A New Parenting Blog (You'll Like It!)

It can be tough to jump back into writing on a regular basis after taking such a long vacation from it. It is especially difficult when you cannot think of anything to write about. I usually write about the fun projects the kids and I are working on or parenting in general. Unfortunately, things have been getting rougher and rougher around here with both kids. I know that some of it has to do with their reactions to the stress I'm feeling. No matter how much you try to hide something like this, it still shows. And, with my oldest, I am honest. He gets a simpler version of what's going on because 1) I don't believe in lying to him by saying that everything is going to be OK - it may not, and 2) if things do get bad, I don't want it to be a shock to him.

As for Little Guy, I am having a terrible time. It's as if he wants to constantly argue with me over everything. He'll ask for a flavor of juice that he knows we don't have, then whine and cry and throw a HUGE tantrum over not getting it. He wakes up in the morning telling me, "Today, I not gonna listen to you, Mommy!" All of the rules get broken all of the time. Not only the silly ones, like pick up your toys. The serious ones, too: no touching the electric outlets. He's thrown Hot Wheels at the TV screen, tossed my coffee mug down our wooden staircase, he runs off when we're on walks... into busy streets. I gave up on cooking and washing dishes with him because he's managed to cut me with a paring knife when I told him to please put it down (he put it down with force on my hand!) and he's broken a ton of dishes by tossing them on the floor just to see them crash. I feel that there is more than his reaction to stress to blame for this sudden change in behavior (no, he hasn't had any vax!)

Anyway, just when I thought I had no where but a physician to turn to (I really don't want labels such as "ADD" on his medical chart - especially at only 3 years old), I heard that a new blog is starting up that may just help me with these and many other parenting problems I will come across. The blog is written by three mothers who have a total of 17 children, ranging in age from 1 to 16 (and one on the way!). And, these aren't just any moms - they are moms who have the same parenting philosophies as I. They "...ascribe to Attachment Parenting, Gentle Discipline, & Natural Family Living philosophies; each in our own way. We wanted to create a place to share our lives as "crunchy" Moms with other similar-minded Moms." Their blog, Grateful Moms of Many, is scheduled to launch on April 1, 2012 and I, for one, cannot wait! On the site, you will find articles on many topics, including pregnancy & birth, breastfeeding, multiples, special needs children, schooling, discipline, frugality, crafts, recipes, mental health, and generally the unique challenges that moms face in daily life. It sounds like the PERFECT mom blog to me!

I really love how these three moms (Sasha, Nic, and Michelle) met each other. They were all on an Online Due Date Club - you know, where expectant moms can commiserate with other women who are at the same stage of pregnancy. Once their children were all born, the three moms stayed in touch via a private Facebook group. Though they all share similar parenting philosophies, they also believe that every parent does what he/she feels is best for their children. You won't find judgment on this blog, only support. And, with the years of experience that these Moms of Many have, you can almost bet that all kinds of interesting things have been encountered. That leaves me feeling as if I can find the help I need with my own kids.

If you can't wait for their April 1st launch, you can head over to their Facebook page, Grateful Moms of Many. There are already a few questions posted and the community there feels wonderful - lots of great ideas being generated and no judgemental attitudes.

 Oh, and I almost forgot! 

To celebrate the Grateful Moms of Many's blog launch 

on April 1st (you know what day that is, right?!), 

there will be a special giveaway 

with a nice little prank-like twist! 

April Fool's! 

So, don't forget to go check it out - I'll give you a quick reminder post so you don't forget. :)

Very Quick Update

I now have an Etsy shop!!!! Come browse my whopping 7 items at McCrenshaw's Newest Knits when you have time. I'm working very hard to get more items finished, photographed, described, and listed. My goal is to have a full page of items listed on my shop's homepage by the end of next week. I just need more hours in a day and faster fingers! Anyway, I'm very excited about some of the ideas I have for items, so check back for new listings every few days.


I promise that blog posts will be coming back this week.I'm giving my oldest his first real job: as a typist. The idea is I will speak my posts into the voice recorder of my MP3 player and, when he gets home from school, he will type what I've said. Later that night, I'll simply edit and add photos! I'm not sure how well this will work, so we're going to do a trial run of 2 weeks. I am trying to make this as close to a real job as possible for him to give him a taste of what will be expected of him in his future jobs. Also, I'll be able to write him a nice letter of recommendation when the time comes for him to get a real job.

I'm just wondering how much to pay him, what kind of hours to set, etc. It's not like we're rolling in the dough, so the paying thing is going to be tough. I'm trying to think of what I could use to barter with him. He asked if I could make some Amigurumi for him to sell to friends at school and at the trading card shop where he hangs out. Maybe I could make those in exchange for blog posts and he can sell them for whatever he wants? Is that legal? Any other ideas?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Organizing My Blogging and Some Plans!

So, I've managed to clean up around the house a little. I am proud that I've been able to keep the kitchen in order for a whole week - that place gets out of hand within hours! I'm taking steps to give Little Guy the full attention he needs every day by doing projects, reading together, or just watching him play with my full attention. I haven't been blogging much or even thinking about it. Until last night, that is.

Photo by: danielmoyle

I have been blogging for about a year. At first, I had absolutely no idea what to write about. Slowly, I found some topics to write about that others actually wanted to read. I still don't feel as if I've found my real niche, but I have some ideas as to where I want to go with my blog and am going to give it the old college try. Here's how I'm doing it:

First, I wrote down all of the topics that I like to write about and ended up with six that I really would like to concentrate on: education, crafting, recipes, parenting, green/alternative topics, and cool shops/products that I'd like to share. Then, I made a list of the blog carnivals, etc. that I'd like to get involved in -  Carnival of Natural Parenting, Mindful Mama Carnival, Mamatography, Sunday Surf, etc. Finally, I listed the regular memes that I take part in - Wordless Wednesday, Mindful Parenting Collaboration, etc. I also perused the Web for hops and linkies that I'd like to take part in. For instance, I love to share my child-centered posts on the Sunday Showcase and my crafty posts and recipes on the Chic & Crafty Party. I matched up the six subjects I'd like to focus on with a few of these hops and linkies - I'm going to have to sort through them and choose one or two that take place per day to add my posts to.

