kellieann

If you’re like me, you don’t have a lot of extra time to just sit around binge-watching stuff on Netflix. Usually my Netflix time is worked in around laundry folding. So, it goes without saying that I don’t want to spend a ton of my precious time trying to find something worthwhile to watch. But that’s usually what happens…twenty or so minutes scrolling through and reading descriptions and reviews of films and shows that I usually end up deciding not to watch anyway. And then let’s not even get started on the duds that I’ve chosen, films that entice me enough to click play only to put me to sleep in the first thirty minutes or make me laugh during scenes that weren’t meant to be funny.

The following films are ones that are currently available on Netflix Instant Streaming (summer 2015) that did not make me sorry that I watched them. I realize that movie-watching is extremely subjective, but if you find yourself on my blog browsing around, chances are we have some things in common, so maybe one or two of these films will make your laundry folding a bit more pleasant.

Now that I think about it, this is the BEST one to accompany your laundry folding! It is the true story of a 1950s housewife (she does a lot of ironing in the film, which will make you thankful for your permanent press cycle) and mother of ten children (yes, ten), who enters jingle contests and sweepstakes to help make ends meet and make up for her alcoholic husband’s foibles. It stars Julieanne Moore, who always makes a charming vintage housewife, and Woody Harrelson, who always makes a convincing drunk. Truly, this is a charming movie, and it will inspire you to feel more optimistic and cheerful in your everyday housewifely and motherly tasks. It’s rated PG-13, for a scene or two of Harrelson’s drunken shenanigans, including some brief, albeit strong, language.

Ah, Harrison Ford….Harrison Ford in Amish garb. This 80s film focuses on a murder whose only witness is a young Amish boy. Ford plays a hard knocks, big city investigator, who ends up having to hideout amongst the Amish community in order to protect the family of the witness and himself. It is an interesting look at the Amish community, but it is also a classic Ford with plenty of shots of his crooked little grin. A star-crossed, sweet romance adds to the intrigue. It is rated R for rather strong language, violence, and one brief scene of nudity.

Put away the laundry and gather your whole family for this one. It is easily one of my favorite movies of all time. Set in an POW camp for Allied officers, it features their plans for an elaborate, underground escape. It boasts an all-star cast for 1963, including Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, and others. It is an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but also features excellent, sensitive character development, a characteristic I think is missing from many movies in this genre today. It is unrated and completely free of language and other unnecessary modern Hollywood ploys. Young children would find it too long, and without spoiling it, please know that not all of the main characters survive. While the death elements are free from bloody violence, these scenes would still be upsetting to a young child.

I’ve seen a few film adaptations of this Dickens classic, and this one is by far the best. This movie stays true to the storyline, but moves along at a fair clip. The role of Miss Havisham is excellently and creepily played by Helena Bonham Carter, and Ralph Fiennes plays an effective Magwitch. Enough said. It’s rated PG-13, but mostly for thematic elements.

Again, this is one most of your family will enjoy! Based on the popular book by Louis Sachar, it is about a group of young teen boys, placed in a detention camp where they spend their days digging holes under the supervision of a really, really mean corrections officer played by Sigourney Weaver. An engaging mystery ensues about what they are really digging for… It also stars a young Shia LeBouf. It’s rated PG.

Okay…this is a bit of an odd movie, but what movie starring Johnny Depp isn’t? Depp plays the title character, who finds himself somewhat stuck in a small town caring for his unbelievably obese mother and mentally impaired younger brother, convincingly played by a young Leonardo diCaprio. This film is driven by the Oscar-worthy acting and complex, emotional character development. It’s rated PG-13 for some language and thematic elements.

Even though it is animated, this is one that you and other adults will also enjoy for its sharp wit and creative storyline. It actually draws a bit of reference from the above-mentioned Great Escape, so make sure to watch that one first, so you’ll enjoy the clever references. This film is about a chicken who begins to think outside-the-box about her and her comrades’ existence and futures. Mel Gibson’s supporting voice role as a cocky rooster (pun intended) is worth a viewing alone!

