More Cool Stuff from ScrapBox

They have some other awesome stuff there. I like the ribbon box. I made one that didn't work out nearly as well as theirs looks. They have a great deal on shipping right now with a code...

Enter this code when you place your order to get $100 off your shipping: 100Writes

THE WORKBOX

I so want one of these! Wouldn't this be awesome to organize ALL THINGS CRAFTY? I came across these a few months ago and just drooled over them. Now they're giving away one to one lucky winner.

Busy, busy, busy...

I've been too busy with new baby and 3 siblings to blog, but I came across this today and thought I'd keep it here...

If you don't like it, change it...
If you can't change it.
Change the way you think about it!

The House is Clean....

Mostly! It was clean this morning and is almost in the same shape, shy of a couple dishes in the sink, a few crumbs on the floor, and some toys not quite put away. I love having a clean house and can't stand it when it's dirty.

I hope to have the baby SOON! I think everything is ready except those few things that you have to pack last minute. The bedding and clothes are washed for the baby. I think I have all the supplies I need... though I'm sure there'll be something I find I've forgotten. The hardest thing is knowing who to call to stay with the other kids when the time comes to finally dash for the hospital. I have a short list of people I can call and just hope that someone is home when it's time!

I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with everything now that I think everything is in order and ready, including having an almost clean house. Maybe if I finish folding all the laundry the baby will finally come!

My random place to be happy...

Ok. So I created this blog so that I could have an anonymous place to keep some happy thoughts... but I rarely post anything. What's up with that? It's not that there's nothing to be happy about, just no time to record it. That's my life in a nutshell. So here are a few happy thoughts.

My littlest is so stinkin' cute right now! He's just starting the phase where they talk a lot but only a handful of words are even remotely discernible. He picked up a poly-pocket dress today and proudly said what I figured out to be "Cinderella". It made me laugh and realize that all the clips, hair bands, and dolls are cute, but this boy needs some BOY TOYS! He brings me clips all the time and wants them in his hair like his sisters. Of course he likes the boy stuff too, but he has 2 sisters to play with everyday and they don't play cowboys and indians. He's got a little brother that should arrive ANY DAY NOW!!!! I'm sure he'll grow into some boy interests by the time little brother is old enough to talk... at least I HOPE.

Check out some cool blogs...

Hey, I learned how to add blogs that I like to follow! Yippee! Check them out. My new fave blog to check out is Make it and Love it! I only wish I had more time to make some of the REALLY cute stuff there!

Whining???

I refuse to whine here, since it's my happy place... so instead of complaining about sue happy people and finger pointers, having to rent a house with rats in the attic when you already own a home... in a different city, expensive dreams that take forever to realize, and my kids not listening... I'm going to be happy because:
-my kids are healthy, beautiful, and fun
-we have all we need and then some, even though the bills are bigger than the paycheck
-I have good friends and family that will help us out if we need it
-a new beautiful little life will soon grace our home
-we have a wonderful little family that is so very blessed
-I have a comfy bed to sleep in... and sleeping will be comfy again soon
-I have more than enough food to eat... and I eat it
-I KNOW everything will work out in the end for the best

And there are so many more things to be thankful for... but time does not permit. So that'll have to do until the next time I need to remind myself how blessed I am.

Sticker Power!

My kids love stickers. I don't mind them... except for when they are left stuck on everything in the house... especially the tile floor where they have to be scraped off.

Today I made a sticker chart with silly tasks listed that I am always having to remind/hound my kids to do plus some other tasks I'd like them to start being responsible for. When I showed them the chart and told them what they had to do to get a sticker to put on it, it was amazing! The toys got picked up, their room was cleaned, they finished their dinner and put the dishes in the sink, one of them unloaded the kid dishes from the dishwasher and the other one loaded the dishes from dinner! They are only 3 and 4 and I've been asking for them to pick up their room and the toys all over the house for 3 days. I just can't bend over too well right now (6 weeks left before baby #4) and I refuse to pick up constantly! I now love stickers!!!!!! I couldn't believe how well it worked. I made a sticker chart a few months ago that wasn't as successful, so it only lasted a few days. It had way too many things on it. This one just has a few things so they can fill it up easily. If it works all week, I'll surprise them with something. Not sure what yet, but I need to think of something they can trade their chart of stickers in for... like a jelly bean for each sticker or a penny or something else they would find motivating enough to continue for another whole week. If it works, I'll make new charts and laminate them so the stickers can just come off and we can start over each week without printing a new chart.

It seems silly to be excited about such a little thing. If you can't understand, you must not have kids. It's great to find a way to motivate them, praise them and reward them all at the same time. I don't do enough positive reinforcement, so this helps me remember to notice how great they are and let them know how much I appreciate and love them.

My Happy Place

I found that I was complaining a lot, especially on my blog... so I decided to start a new blog... where there's no complaining, just happy thoughts. We'll see if it lasts! :-)