Our Thoughts & Prayers are with Hurricane Sandy victims

I just want to take some time out to today to say that my prayers and thoughts are with everyone on the East Coast who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy. Whether you live on the East Coast or have family/friends on the East Coast our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

In times of devastation it's easy to lose your hope, it's easy to give up, it's even more easy to lose faith. It's these times when we are being tested the most. But don't let go of any of that! Keep tight hold to your faith, your hope, and don't give up. God is always with you. Others across the world are thinking of you, and although times seem tough right now and things are in a disarray you are not alone. Your never alone.

Again I want to just say that our prayers and thoughts are with all of you.

Happy Homemaker Monday #22

So I'll have another post coming up later today/tomorrow filling you in on details of the weekend. We've done quite a bit, and tonight we're carving our pumpkins so I'll have pictures to post of those as well. It's been crazy, and Lucas was on fall break luckily (even though it was just 2 days off) with the weekend it resulted to 4 days so it was a nice break for us all. I'm also feeling a bit under the weather and I hate to say it, but I feel a cold coming on. But right now, it's time for:

::The weather in my part of the world::
It's getting really windy, nippy, cold but sunny off and on for right now. We are under a weather advisory from 5pm tonight until 8pm tomorrow night due to high winds coming in from hurricane Sandy that have the capability to exceed 50 mph. Plus there is a possible chance of rain/snow tomorrow and Wednesday (Halloween). Not sure how it's going to affect our Halloween because I really don't want to drag the kids out if it's just plain freezing so we'll just have to see how things go. Please all of you in Hurricane Sandy's path please be safe and our prayers are with all of you.

::On my reading pile::
Finishing up Our Southern Breeze by Daphene Jones & Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day by: Daryl Aaron (haven't had much of a chance to read lately).

Starting on Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof on the Kindle today as well.



::On my TV this week::
Besides the kids cartoons I'll be watching Nashville. I can't wait for this week's episode. I love the series so far, and it's only a few episodes in so if your interested in country music, drama, comedy, etc then I suggest it for you as well. It's only a few episodes in so it's not too late to catch up. :)



::On the menu for this week's dinner::
Monday- beef pasta, fried potatoes, green beans
Tuesday- Hand-breaded fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rice
Wednesday- Pizza burgers, macaroni and cheese, broccoli
Thursday- chicken casserole, biscuits, mashed potatoes
Friday- pigs in a blanket, macaroni and cheese, peas
Saturday- turkey manhattans, corn, rolls
Sunday- spaghetti with meat sauce, and garlic bread



::Looking around the home::
Kids are watching cartoons and snacking on some chips. It's almost time to leave for school. Backpack is packed up and sitting by the front door ready to go. All the blinds are open letting in that wonderful natural lighting. The wind is blowing outside off and on and the trees outside our windows are starting to change colors. I don't see any birds today whether it be from the cold or they sense the fierce weather on it's way. It's not overly cloudy but there's a few white clouds out there in the blue sky. Dishes are all done in the sink which is just wonderful and pumpkins are lined up ready for carving tonight.



::Last week's recap::
I put up a great giveaway from Pink Taffy Designs. You should definitely check into it and enter to win a set of hand-designed wall letters to complete your child's/babies room decor. They are just so wonderful and unique. Head on over here to enter.

We went to the Pumpkin Patch Saturday which is a family tradition of ours. The Pumpkin Patch we usually frequent wasn't open this year since they didn't produce any pumpkins due to the drought. I was quite disappointed with the one we tried because we had to pay just to get in $12 total and all the pumpkins in the patch were rotted on one side at least! The lines were horribly long and after waiting in line to do the pony ride which cost $2 for about 30 minutes my son decided he just wanted to go home. Levi wasn't having any fun and screamed off and on the whole time we were on the hayride where we were given the background of the family farm. Lucas was semi interested in that, but as it was so cold it wasn't a good experience. Plus I almost got bit by a pony! Levi was terrified of some turkeys they had in their "petting zoo" which I wouldn't allow the kids to try and pet anyway knowing first-hand how ornery and aggressive turkeys can sometimes be. One stuck it's head out of the rail and actually snapped Levi's coat hood which thankfully was hanging on his back instead of on his head at that moment. The only highlight of the pumpkin patch was a beautiful white kitty who was so loving it was demanding attention from everyone which the boys were more than glad to give it.

We went to a couple Halloween parties yesterday, and ran some errands as well. The boys won third place as Batman and Robin in our apartment complexes Halloween contest and they got a ribbon and a couple prizes (one each). But again as it was so incredibly cold we didn't stay long, just long enough for them to play with some of the children and enter in the costume contest.



::What I'll be up to this week::
Hopefully taking the kids trick or treating
Getting Lucas's birthday invitations sent out
Making an Elf on the Shelf Pinterest board
Planning a Christmas/Advent type thing for December
Making a list of all the things we're going to need for our puppy (which we are planning on getting for Christmas)
Returning some movies to the library and probably picking up some more
Normal household chores



::On my to-do list just for today::
Dishes throughout the day
Make out this week's shopping list & budget
Sweeping
Vacuuming
Fold laundry and put it away (got it all done early so I don't have to be out in the wind)
Pick up some tea candles for our pumpkins (thought I had some but I don't)
Pick up Lucas from school
Make a new blog button for Mommy's Musings



::Tips & Tricks::
no tips and tricks for today



::From the camera::
no pictures today



::Something fun to share::
Ed Emberley's drawing books

These are step-by-step drawing books that are really easy for even young children to follow. Ed Emberley teaches drawing using shapes, lines, etc. I cannot even stress how easy these are to follow, and it's so fun to draw them! Lucas absolutely loves them, and I grew up drawing from them as well.



