Stop over to RisaAnn Designs today for the details on my first quilt! A fun adventure and a happy girl loves her quilt!
Books and a Vacuum
Over the winter I enjoyed some good books. I listened to a few with Audible.com and read a few. They all were pretty good, kept my attention and left me thinking for a bit. Here they are:
Beautiful Ruins I read for book club. I enjoyed all the intertwining story-lines and would love to see this as a movie. I would maybe read it again if I was on a beach in Italy relaxing and listening to the waves roll in.
Stories I Only Tell My Friends was good. I listened to it while I ran in training for the half marathon I ran. It took me about 3 weeks of runs to get through it. Kept my attention and pretty neat things the actor went through as he made his way through his career.
A Week in Winter is like Beautiful Ruins with intertwining story-lines. Most of the characters in the book are staying at a bed and breakfast place and it shows how they all got there. Everyone has their own story filled with drama, interesting twists and questions. I have about two chapters left of this and I am anxious to see how it ends!
Sparkly Green Earrings is a memoir from a complete motherhood perspective…I have laughed out loud a couple times while reading this. Quick read and relatable.
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy I found on Instagram when someone posted about it. One of the reasons I love IG…you can find some of the neatest things on there as people share pictures. I have been wanting to look into using essential oils for AJ (digestion issue she has had since birth) so when I saw the book pop up in the IG feed I bought it. I really am enjoying using the book, there is such a wealth of knowledge and good information. I have bought some wonderful oils from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are really great quality and the other products they offer besides oils are really amazing.
So yes I am going to blog about a vacuum…one of the main reasons I enjoy doing the blog is to share what is making life a bit easier for us in hopes that it helps make someone else’s life a bit easier too! Yes, I am adding it to my favorites page.
The Vacuum…Ergorapido by Electrolux…This thing is a huge help around the house. I don’t have to haul out the huge vacuum to clean up after my crew and the floor seems to stay cleaner because I use it more often because of its ease. I love that it’s cordless, there is a base it sits on in our laundry room. Oh yeah, did I mention that the front part pops off and it is a little dustbuster?!?! I just grab it real quick, whip around the kitchen, under the table, the living room and bam done! Plus Axel thinks it’s a game and follows me around as I get all the food tossed off the table by Sylvie and AJ. Vivian loves it because she is big enough that she can use it, so see my floor is cleaner because she wants to use it too!
Have a great week!
Marisa
Friday Finds
Love this weather!!! This sky makes me want to lay on a blanket and watch the clouds go by!
Here are a few links that I thought were share worthy! Enjoy the links and have a wonderful weekend!
- Really like this cleaning guide. Makes it seem simple and easy to do.
- Enjoyed this by Lysa…she writes with such wisdom!
- Love Seltzer…they have the cutest gift ideas and I love the 7 Year Pen!
- Looking forward to making this quilt for AJ
- I need to do this for my Instagram pics
- Here are some house updates and then some!
Related articles
- Photo A Day May (rachelspick.wordpress.com)
- Tips & Tricks Thursday – Instagram Art… (tiinadecor.com)
- Must-Have App for Instagram Lovers “InstaTxtr” by Chee Ket Yung Now Updated with Dazzling New Filters (prweb.com)
To the Moms…
I read this today by Ann Voskamp and had to share…a quick read and it was so good! From A Holy Experience.
Enjoy!
Marisa
Related articles
- Thanks Mom! (parenting-success.com)
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The Race
Hey there!
Things are good, busy, but good. The days are filled to the brim with “life” which leaves getting on the computer not so much an option right now. The kids activities are filling up our schedule, a three week cold went through our house and I finished my first half marathon with the second one this weekend.
Bookstore fun…
Amelia and Sylvie at Little Picasso’s art class
Axel growing up way too fast!
Amelia being Viv’s shadow…they are two peas in a pod lately!
Sylvie doing some puzzles…
I am really enjoying time on my Singer doing RisaAnn Designs projects and excited to share my first quilt experience on the RisaAnn blog next week! Here Vivian is lounging on her quilt this past weekend.
Lately in all the busyness I am feeling a bit weary in my parenting journey. I want to finish the day off feeling like we had a great day not regretting how part of the day played out. I never in all my days thought that two little two year olds could run the show. Today as they are about a month away from turning 3 I realized that right now they decide if they are going to take a nap, they decide what they are going to eat and they decide who is putting on their clothes. I know I could demand that they nap, eat what I serve and put on their clothes to save time, but really where does that leave me? Crying kids, frustrated mom and we most likely will not save any time. So I am giving in…no, not letting them run wild and have no respect for others but letting them be more independent, saying yes more to their requests and just enjoying more moments instead of trying to control the moments.
Just yesterday I read a chapter in Lara Williams book about laying down control. It was such a great read for me right now. Control usually has to do with fear. Fear that these little ones will not learn to be nice, or share toys or make good choices…really I think in the end they will be fine but in the heat of the moment fear can creep in. Fear is not what He wants for us, He wants love.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…
Another very wisdom filled thing I read about was trials. Those pop up in our days…not major life altering trials but 55 small trials that by the end of the day feel life altering. Then, I read to count these trials as joy. What?!?! Joy??? How can the trials be joy? Well they can be if I look at the big picture of life and not the little moments of frustration.
James 1:2-3 …whenever trials come your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Hebrews 12:1 …let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
So, I have been reminded again this week that being a parent is not a sprint, it is an ultra-marathon!
xo Marisa
Well Hello!
