There's never enough time

Do you all ever feel that way???

I do.  Daily.  I can never find enough time to do all the things I want to do, and see all the people I want to see.  There is certainly never enough time to get the house as clean and organized as I want it.  But the reasons why there is never enough time to do all those things have names.  They are a gift from God.  They are Isaac, Hannah, Joshua and Eli! 

I thought this year, with 3 of the 4 reasons in school all day, that I would have a cleaner more organized house!  I thought that I would have more time to ME.  I thought that I would be able to nap if I wanted.  Boy was I wrong.  Time has a funny way of speeding up between the hours of 7:45am and 2:20 pm. I've realized that I absolutely need to make a schedule.  I'm talking a strict, time hacking, schedule.  One that has specific chores and errands on it.  I even need to add time in for snacks and lunch.

Does this sound fun.  No way!!  I am a pretty relaxed person.  I mostly feel like someday it will all get done so why worry about it each day.  It really takes the fun out of living when you worry daily about what you didn't get done!! 

I must say, however, that as much as I don't mind letting some things go, my husband is the total opposite.  I know he feels disrespected if I don't get certain things accomplished.  I try my hardest to at least get the dishes done and carpet vacuumed before he gets home from work.  That seems easy enough.  But really, he wants more.  He would love everything in it's perfect place.  Shining and sparkling like it's just been spit polished by a Marine.  Honestly, I would love to give that to him. 

I have decided that I am going to make a serious effort to accomplish a few extra things for my husband.

-Bathrooms:  I can manage to clean 2 of the 3 each week.  I have to admit I have a hard time cleaning his bathroom.  I am quite sure he acquired some sort of parasite while deployed in Iraq which causes his toilet to resemble that of a gas station bathroom's.  He is a clean man!  Always smelling so nice.  Hair always perfectly blown dry and gelled up to the perfect height.  That is why I can't for the life of me figure out why his shower looks like a Motel 8 shower.  People, it really is that bad!!  I am not exaggerating!!  I promise you that if I cleaned that bathroom daily.  He would be the happiest husband alive.  That is my challenge.  To show him I love him and respect him by cleaning his bathroom.  I am not playing around here.  That is his Love Language.  Acts of Service.  He loves it when I clean the house and cook for him and serve him breakfast, lunch and dinner!!  So here I go.  Cleaning and serving joyfully!!

-Laundry:  I am sure you can imagine the amount of laundry we have with 4 kids in the house.  It is overwhelming.  I can never seem to get on top of it!!  I have to brag on my husband here.  He helps with laundry.  He does his own for one.  Won't allow me to do it for him.  Secondly, he will spend the weekend washing all the kids clothes.  Come Monday, I am left with Mount Salvador on my love seat to fold and put away!!  Did I mention I hate folding clothes?  I will wash and dry them, no problem.  Folding and putting away...that's another story!  So I'm sure you can guess my challenge.  It would be to keep up on the laundry so well, that my husband would never have to touch an article of our children's clothes.  That he would never have to come in from a long day at work and see piles of folded (or unfolded) clothes on the couch.  I think this is doable!  If I just do 1 load a day, just ONE, and do it all the way...I can accomplish this!! 

So, I have my work cut out for me don't I???  I know I can do it!!  I know I can do it!!!  Schedule, schedule, schedule!!!  Pep talk....over.  Here I go!!


Blessings,

Crunchy Katie   

Thirsties Giveaway!!

Hello all!  In honor of a new baby coming, my new blog, and my invite to use Rafflecopter I wanted to do a giveaway for one of the cloth diapers I hope to try out when baby girl arrives in Feb!  My good friend over at Life With My Littles is doing a giveaway right along side me!  She will be giving away a Kiwi Pie Fitted diaper!   

I have (1) Thirsties Duo Wrap and (1) pack of Thirsties Dry Duo Inserts to giveaway to one lucky reader!!  And I have the Rafflecopter widget this time!! 

This giveaway will run until Monday October 10th, 2011.  The winner will be emailed and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Good luck everyone!!

Rockin' Green Winner

I just realized that I never posted the winner to my Rockin' Green giveaway!!  I also have to apologize for a typo that has had people over here entering for the giveaway even though it is over! 

I had posted that the giveaway would end on Sept. 12, 2012 instead of 2011.  I am so sorry for the mistake! 

Now for the good news!

THe winner chosen randomly by Random.org

was.....

Entry #14

♥Mama of the Littles♥ said...