::Bible Verse/devotional::
Hebrews 10:29
How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

Songs That Make Us Sing Saturdays #3

Today I would like to share with you one of my favorite songs from my NEW favorite TV show Nashville.
It comes on ABC at 10/9c on Wednesdays, and every single episode so far has just been captivating. I definitely can't get bored watching this show, and I get to enjoy good country music while I watch it. And the actors are all actually singing which makes it even that much more amazing, to me anyway. If your interested in watching it only 3 episodes have aired so far, so it isn't too late to catch up or just enjoy.
Here's this week's song pick. Hope you enjoy it...

If you would like to join in on:
Just click on one of the following links and add your name to one of the mister linkys. They are amazing blogs by the way so go ahead and give them a follow as well if you'd like. :)

(not) Just Another Mom of Twins

&

Because I'm The Mommy

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Tori

A Pink Taffy Designs Post & ~Giveaway~

I have recently learned of a really amazing site called: Pink Taffy Design

Pink Taffy Designs is a unique Baby Boutique with a wonderful selection of items for your baby/child. They also offer personalized baby gifts!
When I say they are unique I mean it! They have one of the most unique selection I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.
They have a variety of gifts/items to choose from including (but not limited to): room decor, hand painted wall letters, tutus and pettiskirts, birthday items, baby shoes, toys, carseat covers, diaper bags, and even items for mom and dad to choose from for themselves! They have just about everything, and stuff you can't just walk into a department store and find.
Their prices are definitely reasonable for what is offered, especially considering everything on their site is hand-curated.
Here are a few of the items that I fell in love with on their site because I know my children would definitely enjoy them:

Kidkraft Cook Together Kitchen

Hand-Painted Wall Letters
you can choose your own design and choose regular letters or circles

Airflow Collectibles Sky King Pedal Plane

There is just so much more I could browse all day long! Plus another great feature is if you want to customize the wall letters with your own design they will do that at no extra charge! As a matter of fact most questions you may have are listed under their FAQs. Pink Taffy Designs items have even been featured in magazines, a few include: Child, BabyTalk, Southern Living, and more.
They also have some amazing Baby Shower Gift Sets that are just spectacular. If you want to check out their site for yourself you can visit their webpage @ http://www.pinktaffydesigns.com and I also have a button on the right hand side of the blog page you can click on to get there. Enjoy!

And Pink Taffy Designs is going to give away a set of their amazing hand crafted wall letters right here on Mommy's Musings! So if your looking for that extra special touch for your child's room/nursery you don't want to miss out on this! You can simply enter in on the rafflecopter form below, and good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quality Nurses are Vital in the Care of the Chronically Ill

I am so very pleased to have a guest blogger, Melanie Bowen, join us today. Melanie Bowen has done extensive research and writing about the importance of quality nursing for chronically ill patients.
As I have had 2 very close family members become diagnosed with cancer this is a subject I find of the utmost importance.
When your loved one becomes sick it is top priority to choose a nurse/caregiver wisely, and this will shed some light on what to look for and what qualities you will find in a Quality Nurse.

***

This is a guest post by Melanie Bowen who has done extensive research and writing about the importance of quality nursing for chronically ill patients.

Quality Nurses are Vital in the Care of the Chronically Ill

Quality nurses are needed for chronically ill patients since a col half of the American population is living with some sort of chronic illness. Half of the American population is 145 million people. By 2030, the number of chronically ill patients is expected to reach 171 million people. Many people have multiple chronic illnesses including: heart disease, diabetes, asthma, depression or even cancer or mesothelioma. To ensure proper car, quality nurses must be available.

What Qualities to Look for in a Good Nurse

Nurses and medical professionals are often deficient in certain categories. Quality nurses overcome these deficiencies and deliver superior care. Examples of deficiencies include: no coordination among health professionals, medical professionals who are not following established practice guidelines, inadequately trained medical professionals and no follow-up for the best outcomes. Nurses should also:

1. Understand Their Patients Illness
Successful nurses remain informed about their patient's condition. They learn to be empathetic and understand how their patient's condition affects their everyday lives.

2. Helps Chronically Ill Care For Depression
Nearly one-third of individuals also suffer from depression. Nurses should help patients care for their depression.

3. Nurses Should Help Clients Create a Care Plan
The care plan should include a medical history and a medication list. All healthcare professionals can follow this plan to yield a more successful outcome each time patients are treated.

4. Observe Changes in the Patient's Condition
Nurses should monitor verbal and non-verbal clues in chronically ill patients. Their hand gestures or facial expressions of pain should be acknowledged, and the appropriate treatment should be rendered. Good nurses are able to determine how a patient is feeling and suggest an appropriate treatment.

5. Nurses Provide Resources to Help Patients
Nurses know of the major resources available to help chronically ill patients. Care for chronic illnesses are expensive. In total, care for chronic illnesses cost billions of dollars annually. Nurses should be able to help patients apply for government programs and find discounts for medications and other health care costs.

Find a Quality Nurse
Quality nurses can be hired for chronically ill patients. Both Medicare and Medicaid will pay for chronically ill patients to have a nurse. Consider how nurses can help chronically ill patients on the road to recovery. Nurses can be highly beneficial in these situations. Whether you are battling a breast cancer treatment, a mesothelioma diagnosis, or leukemia chemotherapy; never give up the fight and find a medical assistant who not only cares about your wellbeing but know how to help as well.