Next, I got out my calendar. Each subject will (hopefully) be a weekly post. Right now, for example, I have my crafty posts scheduled to go up on Thursdays. I left space for me to write a brief title for each subject so I can just jot it down when inspiration for a subject hits me. Then, I penciled in the topics, due dates, and post dates for the carnivals that have schedules posted. Finally, I filled in the dates of the postings for the memes that I already take part in.

I am hoping to be able to have a weekly review or giveaway, tentatively set to post on Saturdays, if I can find the sponsors. I don't want to take any reviews that happen to come my way - I'd like to concentrate on items that are handmade, green, and/or related to parenting. (If you're a business owner or PR rep and would like to get in touch, I have a nice little "Contact Me" page and form you can fill out - Hint, hint!) I got way too overwhelmed with this type of thing in December and need to make sure that I space things out and plan better!

One more thing that I plan to do is make a point to visit other blogs more often. I tend to read posts via Facebook, Google reader, and my email subscriptions. I don't leave comments very often. I have a goal to leave at least two comments on other blogs per day, two comments on Facebook updates per day, and tweet or re-tweet two posts per day. None of these little tasks take much time, so it should be no problem. There are so many bloggers/writers who I admire, who make me laugh, and who teach me something new. I feel like I owe it to them to let them know that their posts have meant something to me and to share their words with others. So don't freak out and think I've suddenly become a stalker if you see more and more comments/shares/tweets from me!


So, I was checking out my page stats on Blogger last night, too. I've always used Google Analytics to see my stats, but it is geared more toward larger bloggers and other, business-like Web sites. The Blogger one is much easier for me to understand. I found out my top five posts for last year and was quite surprised. I also saw that I had many more people actually reading posts than I thought. I guess I was gauging how many were reading by the number of comments I received. Boy, I was way off! So, just like 90% of the blogger out there, here are my top five most-read posts of last year:

Bubbles! May 13, 2011, 5 comments 2,982 Pageviews

Ready for Spring? Make Seed Bombs with Your Kids! Feb 25, 2011, 8 comments 1,026 Pageviews

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This!!! {KY Intimacy Exp... Jun 28, 2011, 452 comments 963 Pageviews

StickerYou! {Review & GIVEAWAY!} Mar 4, 2011, 200 comments 723 Pageviews

Super-Easy Crafting with Kids {Plus a GIVEAWAY} Apr 13, 2011, 141 comments 647 Pageviews

I hope that you all have a great year and continue to stick with me. I really feel positive about the upcoming "organized" blog plan I have going. I am sure that I'll fall off of the horse once in a while, but I'll be sure to jump back on!

If anyone has any suggestions about hops, memes, carnivals, blog post topics, linkies... anything, please feel free to leave me a comment or get in touch via my Contact Me form. I'd love some suggestions!

Have You Checked Out My New Blog Design???

Late last year, I discovered blog giveaways. I entered left and right, trying to make Christmas happen for the kids. I won some pretty cool stuff. One thing I won is what prompted me to start this blog. I entered to win an Amazon.com gift card. I didn't see that there was a second prize - a blog design. Guess which one I won... So, I got a blog design. I had no idea what I wanted to write about, but thought it might be fun to just blab about whatever I wanted, you know? The design was simple and didn't really have much of a theme (except for my button) because I really just had no idea... It was nice and it prompted me to start writing. I've made some really great friends, have gotten to try out and review some pretty cool products, and have used my blog to express my views and share cool ideas with whoever feels like reading it.

I am so excited about the new look of my blog. I swear, just a few weeks ago, I mentioned to someone that I would love to have a new look. It just wasn't something I could fathom paying for, though. I didn't really need it and money's extremely hard to come by. If I was trying to make money off of my blog, it would be a different story. I'm not, so I'd have to be happy with the design I have. That's when I received an email from Krista at Heavenly Savings. Must have had some good karma floating around because I won a complete blog re-design in her International Giveaway Hop!!!

Within an hour of responding to that winning email, Margaret of W.A.I.S.T.Eed Space Designs sent me a "Congratulations" email and a link to a form. I had no idea (again) of what I really wanted. Her questions on the form were very good and got me thinking in the right directions. I wanted a cleaner look. I wanted two sidebars, but still wanted space so my main posts wouldn't look squished. I really wanted a change in my header and button. I told her what colors I like and mentioned that I love Klimt's Tree of Life.

A couple of days later, she had a design all ready for me to look at. I was blown away! Except for one minor detail, it was perfect. That detail was fixed withing 15 minutes and it was time for her to install my new design! How's that for fast?!

There are a few thing that I just love more than all the rest: The header is ME! She managed to find a great Tree of Life-inspired tree and the writing is nice and casual. The widgets with the rotating blog buttons in the sidebar are just too cool! I always try to keep the blog buttons to a minimum because they take up space and no one ever looks at them anyway. Well, now they catch the readers' eyes and don't take up a lot of space. Everyone's blog button will be noticed! I have a cool little tree favicon now! My button is softer and not as bold as my old one (grab it from the sidebar if you'd like!) And check out my neat social networking buttons at the top, right! I even have a Google+ button to match the others. Oh! And I have a siggy now, too.

After checking out her prices, I know that I could have saved up some PayPal payments and gotten this great design, anyway. She's got some amazing packages for both Blogger and Wordpress. Plus she does ala carte items if you just need a button for a hop or a header or something. Oh, and right now (only through Nov. 4th! - HURRY!):

Everyone who orders a package can either get something free off of the A La Cart mean or you can take $15 off the cost of what ever package you order. Please go here and fill out the order from and use the coupon code 15OFF!

In addition to W.A.I.S.T.Eed Space Designs' Web site, you can find Margaret on her Blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Follow her in some way so you can catch her next sale if you miss this one!