If you get a chance to view any of these movies, let me know your thoughts. Also, if you have any obscure favorites that you’ve enjoyed, do tell. I have lots of laundry to fold….

chit-chat

so, my daughter is engaged to be married…

July 1, 2015 KellieAnn

I’m still not exactly sure how that happened.

Back when I first started blogging she looked like this…

Then I blinked or something, and she started to look more like this…

And this…

Then, when my back was turned, she morphed into this…

I was left scratching my head in bewilderment while she packed up her clothes and giant panda and moved onto her college campus.

And now this…

I remember almost as soon as she was born, during that sweltering September of 1996 in Charleston, SC, people warning me how quickly my time with her would go. As a brand new mother, I didn’t want to hear that. At only twenty-three years of age myself, I was overwhelmed with just the amount of dirty diapers she was producing. The idea of her someday walking down the aisle in a flouncy white dress seemed eons away. Well…it wasn’t. Because here we are.

Now I find myself wanting to stop that weary young mother in the aisle of Publix, who is frantically trying to stuff a paci in their squalling little one’s mouth so that they can make an intelligent decision about pasta brands. I want to grab her by her sagging shoulders and shake her a little and tell her that IT is true: your baby is going to grow up and meet someone and marry them and leave you.

Honestly, there were times when that might have encouraged me a little. Once when she was two and in the throes of potty training, she marched triumphantly into the kitchen where I was, hiked up her dress to reveal that she was wearing a Pull-up. “Where are your big girl panties?” I asked her. “I took them off because I had to poop,” she replied. If someone had appeared at that moment and told me that this defiant little creature was going to marry and move someday, I may have smiled a little.

Once, when she was five years-old, we were shopping at Wal-Mart. Her baby brother was needing a nap. I only had a few more items to track down and throw in the cart. Little Miss was being grumpy. And sassy. And smart-mouthed. I was trying to be patient and just finish the task, but I finally felt I needed to grab her arm, apply a bit of pressure, and explain to her in hushed tones that if she didn’t change her attitude that she’d be getting a little surprise when we got to the car. She looked at me calmly with her big, brown eyes and said, “If you don’t let go of my arm right now, I’m going to start screaming that you’re not my mother.” I did two things… 1. I informed her that I could prove in several different ways that I was most certainly her mother, so if she wanted to scream, go ahead. Also, she was still getting the surprise. 2. I made a mental note to tell her dad that she couldn’t watch “American’s Most Wanted” with him anymore, even if they are doing a segment on preparing your child for contact with a hostile stranger. At that moment, if someone had shared to hold on tight, that these years would fly by, I’m sure I would have shouted, “Well, hallelujah!”

Fast-forward a few years to the pre-teen angst and eye rolls and sarcasm and fights with siblings. Yeah, an empty room on some of those occasions would not have left me teary-eyed.

The thing is though that the good of having a daughter…of having my daughter…far, far outweighed the not-so-bad. We had a lot of laughter, a lot of singing, a lot of reading, a lot of ballet recitals, a lot of episodes of “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” a lot of sleepovers, a lot of hair-dos, a lot of batches of cookies, a lot of fun and love and heart.

So, as I look back over the last eighteen years, I do, in many ways, wonder where the years went…as cliche’ as that might sound. Because it hasn’t seemed like enough time. I don’t feel ready to help her choose a wedding gown, when wasn’t it just yesterday that we were picking out prom gowns? I’m not equipped to help her pick out a pattern for her dishes, when it was just last week that I was reminding her to unload the dishwasher. I can’t watch her walk down the aisle of a church yet, because I still haven’t completely recovered from her talking back to me in that aisle of Wal-mart so many years ago. It’s too soon. I’m not ready. I want more of it. All of it.

But I can’t stop it. And actually, deep down, I don’t want to. Like almost all parents, we want our children to be happy. I want my daughter to pursue God’s will for her life, and His will has graciously included her marriage to a godly young man. I am happy about that, thankful for that.