Glade Expressions Collection ~ Review

We have a very active household. We're usually on the go, the boys love to play outside, and my husband works in a factory getting often covered in hydrolic oil, grime, etc.

Things can sometimes get a bit smelly no matter how often I clean the home. But one of the rooms that gets the worst is the bathroom. We have only one bathroom for all 4 of us. Yikes! You don't even want to imagine.

I've done the whole potpourri on the back of the toilet, gel air fresheners on the back (which always seem to evaporate or lose their scent not even a week later, candles, etc. But none of it is cutting it. We have only 2 plug-ins in our restroom so doing the whole plug-in air fresheners is not really an option either. I need those for hair dryer, straightener purposes, etc. So imagine how excited I was to hear through being a BzzAgent that there was an oil diffuser that not only doesn't plug in the wall, but takes NO BATTERIES! I kid you not on this one! I jumped at the chance to participate in this campaign.

And it lasts 30 days! I don't have to buy a refill for 30 days! A whole month! I'm still amazed at that truly. To be totally honest I love this product so much that I went out and bought another one for my living room. Since then I'm always getting compliments on how wonderful my home smells. Plus when I've been gone all day and I get home I am greeted with a wonderful inviting scent, no candles needed!
Plus it's spill proof so if you have pets, children, etc., running around and this gets knocked over don't fret. You can breathe a sigh of relief, pick it up, and set it back in it's place with no worries. I mean seriously can it get any better???

Plus the design is just amazing and something that fits so well with any decor, and so fun looking.

This is the pleasing scent I tried:

Fuji Apple & Cardamom Spice Oil Diffuser

If that isn't exciting enough they have a whole new line of air freshener fragrances out that are refillable! And they smell heavenly! I have to stop myself from spraying too much around the house because it smells that good! It just comforts me, makes me feel relaxed, and it lasts all day long! Plus it's such a fine mist that it doesn't make that annoying loud sound most air fresheners make when you spray them. It's a really quiet sound and gentle mist. No more spraying air freshener every few hours to have that lasting favorite scent! I can attest to the fact that I can spray this around my whole house once a day and it truly lasts. I can even still smell hints of it by the next day! And this is my new favorite scent when it comes to air freshener sprays:

Cotton & Italian Mandarin

It is a wonderful blend of cotton, honeydew, and sandalwood with hints of sparkling citrus. I have never smelled anything so wonderful! What I like about this besides the glorious smell is the bottle shape and design. It's really modern and fits in with almost any home decor! Plus since the design is plastic there are no more rust rings wherever you sit the bottle in case it gets wet. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about if you've sat an air freshener bottle anywhere near a sink or such. If you don't like the label you can always peel it off for a sleeker private design to just show the white bottle, and the best thing is that since it is refillable you can choose any of the wonderful Glade Expression refillable to place back in your bottle.

the cotton & italian mandarin refill bottle

I LOVE this product! I highly recommend it, and to be honest I am so glad to be done with those annoying plug ins and cheap looking bottles of air fresheners. These are also affordable, but because of their sleek design they look classy! And oh the glorious smells! I can't wait to eventually try all the scents, but one step at a time. haha.
I got to try the Glade Oil Diffuser and the Glad Refillable Air Freshener for free as a BzzAgent, but I did go back and purchase my second Glade Oil Diffuser at full price which at walmart was only $5.98. Best money I've ever spent and long lasting.
If you decide to try the Glade Expressions collection just shoot me an email and tell me what you thought about them. You can find them at any mass retailer. I have seen them at Meijer, Target, Walmart, Kroger, CVS, etc. I would love to hear your thoughts on the product, and I can't wait to hear how much you love the Glade Expressions collection just like I do.


Disclaimer: As a BzzAgent I received the above products mentioned for free for review purposes. All opinions expressed above are solely my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday #21

It's another Monday and with it comes another hectic week. I have had a doozy of the last couple of weeks. I even forgot about HHM last Monday (so sorry!). Now after I've apologized about missing last Monday's post do you forgive me? No huh...well...how about some chocolate fudge brownies and a cold glass of milk? Buttered up yet? Good. :)
And without further delay it's time for::

::The weather in my part of the world::
Crazy as always. Seriously mother nature likes to throw us some curve balls in Indiana. Our weather is always unpredictable. Here's this week's forecast:



::On my reading pile::
I am currently reading Our Southern Breeze by: Daphene Jones with Andrea Taylor Ph.D (paperback version) for review

and Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day by: Daryl Aaron (paperback version) for review

I am enjoying both books so far so I'll keep you updated as I go along.