Hi all…hope you are having a happy day…it is still snowing in these parts. I keep asking, “Where is Spring?”
Here are some quick links to some neat posts, challenges, and books! Enjoy!
- A book that sounds deep, interesting and uplifting by Lara Williams.
- Enjoyed this post…lots of wisdom and tips here! How To Be A More Patient Mom In Just 24 Hours by Kat of Inspired to Action.
- For April Tara Stiles is launching a May I be Your Yoga Teacher fun challenge. Check out her post here! Tara Stiles yoga DVDs are wonderful and you can get them from Amazon here.
- This wreath looks fun for Easter and these coasters look easy and could be a fun gift!
Have a great day and those of you in warmer climates send some sun and warmth our way!!!
Marisa
Related articles
- Tara Stiles: ‘Yoga is not an elite club’ (telegraph.co.uk)
- Relaxing Bedtime Yoga with Tara Stiles (thegelicaraecollective.wordpress.com)
- Reebok Launches Yoga Collection Wth Tara Stiles (shoppingblog.com)
Running Favorites!
I am training for a half marathon and I have come across a few things that are working for me and wanted to share. Before I tell you about my favorites know that lacing up my shoes and hitting the pavement is great without these extras, but since I am logging some miles I thought trying new things would be fun! A few of them have become my favorites!
Run Training Pro: This is an iPhone app that tracks your mileage, plays music from your playlists, gives pace and has a calendar to track it all. I used this before I got the Nike+ watch and I still use it on some days when I forget my watch.
Nike+ watch: I am really enjoying this watch. It tracks my miles and pace then I plug it into my computer and it downloads the runs so I can see the distance I have gone over the last month and week.
Audible.com: I decided for long runs getting lost in a book might be something to try. Well the first time I used this I did not want to stop running because I wanted to know what happened next in the book! I thought maybe my pace would slow down but it stayed pretty consistent…this may be a no-no for some runners but I don’t mind multitasking!
Pandora: If I want just music for my run I have been enjoying Running Music Radio station on Pandora.
Happy Running!
Marisa
31 Days of Forgiveness and Giveaway!!!
Tracie Stier-Johnson has written a wonderful book about forgiveness. 31 Day of Forgiveness {through the eyes of grace} was a blessing to read and I wanted to share the link with you! It releases today…this book is filled with wisdom, scripture, stories and thought-provoking questions. On many pages I had to pause and really think about what Tracie wrote. I thought I had forgiving others and grace figured out…Tracie shed new light on the topic for me! She dives into the details and depth of forgiveness and grace. I was not sure what I would glean from the book but after reading it I can say some of the things I did learn I think about on a daily basis with marriage, parenting and day-to-day activities. Enjoy the Kindle version of her book FREE on Amazon.com until 12am Saturday morning.
Tracie has been so generous to have a Free Giveaway to those that leave a comment and share the news of the book release. The prizes include: Hardcopy of 31 Days of Forgiveness, DaySpring notepad set, and an owl pillow from Button Bird Designs.
To enter the giveaway just leave a comment here on my blog. To be entered again post on FB, Twitter, Instagram or on your own blog and leave that in my comments too! You can link to my webpage or directly to the amazon.com store page. The giveaway will be open until Friday night. I will contact the winner via email so I can get your address and get your prize to you. Good Luck and share the news!
Blessings to you!
Marisa
Related articles
- Forgiveness (dyandiamond.wordpress.com)
- 1K Giveaway: Day 1 (fiveintow.com)
- Thank you for forgiveness. (cnhfaith.me)
Quick Links
- A great post on being a mommy. I love this blog…she is so encouraging, always!
- My one and only sister and her sweet post on my littles.
- Grace from my Kids…oh how I need this!
- Love this quote…from my one and only brother’s blog.
- Snack for the kids…I think they would enjoy making and eating!
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Marisa
Cool Baby Things
Hey there…I had some computer issues but all is good now so let’s get this post going!
A teething baby, eating real food baby, drinking out of a sippy cup baby! I am so sad my little boy is checking off all the milestones a little too quick for this mama!
In the past few weeks I have come across some really neat “new” baby products that I have to share.
The first is this little spoon you screw onto the end of these baby food pouches. They are perfect for when I am out of the house and Axel needs to eat a meal. Super easy, easy clean up and less mess. Two come in a package and I picked it up at the local grocery store.
The second is this little gadget called a “first spoon”. The baby can put it in their food and it helps them to get the hang of using a spoon. It is perfect for Axel while he is teething, he loves to knaw and chew on it while in his highchair.
The third is this Baltic Amber teething necklace. No the baby does not chew on the necklace, instead they wear it under their clothing so the amber beads touch the babies skin. The healing properties of the amber resin gets absorbed into the babies skin, which helps with all the inflammation and discomfort that comes with teething. I found this question and answer page from Teething SOS that does a great job on explaining the necklace. You can see Axel with the necklace on in the first picture.
Well off to get the kids up from naps…have a wonderful rest of the day!
Marisa
Related articles
- Baby Led Weaning (moderntwinmom.com)
- And Then She Said “Mama” (crazyadventuresinparenting.com)
- Baby Teeth[ing] (littleduckies.wordpress.com)
- Bouncy Baby Boutique – product review (angela-mommytimeout.blogspot.com)
- Easy, No-Cook Baby Food Recipe: Chickpea Yogurt (thebump.com)
- Green Moms: DIY Baby Food (sierraclub.typepad.com)
- The Dos and Don’ts of Homemade Baby Food (thebump.com)