So, in almost a year, I, the mother-of-the-bride, will stand up in the first row of a local church, wearing a dress that I probably hate and lamenting that my hair is too frizzy, and watch my amazing, lovely, sweet, dazzling little girl get married. My eyes will mist over. I will be thinking about the years I spent raising her and how they were difficult and confusing and short and wonderful. I will be praying that her marriage will someday result in something similar. And I won’t be able to help hoping in a small way that her little bundle is just as difficult to potty-train as she was.

homemaking, organizing

skeletons in your (cleaning) closet…?

June 24, 2015July 2, 2015 KellieAnn

Since it’s summer, and I have a teeny-weeny-itty-bitty more time on my hands than usual, I’ve planned some cleaning/organizing projects. One of them is for this space…

Terrible, isn’t it? Ironically, it’s my cleaning closet. Actually this is a weird space, and you probably don’t have one like this in your home, so with the tips I’m sharing, think “Big Picture.” Think about your own storage closets and corners, because the same strategies that I use, are ones you can apply as well…even if you don’t have a replica of this funky, little hole-in-wall.

This space was originally a coat closet beneath our stairs. When our home was being built, my husband had the idea to make this a little office (thus, the counter and the handwritten notes/quotes on the wall). However, he didn’t end up using it much, and it has gradually, over the years, turned into a space that stores cleaning products and a bunch of other miscellaneous items. It looks like the cyclone induced mess that it was because regularly 3-4 people hop in here, grab something he or she needs, and then throws it back in, without much thought to where it actually goes. Then he or she will just pull the curtain (what we have there instead of a door…)back into place and skip merrily away. It had really gotten out of hand, as one can tell.

So, STEP 1, with any small space you are about to tackle, is to…

COMPLETELY EMPTY AND CLEAN THE SPACE.

This didn’t take that long really. As I removed everything, I tried to sort into piles: 1. things that would return to this space 2. things that needed to be put somewhere else 3. things that I wanted far, far away from me, never to be seen again. Then I simply swept the floor, killed the three brown recluse spiders that had made their home among this mess, and dusted the surfaces.

Step 2: PURCHASE AND/OR IMPLEMENT STORAGE HELPS

I bought five of these locker style plastic bins at the Dollar Tree. They now hold extra cleaning supplies, extra candles, cleaning cloths, and my husband’s shoe polishing paraphernalia. With the built-in cubbies and counter in here, it made for a natural, easy way to implement these. If you don’t have this, adding an inexpensive book shelf or standing, stackable plastic bins would be a similar, effective solution.

I also added this cheap, spring mechanism curtain rod to corral my stand-up cleaning tools, like my Swiffer and broom, etc. I also thought I might be able to hang some spray bottles along it, but it was not sturdy enough to hold the weight of more than one. I did find, however, that it was a convenient place to hang damp cloths or an extra pair of plastic gloves.

I already had this wire cart, but it was holding a bunch of junk that I mostly got rid of. It was the perfect fit here to hold extra cleaning supplies (I like to buy in bulk at Costco, if it is a good deal), extra attachments for my vacuum and mop, and the dust pan. Rethink pieces that you may be using somewhere else. Shop your home for creative organizational structures that might be put to better use. With a critical eye, you can probably come up with the perfect storage solution for your own space.

Again, I already had this large plastic tote. It is perfect to store cleaning supplies for easy mobility to any room in the house. In mine I keep a pair of plastic cleaning gloves, various spray cleaners, Windex, a scrubbing brush, dusting cloths, a roll of paper towels, and my dusting wand. This is great for kid helpers too…no running back and forth or excuses for not putting away the cleaning things.

I use this small wire wastebasket for grocery bags, which we use in our small bathroom trash cans. Beside it is stored the large kitchen bags. This way whoever is taking care of the garbage knows exactly where to go for supplies.