On my TBR (to be read) pile I have:
Be Still My Soul by: Joanne Bischof (kindle ebook version) for review

Uncharted Territori by: Tori Spelling (hardcover version) checked out from the library

and
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (paperback version) checked out from the library

Seems like quite a lot but I am such a bookworm that I'll probably even add to this list as we go along. haha



::On my TV this week::
I don't have a lot of TV watching planned this week except for one thing and that is Nashville. When the previews to this show first aired I couldn't wait to watch it but due to a crazy couple of weeks I missed two of the first episodes. BUT, thanks to comcast demand I was able to re-watch them and boy oh boy are they everything and more I had hoped. There is intrigue, deceit, romance, country music, etc. It has just about everything you would expect in a good TV show. And since it's only a couple episodes in if your interested in watching it there is still time! It airs on ABC at 10/9c on Wednesdays. If you don't have on demand you can watch the recent episodes on their website at:
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/nashville?cid=showsitelinks_search

Other than that I will probably just watch whatever shows the kids and hubby have on (when I get a chance to sit that is. haha)



::On the menu for this week’s dinner::
Monday- beef cubes served over rice with veggies
Tuesday- chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, peas
Wednesday- homemade pizza
Thursday- homemade cheeseburgers, homemade french fries, applesauce
Friday- Chicken Parmesania with pasta served with broccoli and garlic bread
Saturday- spaghetti with meat sauce, bread sticks
Sunday- slow cooked BBQ ribs, fried potatoes, macaroni and cheese



::Looking around the home::
Everyone is still asleep and I have a steaming mug of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and cool whip on top. Soooo good that I don't even care about how many calories I'm consuming with this delightful treat. It's too good to even think about the negatives. haha
The windows are open, but it's still dark outside. The sun is slowly making it's rise and with it the kids will awake and the week will start. I get up extra early to catch up on emails, blog posts, reading, etc.
Birds are chirping outside and singing their good morning songs to one another.
My Glade oil diffuser fills the air with an apple scent which just feels so homey, and so much like fall.



::Last week's recap::
Last week was mainly filled with a bunch of errands that were ran. On top of that we have had to go up to the main office at our apartment complex every day to try and get our thermostat replaced (even though it still hasn't been fixed). If I haven't already said what's wrong with it, our thermostat is broken. We have to manually turn a spigot type knob admist a bunch of wires to turn our heat off and on. The thermostat won't control it at all so it's either too cold in here or too hot. It's getting frustrating not to be able to control the temperature and have to get up fifty eleven times throughout the night to turn the heat off or on depending on how it feels in here. Still though I have to look at the bright side which is at least we do have heat so we don't have to freeze.
The week before last we did end up making a trip to Conner Prairie which was so amazing. I wrote a blog post about it with some pictures to tell you all about it. :)
Of course blogger wouldn't let me upload a lot of pics for some reason so there isn't as many as I'd planned.
They finally came Saturday to fix our thermostat and it got stuck on after they left. It was so hot, but luckily when Josh got home he was able to fix the problem and found out the turn dial is sticking so we're probably going to have to try to get them to replace it. Hopefully they will because it was over 80 degrees in our house! Thank goodness Josh knows how to fix most stuff or I would have been lost, and we would've burned up.



::What I'll be up to this week::

• Getting the kids Halloween costumes. I was going to make them this year, but it has been really frustrating. They are going as Batman (Lucas) and Robin (Levi). To make their costumes since I don't have all the materials I need would end up costing more than just buying the costumes outright, and plus it's only once a year so its fine. Just as long as they have fun. We already have their pumpkin buckets so they can collect their candy so at least that's out of the way, and thankfully hubby is off for Halloween so he will get to come along on our trick or treating venture which will be a real treat for all of us.

• Going through and straightening the apartment. Since last week was so busy some things have gotten shoved in places they shouldn't be in moments of hectic-ness. Papers on the counter, coloring books and crayons scattered on the kids play table, hot wheels mixed with building blocks, toys sitting in the corner beside the couch, etc. I used to have a toy corner in the living room, but since our living room is now smaller I gave the boys a toy closet in the hallway beside the living room. Everything is labeled by picture so they know what it is and if they want something out they just ask or get it. When they are done it gets put back into it's container and placed back inside the closet until the next time. However they have found their way back to the corner in the living room for the time being and I can't wait to correct that. 

• Getting things ready for Lucas's 5th birthday. We still haven't decided if we are going to have him a party or take him to a play place and just have a small family thing at home afterwards. He has been wanting to go to Chuck e Cheese but we haven't decided. We'll be making a final choice this week since his birthday is Nov. 9th. I can't believe it's came up so quick! I did pick up some great Batman invitations since he settled upon a Batman themed birthday.

• Normal day to day chores such as laundry, dishes, etc.

• Oh and lest I forget today we are going to ALL get our flu shots today for the year. It's not going to be fun for the boys, and my arm always gets really sore so I try to use it as much as possible so it doesn't get stiff as well. The boys will be having theirs done immediately after Lucas gets out of school at the pediatrician's office. While Lucas is in school me and Josh are going to get ours done at CVS.

::On my to-do list just for today::
Sweeping floors
Mopping floors
Vacuuming all the rooms
Straightening up kitchen and living room
Straightening up bedrooms
Taking some movies back to the library that are due
Take Lucas to school and pick him back up
Flu shots for the whole family



::Tips/Tricks::

Tying Bows and Knots Easily

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/225155/bow-and-knot?czone=inspiration%2Fcolor-center%2Fperfect-palettes

::From the camera::

Real Buggy at Conner Prairie. This is the Buggy from the back, the front was the seat and where you tied up the horses but I couldn't get up there for a picture.

::Something fun to share::

22 Things You're Doing WRONG

http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/22-things-youre-doing-wrong

This one really blew my mind! I came across it on Pinterest and there are so many great tips on making things easier. Especially on making BLT sandwiches, peeling potatoes without wasting ANY of the actual potato, eating a popsicle, making a taco, etc. Just amazing. I highly recommend you to read it, you will most likely find something to make things so much easier in the day to day.

::Bible Verse/Devotional::
Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in in tribulation, be constant in prayer.