"Honored" is an Understatement! {Kreativ Blogger}

Um… well. I really have no idea what to say to this award. I absolutely LOVE being considered a “kreativ” blogger! Thank you so much to Julia for even thinking of me. Please take a few minutes to pop over to check out her blog, A Little Bit of All of It. She’s written some wonderful posts on parenting and ALL of the things that go with it, with a nice crunchy twist on it!

Now, as always, there are rules to accepting this award. First, I must think of seven things about myself that you poor readers don’t already know. I’ll try to make it quick and painless this time around! I think I overdid it for the Stylish Blogger and Cherry on Top posts. And, then, I need to pass this really cool-looking Damask award on to TEN other bloggers. So, here we go!

Seven Things About Me:

1.  

1.  I haven’t shaved my legs (nor my armpits – eww!) for roughly three weeks. It wasn’t a great feeling at first, but no hot water and dropping temperatures have me in and out of the shower rather quickly. Just think of the gallons of water I’m conserving! (UPDATE: The gas is back on, but I really learned a LOT about the amount of water I was using.)
2. I hate being asked why I don’t eat more. I’m way too thin and have had people call me “skinny” all my life. In my opinion, it’s just as rude as telling someone who is overweight that they’re “fat” and asking why they don’t eat less. It’s in extremely bad taste (no pun intended!) and very offensive.
3. The last time we went out to eat (not counting being taken out by someone else for a birthday dinner) was when I was pregnant with Little Guy. July of 2008, to be exact. I was craving a burger and fries and we were walking downtown. The wonderful scent that was drifting from the kitchen vents of the restaurant we were passing was too much!
4. Confession: I use FrontLine on my cat. Twice a year (spring & fall), the fleas get so bad that the natural stuff just doesn’t work. I’ve tried every natural essential oil, recipe, trick, etc. and nothing keeps the damned fleas off of the cat and out of the house. I have a lady on eBay “hook me up” with some once a year. I just found something that is natural, non-toxic, and WORKS! Keep an eye out for a review at the end of the month…
5. Speaking of fall – I HATE autumn. While a nice, warm autumn day is a wonder to behold and the colors in nature really paint a beautiful picture, it also means lots of cold and ick is in the near future. With no “meat on my bones” and no car, autumn just means that winter’s freezing cold is on it’s way.
6.   I so badly want an Etsy shop. The only problem is… well, there are lots of problems. Mainly two: 1) I have nothing in particular that I can think of to specialize in - not even two or three things to narrow it down to; and 2) I’m scared to death that I’d never manage to get orders done in a timely manner or mailed out quickly if I even received any orders. Maybe someday, after Little Guy chills out some (will it ever happen???), I might re-think the whole thing and manage to come up with something.
7.  I speak very abruptly. You see, I worked in restaurants for nearly 20 years. You don’t have time to say, “Um, Bob? Do you think you could possibly add a few more pickles to this guy’s burger? He really likes them and, while I know you’re busy, it would only take you a second…” No, you have to say, “More pickles on the burger! Thanks!” Oh, and you have to talk loudly and clearly so Bob understands the first time. During a lunch rush, there’s no time for explanations, niceties, or repeating requests. Well, after doing that for so long, it’s carried over into how I speak everyday. It really pisses people off. I try over and over to change it, but it always creeps up on me at the wrong time. It’s something that I’m afraid I’ll be working on for a very long time!

And the Award Goes To…

The Adventures of Artsy Nina – Nina writes some great posts. Check out one of her more recent ones entitled “Crotch & Crochet” – yeah, interesting titles, too, huh? She also has a really cool Etsy shop called Camp Honeybelle where she sells some of the more interesting vintage stuff you’ll ever find. She’s got a 1974 Simplicity sewing pattern for a leisure suit that I really want – but why?! I don’t have a sewing machine and don’t think I’d ever make it even if I did. She gets the Kreativ Blogger award, though, for the really cool ideas she comes up with for some of her thrift store finds. Check out this Pin-Up Desk Kitty for Working Girls she created after finding some wooden cat and owl cut-outs at a thrift store.

One Mixed Bag – Bwahhh-ha-ha! I just LOVE reading Bernie’s daily post. I really can’t explain her writing except to say that she takes some of the stuff that everyone does or has gone through and tells it like it is. Grab a cup of coffee and go read a few of my favorite posts: Zumba Kicked My Assa, How Are People Finding Me?, and I always look forward to her Wordless Wednesday postsEtsy shop, Budugalee Cards.  You have got to go check out her creations! She has a ton of really great Halloween cards and has just added some new funny cards. My favorite (for now) is her “We’ve Been Through A Lot” card. I need this for my next anniversary! Oh, and she does custom orders, too! Just convo her and ask – she’s got some great ideas!

Classified: Mom – Aimee is a mom of four who posts a ton of wonderful art projects. The majority of her projects are perfect for young elementary-aged children. But, depending on how much of the project you help your child with, they can be enjoyed by kids as young as toddlers all the way up to adults. And, yes, I have waited until Little Guy was in bed to do a few of her project ideas on my own! She has a page where you can find her project posts based on the theme you’d like to craft. I can’t wait until Little Guy gets a little more interested in letters so we can start on her Animal Alphabet Book! It looks like a lot of fun and kids use a number of mediums to create a letter with a featured animal (“V is for Vulture”, for example.)

Crum’s This N That – I really don’t know how to describe Jen’s blog. It really is “this n’ that”. You’ll find reviews, giveaways, and little stories about her little guys, often accompanied with some photos that would give any mommy nightmares! My favorites are her “Mommy Lessons” in which she relates some of those things that happen during a day with little ones that only other moms would believe. One of my favorites is “Mommy Lesson #4: Double Check” – had I seen that guy coming at me, I know I’d have never even thought to grab the camera. I’m glad Jen did! 