Step 3: GET RID OF THE EXCESS

I didn’t take a photo of my dining room/living room, but it was stacked with stuff that had somehow ended up in this tiny space. I threw away a lot of things. I donated a whole large trash bag of hand and full-sized towels and glass containers. The general rule is that if you haven’t used something in over a year, get rid of it…and don’t look back, or you’ll be turned into a pillar of salt, or something like that.

Step 4: STEP BACK AND ASSESS YOUR HANDIWORK. ASK YOURSELF IF THE SPACE IS GOING TO WORK FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

If you find the answer is no, go back a couple of steps and rework some things until you get it right. One of the keys for this space to be functional was that a person needed to be able to actually step inside and move around a bit. This was not an option before.

One of the keys for me was that I had to be able to put my upright vacuum and mop, both rather large, in there. I breathed a mighty sigh of relief when I realized it all worked.

Step 5: MAINTAIN

If you want your space to continue to look like this, you must recruit whomever will be using it to help. Show your spouse and older children how you want things stored. Make labels for your bins. Find a system that works for you and implement it.

Overall, this whole project, start to finish, took about an hour and half. I only spent a total of $5 on the Dollar Tree bins because I already had everything else that I used.

So, no excuses….dust off those skeletons and tidy up your closets!

chit-chat

what i’m reading this summer (with links)

June 15, 2015July 2, 2015 KellieAnn

A few weeks ago, on Instagram and Facebook, I posted this photo…

I thought I would run down this list and give you some links to where you can get a copy, if you’re interested.

Far From the Madding Crowd, by Thomas Hardy

I’ve finished this one. Be still my heart. It started out a bit on the slow side, but once I was about a third the way through this, I was hooked. For one, the film was coming out, and I was foaming at the mouth to see it. (Again, be still my heart. It was sooooo good.) Number two, I enjoy Hardy’s pastoral style of writing and vivid characters. Granted, this book is not for everyone. If you are not in the crowd that enjoys classics like Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters, then you probably won’t like this one either. I had read Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbevilles years ago and loved that one as well. This one has a cheerier ending than Tess, so if that one was a downer for you, then you might like this one better.

Love the Home You Have, by Melissa Michaels

I’m only a chapter or two into this one, but the whole concept is already resonating deeply with me. It’s all about contentment and making the best of where you find yourself currently. I don’t know about you, but I am often in need of a healthy dose of this kind of encouragement. I was given a gift card from one of my English students at the end of the year to Barnes & Noble, and I had in mind to track this book down. I was pleasantly surprised to find it in the Christian book section of the store. I in no way, shape, or form try to read just Christian material, but on a subject like this it is interesting to read it from a perspective of faith. Apparently, the author has quite a popular blog that you might be interested in checking out as well.

The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, by Syrie James

This was an impulse purchase from B&N when I was buying the above book. It was on one of those ever-so-tempting tables as you head to the checkout that boasts older bestsellers for only $4.95…or something like that. They had me at Charlotte Bronte…and secret…and diary. It has good reviews, so I’ll let you know once I get a chance to crack it open.

A Good Man is Hard to Find, by Flannery O’Conner

This is actually a collection of O’Conner short stories. If you have never read anything by Flannery O’Conner, you are missing out. She is so Southern and spiritual and twisted. I’ve found that you can read her stories at numerous levels. You begin a story, and you quickly find yourself having to read to the end because you have to know how it turns out. Then you can go the next step, and read it metaphorically because…goodness gracious…they all mean something else, and not in a hidden, College English 301 kind of way, but in a hit-you-up-side-of-the-head-OF COURSE kind of way. She had this way of writing about people we all know. Sometimes it feels she’s writing about you or your family. It’s actually deliciously creepy…but I like it. And then the truths she writes of, without actually writing about them, are so raw. I’m sure God is pretty proud of ole’ Flannery and her parables. Thirdly, you can read it just for the pure, unadulterated good writing. She knows how to put words together in such simple, yet such complex ways (a paradox, I know). It is so direct. It is so, so good. If you love good writing, you will love and admire Flannery O’Conner.