If you would like to join in on Happy Homemaker Monday you can add your name and link to Mister Linky below. Feel free to choose your own categories, choose your own picture, use my Happy Homemaker Picture above, and please visit Diary of a Stay at Home Mom because I got the idea from her, and she has one amazing blog. :)

Conner Prairie and other things...

As I'm writing this the kids are settled with the Fresh Beat Band just riveted. So that gives me about 10 minutes to share with you what we've been up too. I've been a bad blogger I know. Can I bribe you to forgive me with some Krispy Kreme glazed doughnuts? There we go. haha.

Last weekend on Saturday we took the kids to Conner Prairie. It was suppose to be in the mid 70s with plenty of sunshine but ended up being cloudy and windy. It wasn't really cold though so we still were able to have a great time. Here's some of the pics:

on the way to Conner Prairie we couldn't help but enjoy the open road and pretty fall colors.

Arriving in the parking lot we see this huge hot air balloon in back.

the hot air balloon as we are heading to the gates

one of the Lenape Indian huts

Inside the Lenape Indian hut. Bed on the right hand side, fire pit in the middle, bench on the side. There was another bed and more seats on the other side.

The larger, better built Lenape Indian hut. Made from tree bark and on the inside the walls were mud. Again there were some beds inside, pallets on the floor, fire pit, and seating

One of the houses that has sat there for years. I believe this was the Conner house actually. It was so big inside!

This would have been the lady's room. You can see the cradle beside her bed.  The room was actually large in size, but due to the crowd I couldn't get a picture of the whole thing. There was a huge armoir, built in shelves inside a huge cabinet that held blankets, baby items, etc. There was also a smaller room connected to this one that had a writing desk, chairs, etc., which would have acted as her personal sitting room, and of course there was a fireplace in each of the rooms.

Loom

Oh goodness, for some reason blogger is not letting me post any more pictures on this post. How frustrating! I guess I will have to try again later on. What is it with blogger messing up? Does anyone else experience these freak issues or is it just picking on me in particular?

***

In other news they finally came and fixed our thermostat today. Or so they say. I'm skeptical but then again I don't know a lot about gas heat. That's hubby's job and know how. So when he gets home he is going to check it himself to see if it truly is fixed. As you know our thermostat was broke and we could either have heat on and eventually burn up or have heat off and freeze on the cold days.

Well now it's supposedly fixed and it will get hotter as I turn it up, but when I turn it off the heaters are still warm and I can still feel heat coming off of them. Maintenance says it's due to us being on the top floor and the units below us have water running through their pipes, heat rises, and all that. Still I would think the heaters would cool off right? But I could be wrong. Only hubby will be able to tell for sure. I'm glad he knows about things like that. Phew...

We took Levi for his first haircut the other day to a place called Cookie Cutters. He was less than thrilled. As a matter of fact him, me, and the hair stylist were all in a sweat from being nervous. haha. But on the plus note he looks and I'm sure feels so much better. I didn't want to cut his hair because he had those baby curls going on and it looked so sweet, but it started getting in his eyes causing him to scream and cry and swipe his face every few minutes so it was time. We took Lucas there for his first haircut and even though it was hectic it was so much easier! They are completely kid friendly, they are used to screaming crying kids, they generally have a playground inside with toys, books, etc. They also let you play video games or watch a movie while they are cutting your hair and the kids enjoy it. Lucas sat in a police car and got his hair cut and I had to hold Levi in my lap while he got his cut. He wasn't going to fall for sitting in any of their cars or figurines no matter how fun they looked!
They also take a picture and put it on a little poster and they give you the locks of hair in little baggies you can keep or tape onto the poster.

We have had a pretty lazy day today. We've sat around watching cartoons, drinking hot chocolate, playing blocks, and reading books. At some point I'm going to have to drag my lazy self into the kitchen and do the dishes. Luckily that's all there is to do besides pick up toys here and there. I'm thankful for that.

Tomorrow is my mom's birthday so we'll be going to her house and spending most of the day with her. I'm excited about it. You'd think other people's birthdays were my own as excited as I get about them. 

Lucas turns 5 in just a few weeks. Halloween is a little over a week away, and Christmas is right around the corner. Seriously where is the time going? Does it go at lightning speed while we aren't looking or something? I wish it would slow down already!

We've yet to make Lucas's birthday plans, he is always fine at others parties, but tends to get a bit overwhelmed at his own so we may just have a small family thing.

I was going to make the boys costumes this year (they are going as Batman and Robin), but it was going to end up costing more to make them than to just buy them outright so this week we are making a trip to Party City to get them since they have a good selection there.

Also in the works are some great reviews and giveaways coming to Mommy's Musings! I hope your all excited as I am, and make sure to stay tuned so you don't miss it!

I would love to stay and chat, but the fresh beat band has been over for a little while now and as I turn to check on the kids I notice they are close to fighting over blocks and who can build the highest tower. Better settle this before it gets out of hand! Talk to you guys later! Make sure to come back and visit for Happy Homemaker Monday! There will be a Mister Linky posted so you can add your links.

Sincerely,

Tori

Songs That Make Us Sing Saturday #2

It's that time again. I use to LOVE this song, and when I heard it again I knew I had to post it for this week. :)

Jennifer Paige - Crush

If you want to play along go ahead and give Because I'm The Mommy and (not) Just Another Mom of Twins a follow. You can add your name and link to their Mister Linky's on their songs that make us sing Saturdays post, and join the party!