FB post:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=259005367455609&id=605924950
angela_heffner at yahoo dot com

Mama of the Littles has already been notified and her Rockin' Green is on the way!!

Congrats!!

Thank you all for bearing with me through my first giveaway!!  I hope next time it will run much more smoothly and I'll proof read a little better!! 

Blessings,

Crunchy Katie

Cloth Diapers!?

I am determined to cloth diaper this new baby GIRL!!  I have been searching, and asking and reading reviews of newborn cloth diapers since I found out I was preggo.  It seems that everyone loves something different so I've decided to just try a few of each kind that I have read a ton about!

I came across this blog today as I was searching for giveaways!  The Tree Huggin' Momma has a great event going on right now!  During The Tree Huggin' Baby Extravaganza she will be reviewing some awesome products from some great companies!!  Not all are cloth diaper related, but also breastfeeding accessories, baby clothes and much more!  Go check her out!!

Now, on to the diapers I want to try!!

The first one is The Little Bee Co.  They make the Bitty Bee Changed diaper.  Here is a blog review and giveaway I read today about them (and entered too, of course!)  The Tree Huggin' Momma is right on point with the other reviews I've read about this diaper!  And I love their mission too!!  I sure do hope that I win!!

Fuzzi Bunz is a name I see floating around the web a lot.  Their diaper seems to be very popular and well made too!  Of my friends and family that have used the Fuzzi Bunz, all of them can't stop talking about how great they are!!  I will definetly be adding a few of these newborn diapers and maybe some one size diaps too!

Charlie Banana diapers are so soft!!  I was lucky enough to win one from Life With My Littles a while back and can't stop feeling how soft it is!!  I recently (before I got preggo) switched to reuseable feminine pads from Charlie Banana.  They are just as soft as the diapers so I know it will be plenty soft for my baby when she arrives!!  I will add some of these to my stash too!!

Fitted diapers have been recommended to me by one of my friends who is a cloth diapering pro!  She actually sews her diapers at home!  She said they are the easiest, and since she's done it a couple times, I know I should at least give them a try!  Finding a great place to buy fitteds and covers will be on my list of things to do!! 

I am hoping once the babe gets here, I will have a chance to review some newborn cloth diapers!!  Until then, I will be constantly hunting for great reviews and giveaways on awesome blogs!!

Blessings,

Crunchy Katie

Exciting News

I just realized it's been 5 days since I posted on here!  So sorry!  I'm sure you can imagine how busy I am so you'll be forgiving!  Thanks for that. 

I received my Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil in the mail the other day.  It is still sitting on my table.  I am going to begin testing the product tomorrow and will continue using it until it is gone.  I am 18 weeks pregnant and starting to stretch pretty nicely these days!  I am hoping to be able to give the best possible review of the product!  Stick around, because Earth Mama Angel Baby offered to give away one bottle of Natural Stretch Oil to one lucky Mama!! 

On another note, we had our ultrasound today.  And there is a very active, healthy baby GIRL in there!!  I actually cried!  I really wasn't expecting that at all.  I have never cried at an ultrasound before.  As I thought back to all the times I asked hubby for "just one more baby" I realized that God really does know the desires of our hearts!  He is so faithful and I am so humbled by His greatness!

The day after we found out about this pregnancy, I went into the children's room to tell them about our new baby.  For a while now, they have been asking for "100 more babies so we always have someone to play with."  I would always reply, that only God could give us another baby so we had to ask Him!  I know my little girl has been praying for a sister too.  As I sat down on her bed, I told them that mommy was going to have a baby!!  They all just sat there for a second, speechless.  Then out of no where, Hannah looked at me and said "It's going to be a girl baby, and we're going to name her Glory!"  This really took me by surprise!  Hannah has never said, or heard the name "Glory."  I was shocked!  You see, I really believe that God speaks to us through other people.  I really believe He was speaking to me through my precious daughter.  It was my decision now, to hold on to that and believe it, or let doubt creep in and try and tell me different.

Now, I would have been equally happy if it was a boy!  I have 3 wonderful sons and would gladly welcome another.  I would not, however, like to try and explain to my little girl why God didn't give her a sister.  The moment I saw those two lines, my spirit knew that God was answering her prayers for a sister and building her faith in doing so!  How exciting is that!!  So today, seeing those sweet little girl parts stirred up my spirit and reminded me of how faithful our Father is! 