The Cost of Discipleship, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

I have wanted to read this for years, but, in all honesty, it seemed a little daunting to me. Recently, my future son-in-law pointed out that it has thirty-one chapters in it, so if you read a chapter a day, you could read it in a month, sort of like a devotional. So, that was my plan. I’ve read two chapters, and I can tell it is not going to work like that for me. It is too rich, and I’m usually a tad distracted in my reading. For me, this is going to take a lot longer, but still I’m already finding value in savoring a few pages at a time.

Bonhoeffer, if you don’t know, was a German and a Christian at the time of WWII, and he was eventually arrested by the Nazis. If you aren’t already aware of his story, I won’t spoil it, but even if you don’t read his own books, his biographies might interest you. Years ago Focus on the Family made a radio drama on his life, and it is excellent.

For the Love of Books, by Ronald B. Schwartz

I picked this book up at Goodwill a while back. I always love hearing about what other people are reading, and this book lists the favorites of 115 different writers. Some of my best book finds have been through others’ recommendations, so I am curious to what some great writers themselves recommend. Next year’s summer reading list, perhaps…?

Paradise, by Toni Morrison

This was another Goodwill find. I’ve read a couple of Toni Morrison novels before, and while she is an excellent writer, sometimes things get a little gritty for my taste. I’ve been compelled to try this one, however, because of the racial climate of late. I’m a person who tends to find and hit my emotional nerve through good, vivid literature rather than the latest news story. So, this is my way to stay empathetic in regard to current events. I’ll let you know how it goes…

The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt

I’m about a third through this one, and it is every bit as good and compelling as the reviews make it out to be. I’m hoping to find some time to finish this one by the end of this week. I’m at a point in the story where it is getting harder and harder to put it down, so I have to be careful about when I actually pick it up. My family wants to be fed, you know. Sheesh. My only warning is that it has some rather raw language in spots. It’s not prolifically throughout so far, but enough to make me wince a bit.

Willa Cather, Three Complete Novels, by Willa Cather

Actually, I’m only planning on the The Song of the Lark. I’ve already read O, Pioneers!, and I don’t know anything about the other one. I enjoy Willa Cather, but it’s been a while since I’ve picked her up, so I threw this one on the pile on a whim. If one gets left off this summer though, it will probably be this one. Sorry, Willa.

Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee (not pictured)

I was dumbfounded, literally dumbfounded, when I heard this book was being published this year. To Kill a Mockingbird is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. I was assigned it in ninth grade English class and started it with a ho-hum attitude. I finished it in two days, exactly four weeks before it was due. I’ve probably read it five times since then. It is truly a masterpiece. So, now, decades after its publication, the sequel, which was apparently written first, is being published. I’m trying not to get too excited about it because I fear I am going to be disappointed. All sorts of questions are swirling about in my mind: Does it suck? What if I don’t like the adult Scout? Or Jem? Is Atticus in it? Is it uncomfortably controversial? Is that why it was shelved all these years? Does it suck? What about Boo? Where is he now? Does it suck? It is being released on July 14, and you can guarantee I’ll have a copy in hand on that day, and my schedule will be cleared for a few days. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn’t suck…

So, that’s my rather ambitious reading list this summer. Will I finish? Maybe. Does it matter? Nope. All that matters is that some days it’s just too darn hot to do anything else but sip La Croix sparkling water and read a good book.

What are YOU reading this summer???

crafts, creativity

how to make a photo candle holder (great for special events!)

June 9, 2015July 2, 2015 KellieAnn

Recently my wonderful in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and while that is absolutely amazing and wonderful and celebration-worthy, what might be even more amazing is that I got quite a few family members to sit down around a table together to help me craft some of the decorations. Not that the family doesn’t get along…they just aren’t particularly crafty.

But this craft was so easy and simple that we all were able to do it without any whining or complaining or mistakes. Actually that’s not true. There was whining and complaining and mistakes. And there were also some non-participants. But we had fun and accomplished a really classy, meaningful craft that was a real show-stopper at their party.