To Love and Cherish - Book Review

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076420887X
• ISBN-13: 978-0764208874

::From the back of the book::
When Melinda Colson's employer announces they'll be leaving Bridal Veil Island to return to their home in Cleveland, Melinda hopes her beau, Evan, will propose  But Evan isn't prepared to make an offer of marriage until he knows he can support a wife and family. Evan works as the assistant gamekeeper on Bridal Veil but hopes to be promoted soon.
Letters strengthen their love, but Melinda remains frustrated at being apart from the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Then she learns of a devastating hurricane in Bridal Veil and knows she must give up her position as a lady's maid and make her way back to Evan.
The destruction on Bridal Veil is extensive, meaning every available person is needed to help with cleanup and repairs. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but Evan seems even busier that before, meaning she still never gets to see him. Has she given her heart to the wrong man?
And when Melinda overhears a vicious plot against President McKinley, who is scheduled to visit the island, is Evan the one she should turn to? Will Melinda and Evan ever get the chance to stand at the front of a church and promise "to love and cherish"?



::My Thoughts::
I really couldn't get into this book. There are snippets here and there in each chapter that are interesting, but I just wasn't feeling the characters connections with each other. It seemed like I was struggling to stay interested.
Rather than a love that should bond them together it seemed more as if they felt their relationship was a chore. Neither Melinda nor Evan have the urgency to see each other and despite them being busy with their jobs in the story their reunions were never as sweet as you'd expect from two people in love.
I felt as if Melinda wanted Evan purely to save herself because she wanted the married life, and Evan loved Melinda only because of her pushing. And boy oh boy was she pushing.
Melinda was a respectable lady's maid which was a great job historically speaking when you had no parents and were down on your luck. However not really liking her job and wanting nothing more than to marry Evan and become his wife and the mother to his children she quits her job in search of him when she finds out there has been a hurricane.
Evan is a gamekeeper who is not ready to settle down and has enough on his plate working to provide for himself. He cares for Melinda, but knows there is no way he could support a wife and children on his salary.
Toward the end they come to a mutual understanding of each other, but I still didn't feel their connection to one another.
The characters themselves felt real enough, but surprisingly I liked neither Evan nor Melinda. They seemed to set on their own agenda's and just didn't have the passion one expects from a romance novel.
I liked Melinda in the beginning, but by the middle of the novel I was fed up with her constant pushing and whining. Evan was a logical thinker, but too focused on work and not enough on love.
However the historical aspect of this novel was good. Despite being the second book in the Bridal Veil series it was a great stand alone book. You don't at all feel lost or left out. I myself haven't read the first installment in the Bridal Veil series.

If you think this is a book you may be interested in you can read an excerpt below:

To Love and Cherish


This book is available in:   Hardcover   Paperback   Kindle   Nook   Audible



Disclaimer: I was provided this book for free through Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. Opinions expressed are mine alone.

Songs That Make Us Sing Saturdays #1

I'm going to start labeling these Songs That Make Us Sing Saturdays with numbers since we have many more Saturdays to go through. Hopefully it doesn't get too confusing! LOL



Do you ever just get silly with your kids? This is one of those songs we put on just to get silly with. It's so fun to break loose with them every now and then and just be the crazy silly mommy. We end up on the floor laughing at the end, but it's great times in our house. Especially when daddy joins in then we really end up laughing our buns off. LOL

will.i.am

I Like To Move It Move It

If you want to join in with your own song that makes you sing, dance, and be fun and crazy just head on over to one of the following and add your name to the Mister Linky provided:

(not) Just Another Mom of Twins

&

Because I'm The Mommy

Go ahead and give them a follow, you won't regret it! :)
So now that I've posted this I'm off to be crazy with the kiddos. Hubby is sure to join in since he's off work today so it's gonna be fun for all. :)

The power of communication

Communication between anyone is important. It's important between parents and children. It's important between husband and wife or any couple. It's important between friends and family members. But one thing that can be forgotten is it's also important between parents and teachers.

If you all have read the last few posts of mine you'll know that Lucas was going through some bullying at school. It was devastating to us to find that out. This is young preschool children after all, and there isn't a whole lot of options. It already happened so we had to take it from there.
We went up to the school office, talked again with the teachers, and were invited into the classroom. Before we were told that this child cannot control his body and that's why he was doing things. Lucas was punched in the back and stomach. I don't take a pat answer like a child can't control himself punching other children. So we accepted the offer and decided to observe the class.
What I found out was, it's not that this boy can't control his body, but that nobody is showing him HOW. The teachers are helping him, and I still don't think it's right that he hit my son. I made sure that it is not to happen again and if it does I want notified immediately.
This little boy desperately wants to be my sons friend, he even gave him a giant hug when we got there. He just doesn't know HOW. It's obvious nobody has taught him to deal with his emotions. I come to find out the hitting incident as well as the other incidents took place when Lucas was apparently playing with other children and this boy wanted to play also. When he felt as if he was being ignored and nobody listened to him he lashed out because he wasn't sure what words to use.
I of course am not going to let my son be hit on no matter what, but now I'm glad I have the whole story because the boy wasn't doing it to be malicious but to get my son's attention. Even though it's the wrong way to get attention the teachers have been helping him use words to express himself.
I also had a talk with Lucas about maybe trying to include him more and paying more attention to him. Lucas thought because of the things this boy has done that he didn't like him, but since Lucas has shown him kindness and included him there have been no more incidents. I'm so pleased with how things worked out, and I'm so pleased that they are now like best friends. It has taught me a huge lesson in communication. Had the teachers have let me sit in on the class sooner to observe and explained in more detail the circumstances I never would've had to have went through the main office, but I don't regret it anyway because I will always do whatever I have to do to keep my son safe. And I really do think after seeing things first hand the teachers are doing an excellent job with the students!

