So last week...we found a house we liked. No wait....we found a house we fell in LOVE with. :)
We have spent the last 4 months looking at newer homes because we wanted a newer home for many reasons. Number one they tend to be a bit more spacious or open versus broken up (and technically we have that here kind of, the current house as an open feel to it because the doorways are so wide), and #2 they tend to be quite a bit less maintenance. Our criteria originally was we didn't want to entertain anything older than 20 yrs unless it was really kept up and redone. Because of that we have seen probably 30+ houses that had similar square footage (between 2000-3000) that all had different layouts, but only to a degree.
One thing I found out was, when looking for a 5BR home, if you go under 2500sq ft, you sacrifice one of the living areas on the main level. There was one house in particular that had this situation and while I loved this house, upon really thinking about it (and bringing my sil in it to ask her opinion) I realized that that was just too small. One of my bigger fears, is getting a house that is TOO big. I know that sounds ridiculous being that I am a mom of 8 kids, but if you know me you know that I tend to be a minimalist. What I don't want is a huge house that I have to clean and care for when we don't NEED that kind of space. A lot of the homes we have seen were not too big (I think any over 3K sq ft would have felt that way honestly), it became very clear awhile back that it had to be over that 2500K mark to work.
This of course put an even greater twist to this situation, because lets face it...even in this buyers market we currently live in, 5 BR homes are still hard to come by (especially ones on the newer side).
There was also the budget issue. Honestly we would be hard pressed to get a house of this proportion if the economy were not as such. While my hubby makes great money, I refuse, REFUSE to be house poor. I like having cash flow each month that does not include CC's (we have 1, it has a very low limit, we pay it off every month...thats it), so because of that we needed to have a strict budget or else figure something else out. So far we have been able to find quite a few candidates for our obsession (Dean's little key phrase to help relieve the guilt we feel for obsessing over houses day in and day out lol).
The first house we almost bit on didn't meet a lot of the criteria we now currently have. We were less than 8 hours away from submitting our offer on that house before we pulled it, and thank God we did! It was built in the late 70's and while it was huge (3000K sq ft plus a full finished basement the same size,...yeah HUGE)...it needed a ton of updating that I felt would literally break us over the next few years financially. I don't want to spend future windfalls/bonus checks to update a house, no thanks. I would much rather take vacations and pay for braces for 8 kids without making costly monthly payments....things like that.
The next almost house is the one we have been waiting on for the last 60+ days now. It is a short sale which basically means "be prepared to wait a really long time with no certainty that your getting it". It has been a VERY long 60 days. Honestly during the entire wait I have wondered if God didn't send us that one to put us off for that time to usher in THE house after the fact. The jury is still out on that one...as of right now we know the bank is working on it, and the seller is hoping we are interested, but we have kept looking jic something else comes available. As of right now we are no longer under contract in our offer though because they passed the 60 days deadline of the offer (they being the bank). The sitch is complicated...the house has 2 loans on it, both held by the same bank but the $ amount owed versus what we offered is very different. The house is only worth market wise right now about 2/3rds of the amount owe, to the tune of $100K less. This sadly is the situation wit many Michigan home values if not all right now. Our house is no different. We bought it at $130K and it is currently worth $66K, thanks to all the neighborhood foreclosures. Nice huh?
In the meantime, we have found 2 others that did not pan out. The first was a beautiful HUD home with 4BR's plus an office on the main floor for the 5th, but it had no A/C, appliances and no fence. Because its a HUD they require 2% closing automatically...so between those 4 things, there was no way financially we could swing it. We have lots of $ saved, but def not that much.
The second one was the more recent house where we put in an offer that was declined (in other words they scoffed at it). We didn't low ball or anything, we offered what our realtor suggested for comparable in the area, and while it wasn't our highest and best we wanted to see if they would negotiate and this was our starting point. After being dissed the first time LOL, we decided to come back 10K higher...well that offer they never even acknowledged! Even the realtor never answered it. I took that as my sign that it was not the one (even though it was a great house! :) ). Disappointing,...yes but while it stunk I really knew in my heart it was meant to be. (see previous post to evaluate my psyche lol).
Which brings us to the current day, Monday April 5th. As of this morning, i am appy to report that we have found a very unlikely beautiful home,...on a very unlikely huge lot in the city limits. The location is smack dab in the center of everything in the downriver area. The neighborhood is very nice, feels secluded even though it is literally minutes from grocery/target/movie theater etc.
