not huge, and if you live in one of the 50+ cities they offer a lists of resources for, you may find it saves you tons of time!

Of course if you are a work at home mom, the GREATEST chat/forum is the Smart Moms forum. I am biased on this one, since I am a co-owner of it! Check them both out and join both!

The Real Problem

I was able to drive over to see Rick today. My dear sister kept my kids all day! Finally, we saw the pulmonary doctor. Luckily I was there to ask the right questions and hear the answers! The first thing is that the chest x-ray did not really show the pneumonia but did show something. The CT scan they did showed the pneumonia, so if that had not been done, they would not have known he even had it! It is in his lower right lung and probably in the left. The main problem is that transplant patients sometimes get different strands of illnesses that cannot be treated the same way. So he is in the hospital for three more days, waiting to see if he has the common form of pneumonia and if these antibiotics work. If they do not work (if his symptoms do not go away by Sunday), he will have to have a procedure to get a sample of what is in his lungs on Monday. So keep praying that his lungs will clear and he can come home Monday.

So He Had to be Admitted

Rick was admitted to the hospital at 3:00 am and the ER dr. said he thought it looked like he had bronchitis. So we were hopeful he would come home today. They did a CT and it turns out he has pneumonia. He has to stay tonight to get IV antibiotics. The nurse told him it would be once a day for four days! He saw a doctor this morning, but no since, so he told them he wanted the doctor to come see him tonight... and he still has not, even though it is 9:00 pm. It is very frustrating because the nurse tells you answers that may not be the correct answer and the doctor cannot be found to give the correct answer. Also, Rick did not want me to drive over there since I had the kids, so now he is lonely since he has not seen us for a day! So tomorrow we will make the drive and visit for a little while. Hopefully this won't be a long stay!

Just to vent about Emergency Rooms

My dear husband had to go to the emergency room tonight- not what we would consider and emergency, but his doctor told him to go straight there. Although "there" was two hours away in another city. With his kidney transplant, he has a doctor here, but the transplant hospital is in Tampa. He may have an infection in his lungs, his medicine has been making him feel funny, and he has lost some weight since they changed his meds. All signs of concern, but this has been going on for two weeks or so, he has been going to work, and is functioning. So of course he has to go because the doctor said so. SO here it is 1:23 am, 8 hours after the doctor told him to go, and he has STILL NOT SEEN THE DOCTOR! First, he had to drive (and stop to get something to eat thank goodness!), then he had to be admitted and seen by triage, then he had to wait. Since he was not critical (and could have waited until tomorrow when the doctors were working!) he was pushed back from getting an ER room. Finally at 11:30 pm he got a room. He had to give some blood, get the second x-ray of the day, and wait. I just called and he still has not seen a doctor. How is it possible that this was an emergency!!!!!! I am going to try to go to sleep now and wait for his call to tell me if they are keeping him or releasing him or if anything is even wrong. He will not drive back tonight, but do you think anyone there is offering him a place to stay! No hotel rooms at the hospital. Fortunately my parents have a home 30-45 minutes from there, but still- what time will it be when he has to drive?????

Okay now, I am done venting. I will update later this morning on his condition... if I am not over there.

Gas Price Increase

I have a little Pontiac Vibe. It is a great small car with reasonably good gas millage. Yesterday, I had to fill up for the first time in a few weeks. I live in a small town, and don't drive terribly far, especially over the last few weeks with sick kids... so I was shocked that the price here in town was $3.20. According the AAA fuel gauge report, our gas is at the top of the scale. We have added gas taxes in this town, supposedly some of the highest gas taxes in the state, but still... a little town in Florida with the highest gas prices? I was on my way on a 140 mile round trip to visit my friend and her children and I felt GUILTY! How could I go anywhere with gas prices so high?
This report that showed up on Yahoo this morning gives some great ways to increase you gas mileage. Some seem like they would not make much of a difference, but any difference can save you money and more than that, save the gas. So do your part! Save some gasoline, save some money!