I don’t know how I came across Dreaming Aloud, but I have become a big fan – to the point that missing a post in a day really send an alarm off in my head! Lucy writes beautifully and truthfully. I am constantly amazed by her ability to put some of my own feelings into such magnificently worded posts. And her openness is raw – no making things “look right”, she tells it like it is. How many of us don’t fudge things a little to be more acceptable to society as a whole? I encourage you to first check out Lucy’s About Me page, then head over and read some of my favorite posts: The White Heat of Mama Anger and We Are One.

Have you checked out The Honesty Conspiracy yet? If not, go there NOW! Basically, it is a place for writers to submit those posts that they just cannot put on their own blogs… or anywhere else, without feeling there might be repercussions. You submit and the writing is posted anonymously. I have so many things to write, but I’m still trying to get over my initial fear and draw up all of those things that I’ve hidden deep inside for so long.

Now, I know I’m supposed to pass this on to ten other bloggers, but I have to stop here. I have been trying to get this post written for over a week and keep getting interrupted by one thing or another. Little Guy is just about to wake up from his nap and that will mean putting this on hold – again. If you know of a blogger who deserves the Kreativ Blogger award and I missed him or her, please let me know in a comment or my Contact Me form.

Thank You, Julia!

Finally Have an "About Me" Page!

OK, I have no idea what I'm doing here. Apparently, when I add a new page to my blog, it doesn't show up in my feed? So, if you missed my tweet and/or Facebook page status update, here's the link:

http://mccrenshaw.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html

Now, I'd really like to be able to add new posts to my "About Me" page. Can anyone tell me how to do it, or just direct me to somewhere that will tell me in non-geek language how to do this. I need step-by-step instructions with words directions like, "click on the thing that looks like a paintbrush, then click on the bird-like shape." You know, super-simple that even Little Guy or even my husband could do it!

Thanks!

Found My Lost Blogger Posts!!! Here's how...

I found them!!! Yay!

If you subscribe to your own emails and opt to show the entire post in the email, you can just copy and paste - that simple. I deleted my email and it's now in yahoo mail's never-never land, so I couldn't do that.

If you don't subscribe or you did what I did, check out your RSS feed. I have my feed on my Google homepage. When I click the little + sign to expand the post, everything in the post shows up. I just copied and pasted the lost post into a new post. The only thing I had to do was add my photos and links again. MUCH easier than trying to remember what the heck I wrote in the first place.

And, for those really important posts, try writing them in Word or Office and saving them. I don't save every post, but the ones that are special to me or that took a long time to write are saved in my document files. I go through about once a month and purge out the ones that I no longer need,

I hope some of you manage to find your lost posts! I know how long it can take to write just a short, two paragraph post when you want to get it just right!

LOL - Look What I Did!

I learned how to make a button! I am SO glad there are places to do this. If I had to figure out codes and stuff, this entire blog would be in black & white, no pics, no nothing but my silly thoughts...

Anyway, here's my NEW BUTTON! If you'd like to stick it in your sidebar or something, I'd LOVE it. I have no idea how to make those fancy-pants HTML boxes, so I'm just adding the text below for copy/paste.

<a href="http://mccrenshaw.blogspot.com/p/green-parenting-giveaway-linky.html" target="_blank">

<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3FLSs5ao6egU606-8089vRBdhbYHAfHpVhZBTVEaRQpigV1zev9TGkzrkWLpma6MrmqNLgezAhC7SXa5s-yWTRBfYUPosS6Ve_8808uP_iRNBJv1OysHvDhbOUyi9px-O210XXoCPHg/s288/13849308744.jpg" width="150" height="200" border="0" alt="Come link up or enter to WIN!" />

</a>

I was Featured! {Natural Parenting Blog Party}

Tweet

Thanks to The Peaceful Housewife for inviting me to be a guest poster! This is one of my favorite posts - so far. Head on over and check it out. Join the Natural Parenting Blog Party if you haven't already - it runs until April 30th, so there's plenty of time. And, if you're looking for some new natural parenting blogs, check out the linky, I've found tons of new favorite blogs!

I WON! {Versatile Blogger Award}

I really was surprised that Sasha from One Rich Mother thought of me when she was choosing who to pass the Versatile Blogger Award to. Really, I was having a hard time trying to figure out just what type of blog I am writing here. Whenever I enter my blog into PR sites or blogger sites, I have to really think about what to put down in the little box that asks to describe your blog in 200 characters or less. "You've got to be kidding me!" is my first thought. So, I end up just writing a string of tags that I think might give the reader a good description... maybe.

Woo Hoo!!!

 You should really check out One Rich Mother. She is a relatively new blogger, like me, and has a lot to say about just about everything. I love her natural parenting posts and she always has something that is meaningful to me in every one of her posts. I look forward to reading her blog everyday!

Now, I must share seven things about me. Gee - this is going to be tough. I already did this a couple of weeks ago with the Cherry On Top and Stylish Blogger awards I received! Let's see...