When I first saw the ad, I was willing to consider it simply because it had a welcoming feel to the picture of the front of the house. The ad said it was built in 1981...which kind of concerned me, but it also said it had been remodeled 8 yrs ago and from the pics it looked somewhat updated (not really my taste but it wasn't 1980's either). Our realtor was kind of concerned because of the age, but we decided to go see it last week anyway while we were waiting on the short sale house.
And as this story goes...we have fallen in love with it!! Here are the details...it was redone 8 yrs ago, COMPLETELY redone apparently because we learned from their realtor while we were looking at the house that the house was struck by lightening 8 yrs ago and burned nearly to the ground so the ins. paid to completely rebuild it from the ground up. You can tell that's what has happened because no expense was spared! It has hardwood floors through most of the house, and the rooms that do have carpet are really nice upgraded (they may even be newer than 8 yr because they are immaculate). The kitchen is gourmet, the bathrooms have nice tile top to bottom. Now there are things about it that I'm not super crazy about, BUT...thats how it goes when looking for a house on a budget. Unless you have endless amounts of $ to spend on a house, your not going to get everything you want.
What we are looking at is nearly half an acre of land in the city. That alone is worth the price we are paying. The yard isn't fenced (one of the drawbacks) but because the house is in such awesome shape we won't need the extra $ to fix the other things we were going to have to is many of the other houses (such as all new carpeting, appliances, etc.). The house also comes with....are you ready for this???? A HOT TUB!! *squeeee*
I think the thing that sets this one apart from the others we have seen though is that when you walk in it feels like a home...not just a house. Almost all of the other houses we have looked at had these major cathedral ceilings in several areas of the house, which are nice don't get me wrong, but in order to paint those you either have to own scaffolding, or hire it done. Mrs. Cheap says she doesn't like the idea of having to hire ANYONE to do something like that in her house LOL. In this shortsale house thats exactly what would be going on because the entry is 2 story (and in desperate need of paint...its currently light blue which looked nice with the previous owners decor, but not mine lol).
It does have higher ceilings in the great room, but with a taller ladder they are accessible. The lot has lots of trees, landscaping, an outdoor sound system, brick paved patio (thats huge), a real fireplace, 2.5 baths, oh and a huge dining room that will easily fit my great big table for all 10 of us, YAY!! :) The house is darling, and very homey. It's so...us.
So with that said, as of this afternoon we are putting in an offer on it. We are so excited about this one...but differently so. I have a good feeling about it, and so does Dean. We are trying not to get our hopes up but its really hard because there is so much to love about this one it would definitely be the one that got away if we don't get it. We think the owner is fairly motivated as his kids are all grown and at college or older, and his wife passed away a few years ago so it is just him in the house, and the neighbor (yes already met one lol) said that he is hardly ever there anymore because he tends to be with his girlfriend...makes sense now as to why the house is spotless. :)
So I'll be back with an update hopefully in the next day or two at most.
Today I have video to upload of the kids Easter egg hunt yesterday. Daddy had to work so i cam'ed it all for him to see and it turned out good. This week is spring break week so i might actually have some time here or there to post pics of some things I've been wanting to share as well. For now I have a busy day ahead of me with a doc appt for 2 of the kids and tackling the last of the stuff to be put away up stairs, oh and a wall border upstairs to come down. I best get busy in case we get some good news this week :)
Monday, April 5, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Easter , what a beautiful day!
It is seriously beautiful outside today and has been for the last 2 weeks.
Today is Easter Sunday 2010, and I'm feeling the need to reflect on some of the wonderful things God has reminded me of in life today..
I've spent a lot of time over the last few months fighting the urge to complain, matter of fact that was my *give up* for lent this year,...complaining. I felt convicted for one that despite the difficulties in my life (which at times can be many) really pale in comparison to many others in this world.
I know that I am blessed. Is my life perfect? Absolutely not, but perfection isn't what life is about. Everyone has issues. Everyone has problems, even the richest person, the prettiest girl, the most successful business woman, or the seemingly perfect mother who looks as though she "has it all together". I think the key to success in this life is knowing that and living knowing that each day there WILL be struggles. Bad things happen to all people, no matter how nice, or good you are.
I learned long ago that suffering brings about things in us that we might never otherwise have been able to accomplish in this lifetime had we not undergone that certain tough situation. I'm not saying suffering is good, or easy...just necessary in this life because of the fallen nature in which we live. Suffering is the catalyst to greater things both in us and through us. Remember Scarlett O'hara who stood on the hill after feeling hunger pangs and declared she would never go hungry again? That scene alone (in one of my fav movies) moved me because of the truth it speaks to human nature and how we are wired to overcome where there are serious odds, persecution and pain.