Behold…

Nice, huh? (We also made the puff balls, but that’s another post for another time…)

I think these would lend themselves well for birthdays or graduations or weddings or just favorite photos to sit around the house. You can’t tell from the picture really, but they look so pretty with the soft light of the candle shining through.

Here’s what you need and how you put one together…

Clear vellum (We were making many of these, so I bought a pack of 25 for about $7, but you can buy by the sheet in most craft stores)
ModPodge
a foam tipped paint brush
a clear, cylindrical vase (I got this one at the Dollar Tree. It was about 7″ high. They also had some at Wal-Mart that I think would work that are about 8-9″ high. Your photo would not cover the entire piece though. It would go around it, but some glass would be uncovered on the top and bottom. They were about $3 each.)
a paper trimmer
an 8×11″ photo (can be either black and white or color; I really like how the muted colors of these vintage photos worked out for this project.)
I have an adhesive runner pictured, but I didn’t actually end up using it. In some cases you could put a little adhesive on the corners of the photo to get it positioned correctly before aggressively adhering it to the glass.

Okay, first of all, make a copy of the photo onto one sheet of vellum using your printer. I didn’t have to change any settings on mine, but vellum is a different weight than your standard printer paper, so try one before loading multiple pages, just in case your printer is sensitive to that.

Once you made the copy, try wrapping the vellum around the vase to see how it fits. I had to trim about an inch off horizontally. Vertically, it just overlapped about half an inch, so I didn’t trim that way.

Set the vellum aside. Pour a little bit of the ModPodge onto a plastic plate and dip the end of your brush into it. Spread on evenly using long strokes. A little goes a long way, so be careful here. You don’t want drips.

You’ll want it to look like the above photo: evenly covered, but still able to see through it.

Once the ModPodge is on the vase, grab your vellum photo and line it up. Start in the middle and start sticking it down and smoothing it out. We just used our hands and were able to get most of the bubbles out. The ModPodge is forgiving, so if you need to pull it up and start again, you can. If you have to do this more than once, you may need to apply another coat of ModPodge.

And that’s it! Allow to dry completely, and then place your votive candle or tea light inside and light. They made awesome centerpieces, and it was rewarding to see so many guests admiring the various photos we used.

Enjoy!

creativity

stop whatever you’re doing and fill out this “My Mommy” sheet with your kids

June 3, 2015 KellieAnn

Kids. Kids are just funny. One may grow up to be the most boring person on the planet, but I’d bet good money that when he or she was six years-old, humor came more naturally…whether it was intentional or not.

This morning I was checking my Facebook page, and someone had posted the following list of questions they asked their child. I tried it with my six-year old, Jack Henry, and got some pretty interesting answers. See for yourself…

1. What is something Mom always says to you? Do something.

2. What makes Mom happy? getting flowers

3. What makes Mom sad? Me being mean to her

4. How does your mom make you laugh? saying jokes

5. What was your mom like as a child? playing with Barbies

6. How old is your mom? I don’t know.

7. How tall is your mom? medium

8. What is her favorite thing to do? clean up the house

9. What does your mom do when you’re not around? read the Bible

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? fashion shows

11. What is your mom really good at? making dinner

12. What is your mom not very good at? playing video games

13. What does your mom do for a job? stays home and cleans the house

14. What is your mom’s favorite food? salad

15. What makes you proud of your mom? when you lay in your bed and do nothing

16. If your mom were a character, who would she be? Wicked Witch of the West

17. What do you and your mom do together? school

18. How are you and your mom the same? We can both stand up with apples in our mouths.

19. How are you and your mom different? I play, and she does work.

20. How do you know your mom loves you? when she lets me play video games

21. What does your mom like most about your dad? kissing

22. Where is your mom’s favorite place to go? Tito’s

23. How old was your mom when you were born? I don’t know.

24. What does your mom smell like? perfume

25. What is your mom’s favorite TV show or movie? haunted houses

You can really learn a lot about your kid and yourself by going through one of these. For instance, I never realized that Jack Henry saw the two of us as an archery dummy duo or that he thought I liked to clean house so much or that as soon he’s out of sight, I break open my Bible. I also never dreamed that his moment of pride was seeing me lounging around in my bed, just relaxing. Oh, and in my defense a bit, the reason he picked the Wicked Witch for me was that he knows my favorite color is green. I think that’s why, anyway… And I have no clue about the haunted houses answer…unless he’s talking about HGTV. And Tito’s is a local Mexican restaurant, by the way….not a Mexican man. Just thought I should clear that up. Ahem.