1. I do not have a car. In fact, we haven't has a car for three years now. My husband was in an accident (he was fine) that totaled our minivan. We could have replaced it with the timely tax return we just received but we decided, instead, that we could manage without one for a few months - at least until Little Guy was due in November. Well, Little Guy was born and we still didn't have a car and everyone lived! So, rather than worrying about emissions and gas prices, we walk nearly everywhere. There is bus service in our town, but it sucks. We also get a ride to the grocery store once a month from a friend. That's when we stock up, so if anything gets missed, we just do without!
2. We are four people living in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment (my hubby calls it a "compartment".) I quit my crappy job soon after our van bit the dust and decided to focus on my schooling. The rent is very low here and we figured we could deal with the tiny place long enough for me to get a degree. 
3. I'm in my fourth year on my Bachelor's of Science. I am working on a Sociology degree with a minor in Education. When I graduate, I will continue schooling for a Masters in Education and, hopefully, go on to become a Nationally Certified Teacher, allowing me to work anywhere in the US without having to take each state's certification test. 
4. I do NOT want to be a regular teacher in a regular classroom in a regular public school!!! I love John Holt's view on compulsory education and would like to figure out how to unschool IN school. There HAS GOT to be a way. I'm thinking that the first step would be to have a one-room schoolhouse situation where children of all ages are in the classroom. Maybe I could open my own school for homeschoolers to meet once or twice a week to work on group projects or something... We'll see!
5. I hate doctors. I have yet to meet one who is not offended or afraid of having a patient whose knowledge in a particular area exceeds his/her own. I am well-versed in the pros and cons of vaccinations and am able to ask well-thought out questions. The last doctor I had for myself literally kicked me out after he asked me if I wanted the flu shot. I politely declined, so he went into his "you're risking the lives of your children" speech. Then, I asked him tow questions: Does the shot have a live virus, and Does the shot come from a large vial or is it individual (the amounts of mercury vary greatly in these.) He didn't know and got really pissed at me. Told me to leave and find a new doctor, then stormed out of the exam room! O...M...G...!
6. Another reason I hate doctors: My first husband died of cancer. It was Squamous Cell Cancer of the Skin. I did a LOT of research on this while he was ill. Turns out, the best cure (yes, I said CURE) for this is to literally cut the cancerous part of the skin off. Cancer is gone! He was a medicaid case at a large, posh hospital in Los Angeles. The doctor who was assigned to him was more than unhappy to be working on a patient who would not bring him glory. Now, I easily found a ton of research papers and studies that explained exactly how this type of operation should go - you cut the cancer out, then take a little piece of skin from the surrounding area that is left and check under a microscope to make sure that there are no cancer cells left. I asked about this and it turned out he skipped that part. (Guess his ego told him he could "eyeball" it.) My husband was FINE for six months after the surgery. Felt amazing, no problems whatsoever. Then he got sick again. He was told he still had some staples in his head (where the cancer was) and they needed to be removed. This went on for two years. We finally moved to Michigan and he was seen at U of M. He had the cancer back and it spread into his skull and was making its way to his brain stem - he had two months. See why I can't stand doctors???
7. OK, last one (I'll make it short! LOL

Now I am going to pass this award on to some of the blogs I like. I have recently been introduces to some pretty amazing blogs recently, thanks to The Peaceful Housewife's hosting the Natural Parenting Blog Party. I'd like to pass this award on to some of these new blogs and on to a couple of my old favorites:

This is one of my favorite blogs. Right now, Surviving a Teacher's Salary is having "Bug Month" - a month filled with bug-related posts. Everything from great products, contests, interesting facts, and even a daily update on the Painted Lady butterflies she's raising. Every week she has a post with "Educational Giveaways Around the Blogosphere" where you can find good, quality giveaways to help your little ones learn. 

Sorry, no button so here's his profile pic!

OK, so I just "discovered" Jeff's blog, Just a Bald Man..., on the Natural Parenting Blog Party. I LOVE his parenting philosophy. The first post of his that had me hooked was "The Myth of the Lazy Unschooler." THEN, I read "I'm Still That Dad" and I knew I'd be anxiously awaiting his next post, and the next... Go check his blog out right now!

Zoie, from TouchstoneZ, has really been an inspiration to me. She writes about all things related to natural parenting. From breastfeeding to attachment parenting, all I need to do is head on over to her blog to get some information. If she hasn't written a post about it, I know that she'll have a link to someone who has. In addition to having a great blog, Zoie makes it her mission to get out there and read, comment on, and share others' blogs. How cool is that?! I know for certain, for instance, that she managed to go to every single blog post from the March of Kindness meme at Code Name: Mama and comment on them. There had to be over 200 posts! PLUS, she managed to compile a list, in order, of each post for this meme!

When I am sick of the same old projects with the kids, or I just can't come up with anything, I only have to click over to Modern Parents Messy Kids and I have more ideas than I thought possible. The projects featured on this blog run from super-simple to more complicated. This is great because, with 10-1/2 years between my guys, it can be tough finding things for both of them! Right now, there's a great post entitled "Anatomy of a 'Creative Play Easter Basket'" that is just wonderful. It describes all of the ingredients for a non-edible Easter basket filled with inexpensive (and sometimes free) items that will help your kids get creative!

 

This is another blog that I am just beginning to become acquainted. I am an unschooler at heart, but I really like reading about different homeschooling methods. The Mystical Kingdom has many posts based on Waldorf Homeschooling. I am learning a lot and believe that there are tons of ideas that I can incorporate into our everyday activities. In addition to homeschooling posts, you'll find natural recipes, great craft ideas that use very little supplies, and just some feel-good posts about family.

There are more blogs I'd like to feature, but I'm just running out of time! I'm trying to work on a post that has a little bit about each blog I like and why. I'm thinking of turning it into a page that I add to as time goes on. We'll see... I have so many ideas and not nearly enough time!

Lower Your Alexa Hop {4/4}

Hello, once again! Thanks for hopping by! I'd love to return the favor, so please leave me a comment below so I can visit you, too. I'll bring my Alexa toolbar along with me! Also, if you follow or like me in any way, let me know because I'd like to do the same for you.

If you have a few minutes, please check out some of my posts from this past week;

• I Was Featured!
• I Just LOVE Cherries!
• Soon-to-Be Sugar High {Wordless Wednesday}
• Random Acts of Kindness (This is one of my favorite posts so far - what do you do when you see a parent about to spank a child in public?)
• What's Under YOUR Sink? {Review & Link to a Great Giveaway}
• Constructive Critique - My Artsy-Fartsy Photos
• Do You Like These?

And, finally, a GIVEAWAY!!! I Love Spring, But Dread the Cleaning!

 If you aren't part of this hop, please head over to Real Mom Reviews and link up! My Alexa score has gone from 1,100,000 to 690,000 in just the two weeks that I have participated. Just remember to follow the rules, as posted on the Real Mom Reviews blog:

This hop works a bit differently than most!

IMPORTANT Please make sure you have the ALEXA TOOLBAR installed.