Not long ago , I spent a lot of time wallowing in pity over many of the past events of my life that led me down a certain path. Most of those things were done when I was a child/teen...which meant they were not paths I choose as a capable adult. Never the less, other events in this world sent my life down those paths which were less than good in so many ways. I spent years of my life wondering why. Why would people allow such things to happen? Why would God allow me to suffer such a fate, when I felt that my inner self really only wanted to know and love the God of my creation. It was in those questions, that God answered me. God does what he does for a purpose, His purpose to be exact. And he also does what he does for our own benefit, whether we see that or not. It's hard to view any situation as such, especially when the suffering involves something personal and deep or hurtful...I know this, I am not a fool to human emotion, as something that is beneficial.
I for one, have been through some rough times in my life. Maybe worse than others, maybe not. We all have had struggles which have made us who we are. Ah...who we are! That's what I am getting at. The things that we have been through mold us and make us who we are in this life. Everyone has different struggles, and a different story, thus everyone responds differently to times of difficulty or pain.
What matters is not the struggle, or even how we handle it while we go through it, what matters most is what we learn from it and how we take that knowledge and bless others with it.
One of my favorite things in life is old people. I say that endearingly because I really truly do love them. The ting i love most is their link to the past, the memories they have that I can learn from them, the lessons they have seen while living here on this earth, and how each person who has lived long is like a spring just waiting to be tapped. One of my favorite old people in this world passed away almost 8 years ago...my great grandmother. She was incredibly sweet, yet feisty lol, and we would spend hours talking about her old cooking recipes (from scratch of course). She would often send me on my way with a few spices from her cooking cabinet, genuine tangible bits of the care she would take for her family through food. It was in those moments that I realized all of this...that the older generations have serious worth (more than most of us give them credit for). In a world that is quickly losing its morality one day at a time, the older generations have something to give that is priceless, and soul worthy. Wisdom of lessons learned, and the heritage of them to be passed down from generation to generation never to be forgotten.
This way of living is as old as time, we need only look to history books, including one of the oldest (the bible) too see similar examples.
I know that our older generations suffered more at times than we ever will. I know my great gran lived life before there were dishwashers! That sounds like major hardship to me (HA!! jk! :) ). At times I have to wonder if that isn't what our generation and the ones under us IS lacking. Do we have it too easy? At times I think that we do...or maybe we have in the past. I know with the recent economy downfall, there are more and more people learning to live life simply, and take less for granted. I feel like more people are looking for ways to bring meaning back to their lives, versus spending it focusing on bigger and better. I think it is times like these, where we realize that life is precious and to short that we are able to take the focus off "things" and put them where they belong...on our families, our children, and on God.
I know at times I struggle greatly with this myself. Its no secret my husband does very well for himself and us with the job he has, but depending on how well you know me, you might not know that there was a time not too long ago when this simply was not the case. Dean and I spent nearly 9 years of our lives in near poverty. it was the toughest time of our life. It was difficult to keep trusting and believing that God had a bigger plan than we could see. It was hard to keep trusting after several well paying jobs came and subsequently left, only to not be had by our family. After years of struggle, it was hard not to lose hope. Through it all, not only did we pray for God to bring us a good job for Dean, but we also felt called during that time to leave our fertility up to God. It was in this trusting that we learned to fully trust...not just say we did. Now...I definitely have not arrived when it comes to trusting God LOL. I still have times of doubt when things get difficult. Lately with the housing situation, there have been times where I literally wanted to give up and accept that it was never going to happen...especially when i am faced with another day in this tiny house with all my kids. But one thing I know is that God never forsakes us, and he definitely never leaves us. He wants whats best for us (Jeremiah 29:11), even though we cannot see the reason behind the pain we are going through.
And ultimately while suffering happens and stinks (seriously!)...in my mind is is the culmination of what Jesus did for us. Does that mean we have to suffer to become like him? Well, yes and no. We do not need suffering to save us, Christ already did that, that's done. But it does give us an idea of what Christ willingly went through for us, even though he could have prevented it from happening to him. I don't know about anyone else, but if I could stop myself from being hurt or messed with in a situation, I'd have a hard time NOT doing exactly that LOL! But today I am thankful that I do not hold that power. I have renewed love today for God, not in his abiality to make me suffer, but in the saving grace that Jesus brought to me 2000+ years ago on that cross. My whole life and everything in it is because of that one single moment in time and I am today eternally grateful beyond measure. I would not have my best friend...My God, my Lord my savior if not for the ministry, life and wretched death Jesus took upon himself that fateful day.
Happy Easter friends! May the love that God has bestowed upon us all fill each of our hearts today and remind us to trust God in all things great and small.