Make sure to record exactly what they say and in their voice. That can be a bit tricky if you’re an English grammar type, like myself. Also try not to let on that this is funny if you can help it. Sometimes kids, if they think you are laughing at them will either clam up or go the opposite direction, and be over-the-top silly. It’s best to just go for their straight, candid answers, so try to remain as stoic as possible when conducting the interview.

I’m providing a free printable version of this, if you’d like to try it with one of your own kiddos. This would be a nice thing to do every year on their birthday or Mother’s Day. It’s also easily adaptable for dads. Let me know if you get any particularly hilarious answers, ‘kay?

My mommy

chit-chat

my bloggin’ history…and future

June 2, 2015June 15, 2015 KellieAnn

Blogging. I’ve done this before. I think about three or four times. I had a homeschooling blog. I had a book blog. And then my favorite was one called Pirate Mom Dot Com (I don’t actually type out the link because I don’t own the domain any longer, so I can’t vouch for any content that might be there now).

I stopped blogging at Pirate Mom rather abruptly. I just blogged one day, and then I never did again. I’ve regretted that from time to time. I actually had a fair amount of readers that spanned beyond just my family and in-real-life friends. I usually posted about 2-3 times a week. So, it’s fair to say that some of my readers may have feared for my well-being. I was sorry about that. It’s an uncomfortable feeling to be thought of as dead, especially if you aren’t.

Even though it seemed like my blogging exit was sudden, I had been thinking about it for awhile. You see, I was at an interesting place in my life. I had just had my third child, and while I know other women have babies and go right on over-achieving and wonder-womaning, all the while sporting the latest fashions and perfect lip gloss, that wasn’t me. I was directionless. And busy. And wearing yoga pants. And hormonal. And the baby had eaten my lip gloss.

I had also sort of lost my focus concerning my blog. I didn’t know what direction I wanted to go. I was starting to get some offers to review products and advertise on my blog for income. I was interested in that. I think. But I didn’t really know what I was doing. One company sent me some kind of potty training contraption that fit around the base of the toilet like half of a doughnut. It was so a child could rest his feet there and not feel like he was going to fall into the commode. This thing was about three feet wide, and my baby was six months old…a good three years away from using it. I felt a little panicky that I had this big plastic thing already, but I couldn’t review it for the company that sent it for at least thirty-six months. So, despite this weird and random example, I just didn’t know where I stood on the whole money-making/review-writing angle of blogging then.

I didn’t blog for a week. Then I waited three weeks. Then three weeks turned into four months. The next thing I know I hadn’t posted anything in a year. Then I started getting emails that I needed to renew the domain. I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was too wrapped up in homeschooling my teenager and ten year-old and laundry and cooking and fishing lip gloss out of the baby’s mouth.

But here I am. Again. Over five years later.

I am wanting this to be a place of encouragement and light-heartedness and fun. The blogs that I use my precious time to read are ones that make me feel good, that make me feel encouraged and inspired, that make me want to turn my computer off and *do* something. I want to write like that. I want to write about the things that I’m comfortable with, things that I love, and things that I want to know more about. I want to write with passion and humor and knowledge and candor.

I hope that if you’ve endured this far, that you will come back. I have a lot of ideas stirring about. I have a lot that I want to accomplish and try here. And I hope that you’ll join me…again. I’m 99% that I’m not having any more babies, and the baby that sabotaged the last blog is six and half years-old now, so I think I’ll stick around a bit longer this time.