Why do you need the Alexa Toolbar? "Alexa computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar users and data obtained from other, diverse traffic data sources." Now in English... When someone with the Alexa Toolbar visits your site, it helps lower your Alexa! More info on that here and here


In the Linky Please leave a link to a post you would like people to hop to and leave a comment!
Then hop to the other blogs on the linky and leave a comment on their post!


Do NOT just link to your blog, link to a POST people can leave a comment on, so you know people actually are hopping




<center><a href="http://www.realmomreviews.net/search/label/Lower%20Alexa"><img border="0" src="http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa250/skyecaitlin88/Alexa.png" /></a></center>

PLEASE grab the "Lower Alexa" button and link it to a post about this hop. Because this is a new hop, it will really help get the word out!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

I Just LOVE Cherries! {Another Award!}

Tweet


Last Friday, a few hours after receiving my Stylish Blogger Award, I was alerted to yet another award: The Cherry On Top Award "For beautiful blogs with that little bit extra." (Insert Squeals and Giggles here!)

Tiny Temper from one of my favorite blogs, Prince Charming, My Arse, was kind enough to think of me when she was choosing who to pass this on to. I'm not kidding when I say she writes one of my favorite blogs - I'm almost stalking her! When she didn't post much last week, I was so very close to emailing, Tweeting, and posting on her Facebook wall in an effort to find out what happened. Luckily, I didn't have to reveal my creepy side, she posted just as I was on her blog trying to find her email address!

Thank You to Tiny Temper from Prince Charming, My Arse for this lovely award!

Now, as with most blogger awards, there are a few things I need to do in order to properly accept this award. First, I must list three things that I love about myself. Next, I need to post a photo that I love. And, finally, I need to pass this on to other blogs that I love. Well, here I go...

Hmm... three things that I love about myself?! This is really tough. I don't think of myself that way, you know? Well, I'll try - I really want this award in my sidebar!

1. I finally have hair down to my waist! Yeah, this is a superficial thing, but you have no idea how much it took to get it this long. There comes a point where your hair just stops growing, for months. You think, "Ah, it's never going to get long. Maybe I'll do something else with it. A bob? Farrah Faucet hair?" And then, one day, you look in the mirror and see it's going again - Yipee!  I am proud of my hair and love it!
2. I am a critical thinker. This is so very important. I can read just about anything and see the pros and cons of the message. I do not just believe something because an official-sounding organization has published it. I don't listen to my friend who is convinced of X happening if I continue doing Z because she read about it in the paper. Even if I agree whole-heartedly with what is being said, I look for more opinions. This can be dangerous because I truly believe that ignorance can be bliss. Especially when it comes to making decisions for my children. But, I think I love being informed and critical and wouldn't trade it for all the bliss in the world.
3. I love that I can admit when I don't know something. If my kids ask me a question and I don't know the answer, I do not make one up. I will simply tell them I don't know. Then we go look for the answer. I love giving advice. I think it is very important that children see that adults aren't all-knowing (although, I loved it when my oldest had that hero-worship of me for the brief time of his life when he asked me all the easy questions!) Kids need to know that it's OK to say "I don't know", as long as they also see that it's important to search for an answer.

Whew! I think I got through that OK. Now it's time for a picture I love. This is tough, too! I love my digital camera. I take tons of photos all of the time. I'm so happy that I can capture little moments of time to remember later. So, let's see... a photo I love...

 

 Yeah, I love this photo. It was taken about six weeks after Little Guy was born. My oldest just made that face on a whim and I happened to capture it. The red-eye from Little Guy was just the icing on the cake! Thin is, Little guy really is a little troublemaker for his big brother. Somehow, he knows that in the hierarchy of out family, Brubber ranks just above him. He does things like throw toys at his big brother, then scream bloody murder when my oldest takes the offending toy away and tells him "No throwing toys!" He's the epitome of the definition of "Little Brother." He doesn't get away with this stuff, but he's stubborn and keeps on trying. UGH!


And now, it's time for me to pass on this award to a few other blogs that I really love.  This is tough. I read quite a few blogs every day and I love each of them for different reasons.

Mama Eve - Now, I'm sure that she has probably already received so many awards that this one will just be another. But I have to share her blog with you. She is a completely crunchy, natural parent and writes and shares so many great subjects with her readers. I always find each post intriguing and find myself commenting on all of them (usually thanking her for posting!)

Hybrid Rasta Mama - She's just getting started with this blog and I'm already in love! Jennifer is another natural parent who I would like to, someday, be like. Here is a potential schedule of her blog posts that she is thinking of using. It will give you an idea of what she writes about (taken from one of her posts):

Monday – Mama’s Monday Musings. I love this day! You get to see little snippets of my life as well as the inner working of my mind!

Tuesday – Parenting post of the week

Wednesday – My day off! J

Thursday – Recipe of the Week

Friday – Mindful Mother Challenge Results

SaturdayNatural Parents Network and Job Description Mommy.

The Crafty nest - I'm pretty sure that Vanessa has already received this award. She's really the cherry on top when it comes to fun and interesting crafts both with and without your kids. The crafts are easy to follow and never the same old thing. Whenever I find that we have an hour or so to do something, I check out this blog because I know I'll find something that both of the kids and I will enjoy.


And, I guess that's it! There are lots of other blogs I'd love to share this award with, but it's been days and I really need to get this posted. You can check out my sidebar for other blogs I like. I truly like the blogs over there, they're not just there to win a giveaway!


EDIT!!!
I am so sorry - there was one more blog that I wanted to pass this awar on to. I feel terrible about forgetting. But, being the kind person that she is, I'm sure I'm already forgiven!

  















Becoming Crunchy - Kelly is also a relatively new blogger. I feel like we have a ton in common. She's writing her blog as a kind of journal about her journey to, well, "Becoming Crunchy." She's a few steps ahead of me on this road, so I really love following her posts to see what the next step might be for me. Please go check out her blog and follow - she has a lot of great things to say!

I Was Featured!

Tweet

Please go check out The King's Court IV's Gardening 101: Shout Out! This week, she featured some of my tips and photos!