Qualities of a Wealthy Woman

My friend Amber is posting a series about the qualities of a wealthy woman. On my car, I have "Smart Moms Finish Rich" as my advertisement for my business (see a picture here). As a church going woman, I get some remarks about what does it mean to "finish rich" (at least they are not questioning the smart part...). All people want to "be rich" but no one wants to admit it! Being rich means to be successful in all areas of life, your family, your church, your work, not just the amount of money you have (or don't have) in the bank. I am rich because I have a wonderful husband that loves and supports me with two wonderful children that keep me on my toes. I am rich because I have three wonderful business partners that are working to improve our lives and the lives of other women. I am rich because I attend a wonderful Bible believing church. I am rich because I have 4 loving siblings and parents that happen to all live in the same town. I could continue to list my "rich" areas of life... but there would not be enough room to continue on. If you are feeling "poor", reevaluate your life and what you do have. As Sheryl Crow stated, "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you've got." If your job is what is holding you back from being rich, visit our Smart Mom site and see if we have something to help you out. Don't go through life thinking you are poor, be RICH!

Smart Mom Tips for Saving Energy

One of the largest expenses in a household is the power bill. It does not matter where you live, whether you have a mild winter or a mild summer- most places have one extreme or the other- a hot summer or a cold winter, each being able to strain a families household budget. Without being an electrician, there are some ways to lowering you electricity bill. These are simple steps you family can take to lower your bill each month and throughout the year.

1. Turn off the lights. It seems simple, but it is a hard habit to make. How many times do you walk out of a room without flipping the switch? Many times you do not even notice until the next time you come into the room, which could be hours later. Turning off the lights is the easiest no-cost way to reducing your energy bill. Also, replace your five most used light bulbs with ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent bulbs to save $60 each year in energy costs. These light bulbs use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer.
2. Unplug appliances your are not using. Not only are you lowering the possibility of starting a fire, but by unplugging the appliances that are not is use, you will lower your bill. If it is plugged in, it is using electricity. Unplug the coffee pot, toaster, and the blender. If you keep these appliances on your counter, they do not have to be plugged in if you are not using them.
3. Unplug cell phone chargers and turn off power strips. Again, if is plugged in, it uses electricity. If you plug your computer, cell phone, printer, and fax all into one power strip, you can turn the power strip off when it is not in use with one click.
4. Turn the computer off: do not let it hibernate. Hibernating computers or computers on stand by are still using electricity. Again, turn them off or turn off the power strip when not in use. However, hibernation is better than being on. Set your computer to turn off if not in use, but make sure to turn it off if you will not be using it for a long period.
5. Use the microwave, crock pot, or counter top oven in the summer. Unless you want your house to heat up, do not use your oven in the summer time. By cooking meals in smaller appliances, you will decrease the amount of work your air conditioner has to do to cool the house back down. A small counter top oven (similar to a toaster oven, but better) can cook almost everything a large oven can, but it takes less time to preheat and does not heat up the entire kitchen. In the winter, you may want your house to heat up, so use the oven! Also, do not self-clean the oven in the summer time. The 500 degree temperatures really heat up the house.
6. Turn off ceiling fans if no one is in the room. Ceiling fans are great to cool a room while increasing the thermostat temperature. But if no one is in the room, it is not helping anyone. Ceiling fans are "instant gratification" appliances. They cool immediately and do not provide for a build up of cool air. Also, reverse the fan in the winter to help move the warm air around. All fans have a small switch to reverse the blade direction. That will help to move the warm air that has risen to warm the house.
7. Get window treatments. Blinds and curtains are more than a designer statement. They help keep the sun out in the summer and keep the cool air out in the winter. Even insulated windows can use the extra boost. Close the curtains and blinds at night to regulate the temperature, especially in the winter. Close the curtains during the day in the summer to keep the cool air in. Open the curtains in the winter to let the sunlight in.
8. Wash clothes in cold water. With the new cold water detergents, almost all clothes can be washed in cold water. That can lower an electricity bill by $63 in a year. Do full loads instead of partial loads. Do not do laundry during peak energy use times- when people are getting ready to go to work and when people are making dinner.
9. Do a few loads of laundry in a row. The dryer will remain warm and will not need to reheat from being cold. Do not overload your dryer since it will take more time to dry. Also be sure your the warm air is venting out of your house. If you have a utility room, close the door to keep the house from heating. Unless it is winter and then use the heat to your advantage!
10. Get a water heater blanket. This is an easy way to decrease your bill by keeping the water heater insulated. During the winter, the water heater is trying to keep up with the cool air. A blanket will keep the temperature regulated. It is so easy to install, you can do it yourself.