Then, He has to go above and beyond!  He spoke to me through my friend!  I texted everyone to tell them the good news and she called right away to congratulate me!  Then proceeded to tell me that this little girl is such a blessing!  That when she received my text, she was listening to a song on the radio, the words she heard as she read the text were "for thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the Glory" what a confirmation of my daughters words 3 months ago.  My friend had no idea about what my daughter had said either!  God works in mysterious ways!!

Now, my husband doesn't think Glory is a name.  Convincing him is really not going to happen in my power.  I know what I heard, and feel and believe.  And I know only God, can speak to my husband in a way that will make him believe this name "Glory" is from God himself.  I will be praying for God's will as far as this name goes.  In the meantime, I will call her Glory! 

Glory to God,

Crunchy Katie 

My Stove

I worked out today.  But not the way you may be thinking.  You see, my stove is a mess!  I mean a nasty, cooked on, brown mess.  I know, I know.  I should just clean it every time I use it, but with 4 little ones and a house to maintain you'll understand how things like that slip through the cracks. 

It was a good work out.  My arms are sore.  My back is a little sore too.  And I smell like the lovely cleaner I used to scrub, and scrub, and scrub the burner covers.  Although I'm sore, I am proud.  I feel like I just ran a marathon.  Not physically, but emotionally.  I accomplished something.  Something hard.  And now when I look at my stove, I am happy and can spark a tiny smile knowing that I did that!!

Now, to keep it that way.  I have a wonderful husband, who is not afraid to help clean.  He is the most helpful husband I know.  He vacuums, sweeps, does dishes and does laundry.  But he doesn't do stove tops!  You see, we have a system.  After I cook dinner, and we eat.  I go off an bathe the children and get them ALL ready for bed while he cleans up.  It works out great!  And I am thankful for the help.  I can't imagine having to bathe all the kids, brush and floss their teeth, put their pajamas on, read stories for all, prayers and hugs and kisses and then....CLEAN the kitchen!!  Did I mention how thankful I am to have a husband who cleans!! 

So, I've decided that after I'm done cooking, before I serve everyone dinner, I am going to clean the stove!  Then it will be done and I won't have to say my only workout for the day was scrubbing the burners!!

On another note!  I received my Earth Mama Angel Baby Natural Stretch Oil in the mail today!  I will give a try for the next few days and then post my review along with a giveaway from Earth Mama Angel Baby!!  Stay tuned!! 

Happy Scrubbing and Blessings,

Crunchy Katie

Check out this baby shower at Love, Sara Sophia!

So, as you all know, I've become addicted to giveaways.  This is how I found the blog...Love, Sara Sophia.  She is so creative and awesome and is throwing her friend the most amazing baby shower.  She calls it Happy Day Shower and is giving away some freakishly good things.  You just HAVE to go over there and check it out. 

I just entered a giveaway for 10, YES I said 10....Rumparooz!  I just can't believe it's 10!!!  Head on over to her blog, Love, Sara Sophia and get to entering!!

Crunchy Katie

Stretch Marks?

When I was pregnant with my first I faithfully applied Palmers Cocoa Butter daily!  I was just determined not to get any stretch marks.  As my due date crept closer and closer, I began to get cautiously exicted!!  With just 4 weeks left to go, I still had absolutely NO stretch marks on my belly!!  Just a week later, my joy faded as I looked in the mirror and found the bright red lines I'd been hoping to avoid.  They were there, only to be seen by me in the mirror, as they were so very low on my belly.  I sighed, and just decided that it was part of pregnancy and I should just embrace it.  They are trophies, right?? 

Well, the last few weeks they continued to grow steadily up my large belly.  Then my baby came and I forgot all about them.  When he was just 5 months old, we discovered we were expecting again.  I totally gave up on the lotion this time.  The stretch marks that hadn't yet completely faded from the first pregnancy just continued to make their way up.  Growing almost like a climbing vine up my belly!  This pregnancy a new mark began to appear.  In high school I had my navel pierced.  The tiny, closed up hole was now beginning to stretch. 

When baby #2 was 10 months old, we once again got pregnant!  This baby was a whopper!  I had the biggest belly yet!  The lovely stretch marks had now reached nearly to my belly button.  The navel piercing scar was also growing up and up!!  These marks were now seriously starting to look like battle scars!! 

With #4, I was a bit smaller and the marks seemed to stay put.  I'm sure all these marks were partly there because I popped out 4 kiddos in just a smidge over 4 years!!  My stomach never had a chance to competely shrink! 

Now, almost 4 years later.  The stretch marks are there, but well faded.  They are a part of me forever.  My belly button is a sad, sad sight to see.  It will never be cute again.  Baby #5 is on the way and I am desperate to try anything to help my skin stretch gracefully!!