This Saturday we are planning a trip to Conner Prairie. It is a historical museum a few towns away. We have had the tickets forever, but have not had the chance to use them yet. We actually won the tickets in a school raffle back in May! They expire in 2 weeks and since Saturday is suppose to be the only nice day this week we are going to be using it wisely. haha.

This week has been exhausting so I'm eager for the weekend to come. Hubby has worked overtime all week to cover for vacations. The vacations were suppose to be all covered, but I should have guessed I wouldn't get that lucky. Needless to say that whenever he is gone like this is when it always seems like everything goes wrong. The leak in our ceiling has still not been fixed or dealt with unfortunately and still leaks. This week we are suppose to get rain so I dread to see it then. The attic is obviously holding water and since we are on the top floor we get the brunt of the roof rot area. What other luck could we have after all? I shouldn't be surprised.
Then our thermostat broke! It was 100 degrees in our apartment and when they sent someone up to fix it all he did was unhook all the wires! So now we've been without heat the last few days! I have went up to the office and called relentlessly to get it taken care of, but still nothing has been done. It's highly frustrating.
The kids have been extremely rowdy since Josh has worked everyday. There must be some meeting they attend while I'm sleeping where they are instructed to be at their best worst behavior when alone with mommy. So thankfully tomorrow is Friday and daddy is off this weekend! My sigh of relief can probably be heard all over the world at this point.

This weekend is also our local library book sale! I'm so excited about it I can't even tell you. I have an entire shelf full of TBR (to be read) books on my bookshelf, but it doesn't matter, I can always make room for more. I love books, and the prices at our local book sale are more than affordable. The most common price is $1 and most are even under that. Since we are a family of readers it always goes like this:
We all walk in together and then hubby splits in his direction checking the genres he so loves. I take the kiddos over to the children's section where they browse, play puzzles, etc.
Then hubby comes over with his selection and sits with the kiddos while I go in search of my finds.
Confession: I always take longer than hubby. I just get lost in all the aisles, looking through all the books, cds, movies, etc. It's usually not until I hear one of the kids being rowdy or the kids and hubby come in search for me that I return. I just can't help myself! ;)

I just wanted to make sure to give you guys an update on everything, especially the bullying situation. And thank you for those who sent encouraging and uplifting emails on the situation. I love getting mail from my readers.
Don't think I've forgotten about any of you either, I haven't got to do much blog reading this week due to everything going on/wrong. But tonight I plan on fixing that. Since the kids decided to get up 2 hours early today they are going to go to bed 1-2 hours early. It seems like if they don't get 10-12 hours of sleep they are even more difficult when they wake up so I try to keep them on that schedule.

Anyway I best be off, I need to make Lucas's school lunch, get him in his uniform and out of his play clothes, go to the bank, drop him off at school, and then me and Levi are off to run some errands (one of them being the library).
Thanks for stopping by, and I can't wait to hopefully visit you all later on throughout the day. :) See you soon!

Sincerely,
Tori

Happy Homemaker Monday #20

Good morning! Come on in out of that cold, I'll hang up your jacket. Would you like a glass of orange juice? Come on in and take a seat, it's nice and cozy in my house so take a load off from that chill outside. I also have hot tea if you'd like, and if you stick around long enough you can join us for breakfast. :)

::The weather in my part of the world::

As you can see we have some rain headed our way off and on this week. We were hoping to take a trip to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend, but it doesn't look like that's going to be an easy task.


::On my reading pile::
I'm almost done with:

And then I'll be starting:

::On my TV::
Gossip Girl
Bones
Love It or List It
Keeping up with the Kardashians (on demand)


::On the menu for this week’s dinner::
Monday- cheeseburgers, fries
Tuesday- homemade chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, corn
Wednesday- slow cooked beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, peas
Thursday- beef stroganoff, garlic bread, cauliflower
Friday- baked parmesan crusted chicken, fried rice, broccoli
Saturday- breakfast for dinner
Sunday- slow cooked teriyaki pork chops, green beans, baked potatoes


::Looking around the home::
Everyone is still sleeping and it's still a bit dark outside here. The house is quiet and the hum of the refrigerator is in the background. No candles are burning, the windows are closed due to it being so cold outside, but it's warm and cozy inside. I've got my snow-boot slippers on keeping my feet nice and cozy, and I have a nice cold glass of orange juice sitting beside me.
I'm getting ready to make some breakfast which is sure to wake everyone up immediately. Who can resist the smell of bacon? LOL


::What I’ve been up to lately::
Reading
Mask making (you can check out that post here)
Decorating for Halloween
Cleaning


::On my to-do list::
Sweep and mop floors

Clean bathtub, sinks, and toilet

Speak with the main office of schools (there has been a boy in my sons class that has been bullying him so we plan on doing something about that today, you can read more about it in this post here)

Speak with the front office about the leak in bedroom and make sure maintenance comes out to fix it

Fall hand-painting with the kids

Returning movies and books to the library that are due and check out some new ones


::Tips/Tricks::
Around this time of year car windows are often frosted up. Take a spray bottle of vinegar and spray it on before you jump in the car and it helps clear away the frost. Then you don't have to stand outside in the cold scraping and worrying about what the kiddos are up to inside the car while your scraping away freezing your buns off. LOL
White distilled vinegar is the best to use, but any vinegar will work for the most part


::From the camera::
Here's some masks we made with construction paper yesterday. It was too cold to go outside so we had to find something fun to do.