As a smart mom, you want to teach your children to make good choices and form good habits that will last forever. And of course, the benefit to the environment is another great reward. If needed, provide an incentive to your children for following the energy rules. The money you will save in the long room will be worth the time and effort to get your family into good habits. A little consistency and work up front will help your household over the long term.

My friends got me a fire extinguisher!

Today my dear friends Ali and Stephen called and told us they had bought us a present... so they came over with a fire extinguisher! In case my oven catches on fire, they want me to be ready.... LOL!

I did buy a great counter top oven- I love it! First, it does not heat up the house. Second, it takes minutes to preheat. Third, it came with a rotisserie! I have cooked frozen food like cheese sticks, those tear away cookies (just enough to eat right then), toasted bagels and waffles, and made french bread pizza. I do usually cook more, but with the family sick, not so much this week! I am hoping it will lower my power bill some this summer by not using the oven.

Crazy Kid Sleeping Positions

In this great blog I found, Crazy Hip Blog Mamas they have a posting for crazy kid sleeping positions. So I went and found one... sleeping sideways on Daddy!

Crafts That Are TOO Hard

My son did not want to go to Wednesday night church recently. He likes to stay home with Daddy, even though he used to call it "his school." So I asked him why he did not want to go. He answered, "Because the crafts are too hard. Crafts should not be that hard." He is almost 4, but there are kids in there that are almost 6. So it is probably too hard. But does that make him a perfectionist? Oh no!

My two year old needs to speak English!

My little girl is just 2 and 1 week. She was born when my son was 22 months old, and I believe I remember him talking so we could understand him. She is getting so frustrated because she knows what she is saying, but I have no idea! She takes me around the house, saying the same thing over and over and I have no idea what it is. I feel terrible that I cannot translate. My sister told me to ask my son what she is saying since he may understand her... ha ha ha! When I asked him, he repeated her sounds and added in some baby sounds for good measure! He has no clue either. So I need her to speak English, not 2 year old. She is getting angrier and angrier that we cannot understand her and I feel terrible! Any translators available?

VBS Game Day Central Cookies

A wonderful woman at our church made these cookies for our Game Day Central kick off event for our Team KID group. They are too cute and yummy too! She used cookie dough refrigerator batter on these big plates she got that you cook on (like Gladware, I think). Then she did the icing. I cannot give you all the details, but you can improvise from what you see.

A Real Mom's Mother's Day

What would a Mother's Day be if you got to sit back and relax? For a mom of a preschooler and toddler, it is just a dream. Today I am nursing back to health a 2 year old... she is throwing up! I always try to track down where we get the viruses from, but it was a busy week- the grocery store (and no wipes available to wipe down the cart), the library for story time, church on Wednesday night, MOPS on Thursday, the pet store and children's museum on Friday. Too many opportunities out there, huh? I usually am really good at wiping things down before they touch them and their hands after we leave, but I was not so good this week. Someone told me I needed to build up their immunity. Now my son has a slight fever, which is amazing, because he hardly ever gets sick! So my Mother's day lunch at my moms house is not going to happen, although I made some of the food this morning. We were also going to have birthday cake for Sophia's birthday last week. It is already ordered, so someone is going to eat it! Maybe I will have Rick record them singing Happy Birthday to her! LOL
I know the "sit back and relax" days may come some day, but so is the day of a mom... taking care of your children that cannot help it they are sick, making food for a party you were attending but can't make it to, and cleaning the house. Does that mean I get a rain check for next Sunday?

Naps or no naps?

My almost 4 year old son really stopped taking naps months ago- he could use a nap, but I am not in to him staying awake until 11:00 pm. If he does not take a nap, he is usually in bed at 8:00 pm, if not earlier. While I was in Las Vegas for a week, he got used to getting up when his daddy got up, at 6:00 am! Not my usual wake up time... so it has been killing me for the last few weeks, and him, since he is exhausted by 5:30 pm, too early for bed. So two nights ago, he went to sleep at 7:00 pm and woke up at 8:45 pm ready to go. He actually took a nap at 7:00 in the evening! And of course, who stayed up with him... ME! The next day, he got up early again, but this time I made him nap at 1:00 pm. He and his sister played for 1 hour before they both fell asleep. I let him sleep an hour (waking him up is a whole other story) and got him up. So he went to bed at 9:30 pm last night. It is such a hard choice to nap or not nap... peace in the evening because he is rested or an early bed time. I guess we will see how this continues to play out, and if I am the one that has to change and get up early!