Luckily, Earth Mama Angel Baby has chosen me to review a product just for this purpose!  I am so excited to receive this product and start trying it out!  So keep an eye out for my next review coming very soon!

What have you used to hopefully help with stretch marks during pregnancy?  Did it work??

Blessings,

Crunchy Katie

I've become a giveaway entering addict

You may know that our family is expecting a gift from God, in the way of a baby, in Feb!  Being that this is #5, and that it's been 4 years since our last, we are feeling the tug on the checkbook in the preparing for baby department.  So....

I've started entering for every giveaway pertaining to baby gear and diapers that I can find.  I recently won my first one and now I really have the bug! 

Today, I was lucky enough to find a great giveaway over at MamaB's Blog.  One of her VERY lucky readers (hopefully ME) will get a chance at the Peg Perego Pliko Switch System.  This baby retails for over $1000!!!

Just the thought of winning this gives me the jitters!  Imagine being able to tell my hard working husband that we don't have to buy a car seat, or a stroller!!  It would, no doubt, make his day (possibly year) and mine too!! 

If you or a friend are in need of a travel system head on over to MamaB's Blog and get to entering!!

Blessings,

Crunchy Katie

Sickness

This week my 2nd grader missed her first day of school due to sickness.  She said her head hurt and it felt like she was upside down.  I took her word for it, even though I also knew she was a bit nervous about going back to school after the 4 day vacation caused by Irene.  The cough that accompanied the strange upside down feeling solidified my decision to let her stay home.  We doctered her up with lots of vitamin C and homeopathic remedies.  She drank water on demand, and stayed in bed for a day.  Aside from the cough, which is still lingering, she is all better.  Unfortunately, when you have 4 kids within five years, the sickness tends to hang around the house for a week or two. 

So now I have my baby, he's 3, with a mini fever.  He looks a bit under the weather to me, though he can't seem to tell me where he feels bad.  We trust the fever will do its job and fight off the germies that are making him feel bad.  This is why I never use fever reducing meds on my kids.  I have faith his God created immune system will do exactly what it is supposed to do.  The fever is just that, proof that his body is working correctly. 

I read an article one time, by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, about how parents shouldn't fear fevers.  You should read the article, it's just eye opening!!  It all just made sense to me.  I have always felt that everything was created by God to work in harmony.  So I felt comfortable putting this into practice with my family's bodies.  I haven't been dissapointed.

When the "bugs" are going around, my kids usually get better faster than other children, who are given meds.  We let the virus run it's course which has seemed to only take 1-2 days.  The children who are given fever reducing meds seem to be sick for twice as long.  See this article.  I get a bit excited these days when I actually agree with something the AAP has to say!!

Fear also plays a big part in how we treat our illnesses.  These days we are completely bombarded with commercials, most of which serve only one purpose.  To scare us into taking this drug or that drug, or hurrying to our doctor to get the newest, greatest vaccine that will allegedly protect us from this disease or that disease.  Doctors ask us horrible questions like, "You don't want your child to DIE do you?"  My point is basically that modern medicine is sold to us through FEAR. 

But there is hope.  We don't have to be afraid!!  The most important thing you can do is make informed, educated decisions where healthcare is involved.  If your doc says you need this drug, go research it before you pop a pill.  If there is a commercial saying that parents need to get the new pertussis vaccine to help protect their babies, go research it.  And I don't mean check out what the CDC has to say about it.  RESEARCH it.  Dig everything about the drug, or vaccine up.  Check the ingredient list, read the manufacturers inserts for side affects and efficacy.  You might just be surprised what you find out!! 

Also, start researching how the human body works!  For me, this was a great step toward freedom from fear when it came to sickness.  Once I understood a bit more about how the immune system worked I was far less worried when my kids came down with something.  I was even more confident that their immune systems were made to handle a lot.  Now, I find ways to strengthen our immune systems when we're healthy so when a virus comes around, we are ready to fight it!  And we fight it without fear!! 

Here are the links to some of my favorite websites.  I spent hours and hours scouring the internet and found the most info from these places!  Check them out!!

You will find a lot of info on vaccines on Dr. Tenpenny's and Mary Tocco's websites.  Be open minded and take it all in.  Everyone has to make their own decision, and the one that is best for their families.

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny

Dr. Mercola

Mary Tocco

And of course my favorite way to research, Google!!  If I am wondering about something, I google it.  It's a good way to find tons of info to sift through!  

Have fun!!

Crunchy Katie