Lower Your Alexa Weekly Hop {March 28}

Thanks for stopping by on the Lower Your Alexa Hop! Please make sure you have your Alexa toolbar installed AND on! 

If you have a few minutes, check out some of my recent posts from this past week:

It's the Journey, Not the Destination

My Newest Random Acts of Kindness {March of Kindness - March 18-23}

My Random Act of Kindness for YOU!  A GIVEAWAY!!!

My Lucky Day? You Bet!

I'm a "Stylish" Blogger?!

And here are the rules, as copied from our hop host, Real Mom Reviews:

Please Read..

I'm BEGGING you!

This hop works a bit differently than most!
IMPORTANT Please make sure you have the ALEXA TOOLBAR installed.


Why do you need the Alexa Toolbar? "Alexa computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of Alexa Toolbar users and data obtained from other, diverse traffic data sources." Now in English... When someone with the Alexa Toolbar visits your site, it helps lower your Alexa! More info on that here and here


In the Linky Please leave a link to a post you would like people to hop to and leave a comment!


Then hop to the other blogs on the linky and leave a comment on their post!
Do NOT just link to your blog, link to a POST people can leave a comment on, so you know people actually are hopping

Welcome to Week Two of the "Lower Your Alexa Hop"!




PLEASE grab the "Lower Alexa" button and link it to a post about this hop. Because this is a new hop, it will really help get the word out!

If you follow me in any way (GFC, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) please leave a comment and let me know!!! Even if you don't, leave me a comment so I may visit your blog and help you out, too!!!

I'm a "Stylish Blogger"?!

Tweet

Yes-Sir-ee Bob! At least, that's what Kelly from Becoming Crunchy thinks! We recently "met" through another blog (I'm thinking it was probably Code Name: Mama?) Anyway. I'm very happy to accept this great surprise of an award! Here's my lovely button, which I will be proudly displaying in my sidebar from now on:

Now, in accepting this award, there are a few things that I must do:

1. Of course, I need to thank and link back to the person who was so kind as to bestow the Stylish Blogger Award to me.
2. Share 7 things about myself.
3. Award 10 - 15 bloggers who I feel are "stylish" this award.
4. And, notify those bloggers of their award.

So, first of all:

Thank you so very, very much to Kelly at Becoming Crunchy for thinking of my little blog when you were choosing who to pass this award to! (Go check out her blog. She went to go see Ina May Gaskin in Toronto and is going to be writing all about it. I can't wait to read her post!!!)

Next, there are those seven things about me. Hmm... let me see if I can come up with some interesting ones for you.

1. I graduated from high school a year early. No, it wasn't because I was super-smart. I absolutely hated the rural school I went to. I had moved from a city to B.F.E. the summer between 8th and 9th grade and, boy, was it a shock! The culture was all wrong for me. So, my freshman year, I skipped school for four months straight. I just didn't go. I finally got caught when I made my weekly call to the school as my mom, saying that I was still really sick. Problem was, they had my mom on the phone on another line at the same time! They didn't tell me a thing. Instead, my mom came tearing into the driveway like a bat out of hell about an hour later! Anyway, I decided to go to summer school each summer to rack up enough credits to get out of school ASAP. Oh, and the summer classes were made to ensure that all those kids who failed would pass, so they were extremely easy!
2. I'm left-handed. So is my husband. So was my first husband. And my dad, my brother, my grandfather... About 90% of the people I meet and really like turn out to be left-handed. I don't go around looking for left-handed people to make friends with (or marry!), it just turns out that way. Oh, and by the way, two lefties always make a righty. At least, that's my experience!
3. When I waited tables at a nice hotel in Los Angeles, I met some pretty famous people (and I didn't freak out, either!) I waited on: 

• Joe Walsh - he tipped pretty well and was nice and polite.

• Marlon Brando - He always ordered blueberry pie. And he wanted it heated - just not in the microwave. I'd have to take the piece of pie, fight my way past the cooks in the kitchen, put the pie in the oven for 5 minutes (and hope I didn't forget about it!), then transfer it to a plate and pop a scoop of ice cream on top. He tipped, but it was 20%, which doesn't amount to much for a cup of coffee and pie ala mode.

• Willie Nelson! - OK, I'm not a huge country music fan, OK? But this guy is well-respected by me for his ideals. He came walking in and sat at the counter with his long hair un-braided (yeah, this was way before the weird page boy cut.) He ordered a simple breakfast of eggs, hash browns, sausage & toast. He left me a $50 tip!!!! OMG! I think it was 1) because he gets the working class thing, and 2) I managed to keep every drooling tourist (and most of the restaurant staff ) away from him so he could eat his food in peace.

 Ahh... I screwed up the numbering thing with the bullets! Oh, well.

4.   I used to work at a wild animal rehabilitation center. Did you know that raccoons and squirrels make up 98% of the wildlife that abuse drugs and alcohol? OK, OK. It's just that when I see the "rehabilitation" thing, it's the first thing I think of! What I really did was volunteer once a week to care for animals that had been hit by cars, orphaned, accidentally shot by hunters, etc. And I raised two raccoons until they were weaned from the bottle every spring. And I used to run around the woods with a big net, trying to catch injured owls and other birds (yeah, imagine running through a bunch of trees with a huge fishing net on a pole. You get about two feet before you have to climb up a tree to untangle the damn thing - over and over...) It was fun and I learned a lot. I still take in injured animals that my oldest finds from time to time. *I'd like to add here that no wild animal should become a pet - ever! At a certain age, all animals "mature" and have urges. When they have those urges, they tend to become aggressive. They have to - in nature they need to fight off other potential suitors to their mate. They will be even more aggressive if they're being held captive and don't have anywhere to release all of that pent-up ... uh.. you know what I mean, right?