::Something fun to share::
Last night me and hubby were just sitting on the couch flipping through the channels when the Travel Channel caught our eye with this interesting segment:

Halloween Crazy

There are some amazing Halloween traditions, most just blew me away and I was fascinated. There is even one where they showcase carved pumpkins that is just AMAZING! I would love to go with the family and see that one day.


::Bible Verse/Devotional::
Psalm 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?


Well I'm off to cook breakfast and get everyone up in the house and ready for the day. There is much to do today, but please don't feel the need to run off. I still have to make breakfast and there will be plenty to go around. I will grab you a plate and get to it.  :)

Just because it's gloomy and cold...

doesn't mean you can't still have fun!

It is really cold here in Indiana, and sort of gloomy outside. I'm rather surprised at how cold it actually is so early in October! Makes me think there's a bad winter in store.
Usually the kids can get down in the dumps when it's cold outside. They start getting tired of their toys, don't really want to watch cartoons, and the usual crafty stuff we do holds no interest. So in lieu of Halloween right around the corner I decided to engage the kiddos in some mask making!

Here's how we made out by the end:

Not too shabby. It definitely kept us all occupied while having fun.
Now I was absolutely certain that we had popsicle sticks in our craft tote, but after the masks were all made and done there were NO popsicle sticks!
Originally we had a skull mask as well, but I tried to tie it with some yarn so the boys could slide it on and of course yarn, paper, and young ones don't generally mix too well. It ripped of course despite me taping it so it went in the trash can.
So I improvised, there was no way after we made the masks and the kids were all excited that I was just going to halt the project so I took an old notebook out of the craft tote and cut some strips off the back cardboard cover. Works just as well, you just have to make sure to tape it from the top to bottom of the mask or else it will try to flop over on you, but it works!
Either tomorrow or Tuesday we are going to be painting and I'll make sure to come back and post the pictures of that once we are done. We're going to make some fall inspired paintings of all sorts.

We are trying to plan a trip to the Pumpkin Patch, but something that sounds so easy has been far from it. The pumpkin patch we usually go to is going to be closed this year. We had that horrible drought in Indiana and it put a damper on things to say the least. We did find another local pumpkin patch that definitely seems promising but because it's been so cold and gloomy we haven't made any plans just yet. I think if this weekend is at all warm and sunny we are just going to take that opportunity to jump up and go. If so you can count on some pictures from that as well. :)

Despite my happy demeanor the whole day hasn't been easy. I was actually woken up at 5am to the sound of dripping in my bedroom. I looked on the ceiling and was met with this sight:

It's a really slow drip though and even though I put some pots and buckets down the catch any drips not much has collected, its still very concerning. Then I decided to take a look around to make sure it wasn't leaking anywhere else and found out it is also leaking through my closet ceiling as well. So I had to move EVERYTHING out of the closet and now I have a pile of stuff collected in the corner. I called maintenance on call, but was informed they were 2 hours away and wouldn't be able to get here for 2 hours. That was at 12:41pm, it's now 4:21pm and nobody has came or contacted me back on this issue. I'm not too happy so I will be up first thing in the morning paying a visit to the front office.
I have to leave here soon to run some errands, go to the store, etc. I can't wait around all day for someone to show up only to have them not show up at all. But that's how things go sometimes.
I'm calm about it, and I'm just lucky that it happened on a Sunday so at least if nobody shows up today they will absolutely have to show up tomorrow because once the office finds out they are going to want it handled immediately.

I have a visit to the school office planned tomorrow as well. Hubby is off work and plans on going up there with me. Lucas has been being bullied and we are far from happy. We weren't even informed of what was going on until he told us at dinner. I spoke with one of the teachers but she didn't seem to be concerned and actually said that the child doing the bullying is not able to control his body and sometimes does things he doesn't mean to do. But how I asked is punched another child in the back and stomach an out of control body movement? Or pulling hair? Or poking someone's eyes and trying to take their shoes? Especially in PRESCHOOL!? It's unacceptable so if the school is unwilling to do something about it I plan on pulling him out and homeschooling him. I will send him for speech classes as usual since it's only once a week and that child won't be in his speech class, but other than that I'm not about to send my child to a class he dreads going to because of bullying. This is too young an age to have to deal with such things. Have you ever had to deal with bullying with your child? How did you handle things? How did it make you feel?
I could use all the advice I can get. I am appalled such a thing happened at a place I trust to keep my child safe while he is in their care. I feel so angry and helpless that this has happened to him and hurt him. Obviously you can't talk to the child, and when the teachers don't seem to think its a serious matter there's only one other place to go: The Superintendent's office. If they aren't willing to correct the issue immediately he will go back to homeschooling. I won't have him in that type of environment.

Well, it's 4:30. I promised my mom (and the kids) a trip to the pet store and she will be going to the grocery with me to help with the boys. I am so glad to have her help, having two youngsters in the grocery is insanity at times. One doesn't want to sit in the cart, the other is running around the aisle grabbing whatever he can and thrusting it into the cart, etc. So if you're at the store and you see a crazed looking woman with hair flying every which way chasing a 4 year old around the corner while he clutches a box of fruit snacks and a one year old trying to be houdini in the cart she's pushing, don't mind me.

See ya tomorrow for Happy Homemaker Monday! :)