The Oven Exploded!

My oven is only 7 years old and is not gunky on the bottom or anything... the other day I saw a red spot (not a flame) on the bottom element when I was cooking. I figured something got on it and was burning off. The next night, I preheated the oven. I had to go outside to get my daughter off the swing and I came back in, walked around the kitchen, and back towards the oven to put some garlic butter on my bread sticks. Then I heard a sound like the dishwasher starting, but it was from my OVEN! It was like "zizzizizizi!" and the whole oven lit up! I stepped back to look at it, saw the light, and turned off the oven and the stove top. There was a bit of smoke, not enough to set off the smoke detector, but the flame would not go out- it was inching around the element. So I ran out and turned off the breaker, which did make the flame go out. So I turned the breaker back on (I was brave) and turned the over back on. It did not burn down the house, but it never heated all the way either. My bread sticks were sort of cooked and then I broiled them to finish them. That element still works.
So this week at the grocery store, I bought things that can be grilled or cooked on the stove top. I thought this may save some energy and money on my power bill, but I guess I have to get it fixed! At least the house did not burn down! :)

Cleaning Tip

My sister told me about a tip for cleaning your jacuzzi tub- you dissolve two dishwasher tablets in really hot water and add them to your tub and turn it on. One thing I did not think of was that I rinse my cleaning rag (that had some type of orange cleaner on it) in the tub while it was filling up. So when I ran the jets, the bubbles blew up! It ended up making a bigger mess since then I had to clean up bubble residue! I am sure the tip works, but make sure your tub is CLEAN water without cleaners!

My little girl is 2!

My little girl's birthday is today. She had a somewhat uneventful day with church, nap, then her birthday cupcakes and presents with McDonald's for dinner. The best part was when she cried when we sang Happy Birthday!

Desperate for Discounted Designer Diaper Bags

I have two children. The first a boy, so when I was choosing a diaper bag, I wanted something that was boyish... not thinking that I would be the one to carry the diaper bag, not him. Also, what happened to my purse when I had the diaper bag? I could hardly stand carrying a purse before kids (although I bought plenty, they just stayed in the car!)- I certainly wasn't going to add it with the diaper bag. Why-- when the bag had all those pockets anyway?
After a year, I did buy a designer bag that was more me and much prettier. I got pregnant soon after that and had not even quit using it for the first when then I needed it for two! Two sizes of diapers, two changes of clothes (at least!) and less room for my things. I so admired those beautiful designer bags at the department stores, but I had a newer bag and could not convince myself I needed another. So one is done with occupying the bag and the other is almost done (hopefully) and now I can take the bag, but leave it in the car.
So I have now created a resource for DISCOUNTED designer diaper bags. Not only are these cooler than those at the baby superstores, they are mostly within normal price points, especially if you know you will be using it for a while.

Some of these are so cute that you may even use them beyond diaper bag years. It makes me want to have another baby just to get a diaper bag! This timi & leslie small bag is adorable and unique! You will have to check it out the selection for yourself. Desperate for Diaper Bags
To open your own store and choose your own niche, click here.

Cleaning week update...

I did not completely accomplish my goal this week. It started off great, as usual, and then went downhill and back up again. I did not get the entire family room dusted on the family room day, but I did get a lot done. The next morning I did get the dusting done, but had to go and get Sophie's 2 year old pictures so that day went downhill. Today I had to tackle the kids section. The playroom was so overwhelming that I had to stop and go all day! There were toys everywhere from my week away! I got a lot together to give to my friend and threw away the junky papers my son likes to keep. I also got rid of the McDonald's toys and the like. Overall, it looked pretty good when I got done. I moved their little table close to the little kitchen and told my son it was his restaurant. So where did we have dinner tonight... in the playroom!

And speaking of dinner, I set a record this week... 5 nights of dinner at home! That is an accomplishment!

Cleaning day continued...

Into the third day of my cleaning challenge and I have not quite accomplished my goal for today- the family room/dining room. My sister came over and blah blah blah... I did not get it done yet. I still have to dust. But the worst thing is after I vacuumed the tile, my dogs and children came in a got grass all over the place, which makes you wonder why you clean at all sometimes. Of course, I could not imagine if I did not clean- the grass and dog hair would be higher than the area rug! So I am plugging through and will not sleep until the dusting is done... even if I finish it after LOST!