6.   Oh, geez! Am I only t six??? OK, if you made it this far, email me and I'll send you some kind of blog award. Maybe "most attentive reader of blogs" or something.OK, here's one. I love going fishing. I've done it since I was a very little kid. By the time I was seven, I was going down to the river on my own. I can put a worm on a hook (I just do NOT think about what I'm doing!), take a fish off the hook without hurting it, fix any kind of pole, and know which hook, line, and sinker to use in all kinds of situations. I always throw my catches back. Drives my husband nuts. I tell him that if he wants fish that bad then he can catch his own. He's tried, but he sucks. He can't sit still for two minutes, let alone an entire afternoon. Fishing is the only way I can get a few hours completely alone. No one else in my family likes fishing, so I can go sit under a tree, toss in a line, and read, read, read!

7.  We made it! I watch TV with the sound off and Closed Captioning on. I live in a tiny apartment with two kids and a husband who's losing his hearing. It is always loud around here - ALL. DAY. LONG.  I get aggravated from the noise. So, I stay up late. Once everyone's in bed, I put Turner Classic Movies on and pray that the movie they're showing is captioned. I can read super-fast now and I can almost always guess what's going on in a movie that's not captioned.

And now onto who I'd like to pass this award onto. I'm choosing blogs that I love and aren't really popular - YET. These blogs are great and more people should know about them. (No, there aren't 10-15, but I figure this post is WAY too long already!)

Prince Charming, My Arse!

OK, first of all, how could you NOT be stylish with those slippers?! You have to go read "Tiny Temper's" posts. You'll be rolling on the floor. She writes about somewhat serious subjects with so much humor!  Oh, and she's British, so she uses really cool words like: Crikey!, bloke, lorries, and grassing (I've got NO CLUE as to what that means, but it's still cool, right?)

The Peaceful Housewife

 I love Jenny's posts! She shares some of the easiest and yummiest recipes around. She has lots of great crafts, too! I love reading her posts and, although I'm nowhere near being a religious person, I always take a little something from her message with me to mull over the rest of the day. Her thoughts on parenting are very similar to mine and I have learned quite a few new ways to deal with the frustrations of being the parent of a toddler through some of her writing.

I'm Lucy

You may be familiar with Lucy's other blogs, Lucy Likes It and The Ultimate Gift Guide. I'm Lucy is a little different. It's an artistic blog that I really enjoy reading. Her posts are funny and enlightening. And she has just started a hop this week (not sure which day, yet) called Constrictive Critique where you can link a post of something creative you have done and get constructive criticism from other blog hoppers. I love this idea! It is so hard to get real opinions that help you get better. Most people will just say, "Oh, yeah. It's great." when you ask for an opinion. This hop is designed to get actual help and honest opinions. You can submit any kind of creative endeavor - poetry, photography, artwork, anything that is creative and you need someone's honest opinion about. Go check it out!

My Secret Experiment

Tawna began this blog after watching a documentary called The Secret.  Up to that point, she says her life was just not what she wanted - negativity had taken over. The movie helped her realize that she wouldn't be happy until she chose to be happy and to look at things in a positive light. She posts lots of positive quotes and things that have happened to her that most would consider a "bad day" and shows her readers the little ray of sunshine through all of the bad. I love reading her posts - I can always use a little boost of happy during my day!

Not So Average, Hippie Mommy

I LOVE Cassie's blog! We are very like-minded when it comes to living green and attachment parenting. Only, she's what I aspire to - I am not quite as "green" or "attachment-oriented" as I'd like to be. Reading her posts gives me inspiration and ideas of how I can keep changing to become a better mommy and person.


OK, that's it! Thank you very much!!! (Play exit music here)

My Lucky Day??? You bet!

Tweet

Yesterday was just amazing. In fact, I'm remembering March 25 next year to see just how it goes. Do you know that, three years ago, I learned I was pregnant with Little Guy? Last year, I received my tax return on March 25 (I had to go check in my files to be sure!) And yesterday, I had four really great, out-of-the-ordinary things happen to me.

First, when I checked my emails, I saw that the Umi shoes I had managed to win from Cincinnati Coupons were on their way! I love these shoes and know that there is no way I could (or would, for that matter) pay $60 for a pair of sandals for a little one who will outgrow them in one season. Heck, I can't justify buying myself a pair of sandals that I'll wear for years for more than $15! But Umi is a company that really is worth the extra money, if you can afford it. They're shoes are made in an environmentally-friendly way (from the leather processing to putting them into the boxes) and they're biodegradable when they've lost their usefulness. Plus, it's really hard to find good sandals for toddlers. We didn't even have any for him last year. All I could find were crappy plastic ones or flip-flops. Yeah, can you imagine a little one, just learning to walk, trying to navigate a sidewalk in those things?!

Here's what I picked for Little Guy:

Racer in Black

NEXT...

I jumped over to check out my Facebook pages. After going through all of my personal page stuff, I hopped over to my FB blog page and was greeted with this:

Becoming CrunchyMcCrenshaw

Hi McCrenshaw! You are on my list to get a Stylish Blogger Award :) http://www.becomingcrunchy.com/2011/03/becoming-crunchy-is-in-style/

Becoming Crunchy is in Style!

www.becomingcrunchy.com

What?! No way! My first blog award - ever!!! Look for my post "receiving" my award later today!


AND THEN...

I got another award later that afternoon!

Prince Charming, My Arse

Hop over to my blog - there's an award waiting! :-)

Yep! another one. Yeah, there'll be ANOTHER post for this one later.




AND FINALLY...


My first giveaway ended last night for the stickers from Sticker You. I was amazed to have received exactly 200 entries. I had only 79 entries on Wednesday and, thanks to Airplanes and Dragonflies, Tight Wad in Utah, and Mommy D's Kitchen, those more than doubled in two days!

All of these great things happened thanks to the great blogging community I've become a part of. I was so apprehensive about starting this blog a few months ago. That one big question hung over my head for the first month - What if no one reads my stuff? Well, I decided to just write my thoughts and if anyone liked it, so be it, If not, at least I had an outlet for all of these ideas I have, right? And now there are like-minded people actually reading my stuff and I've found some great blogs that I love to read, too!