Today is Easter Sunday 2010, and I'm feeling the need to reflect on some of the wonderful things God has reminded me of in life today..
I've spent a lot of time over the last few months fighting the urge to complain, matter of fact that was my *give up* for lent this year,...complaining. I felt convicted for one that despite the difficulties in my life (which at times can be many) really pale in comparison to many others in this world.
I know that I am blessed. Is my life perfect? Absolutely not, but perfection isn't what life is about. Everyone has issues. Everyone has problems, even the richest person, the prettiest girl, the most successful business woman, or the seemingly perfect mother who looks as though she "has it all together". I think the key to success in this life is knowing that and living knowing that each day there WILL be struggles. Bad things happen to all people, no matter how nice, or good you are.
I learned long ago that suffering brings about things in us that we might never otherwise have been able to accomplish in this lifetime had we not undergone that certain tough situation. I'm not saying suffering is good, or easy...just necessary in this life because of the fallen nature in which we live. Suffering is the catalyst to greater things both in us and through us. Remember Scarlett O'hara who stood on the hill after feeling hunger pangs and declared she would never go hungry again? That scene alone (in one of my fav movies) moved me because of the truth it speaks to human nature and how we are wired to overcome where there are serious odds, persecution and pain.
Not long ago , I spent a lot of time wallowing in pity over many of the past events of my life that led me down a certain path. Most of those things were done when I was a child/teen...which meant they were not paths I choose as a capable adult. Never the less, other events in this world sent my life down those paths which were less than good in so many ways. I spent years of my life wondering why. Why would people allow such things to happen? Why would God allow me to suffer such a fate, when I felt that my inner self really only wanted to know and love the God of my creation. It was in those questions, that God answered me. God does what he does for a purpose, His purpose to be exact. And he also does what he does for our own benefit, whether we see that or not. It's hard to view any situation as such, especially when the suffering involves something personal and deep or hurtful...I know this, I am not a fool to human emotion, as something that is beneficial.
I for one, have been through some rough times in my life. Maybe worse than others, maybe not. We all have had struggles which have made us who we are. Ah...who we are! That's what I am getting at. The things that we have been through mold us and make us who we are in this life. Everyone has different struggles, and a different story, thus everyone responds differently to times of difficulty or pain.
What matters is not the struggle, or even how we handle it while we go through it, what matters most is what we learn from it and how we take that knowledge and bless others with it.
One of my favorite things in life is old people. I say that endearingly because I really truly do love them. The ting i love most is their link to the past, the memories they have that I can learn from them, the lessons they have seen while living here on this earth, and how each person who has lived long is like a spring just waiting to be tapped. One of my favorite old people in this world passed away almost 8 years ago...my great grandmother. She was incredibly sweet, yet feisty lol, and we would spend hours talking about her old cooking recipes (from scratch of course). She would often send me on my way with a few spices from her cooking cabinet, genuine tangible bits of the care she would take for her family through food. It was in those moments that I realized all of this...that the older generations have serious worth (more than most of us give them credit for). In a world that is quickly losing its morality one day at a time, the older generations have something to give that is priceless, and soul worthy. Wisdom of lessons learned, and the heritage of them to be passed down from generation to generation never to be forgotten.
This way of living is as old as time, we need only look to history books, including one of the oldest (the bible) too see similar examples.
I know that our older generations suffered more at times than we ever will. I know my great gran lived life before there were dishwashers! That sounds like major hardship to me (HA!! jk! :) ). At times I have to wonder if that isn't what our generation and the ones under us IS lacking. Do we have it too easy? At times I think that we do...or maybe we have in the past. I know with the recent economy downfall, there are more and more people learning to live life simply, and take less for granted. I feel like more people are looking for ways to bring meaning back to their lives, versus spending it focusing on bigger and better. I think it is times like these, where we realize that life is precious and to short that we are able to take the focus off "things" and put them where they belong...on our families, our children, and on God.
I know at times I struggle greatly with this myself. Its no secret my husband does very well for himself and us with the job he has, but depending on how well you know me, you might not know that there was a time not too long ago when this simply was not the case. Dean and I spent nearly 9 years of our lives in near poverty. it was the toughest time of our life. It was difficult to keep trusting and believing that God had a bigger plan than we could see. It was hard to keep trusting after several well paying jobs came and subsequently left, only to not be had by our family. After years of struggle, it was hard not to lose hope. Through it all, not only did we pray for God to bring us a good job for Dean, but we also felt called during that time to leave our fertility up to God. It was in this trusting that we learned to fully trust...not just say we did. Now...I definitely have not arrived when it comes to trusting God LOL. I still have times of doubt when things get difficult. Lately with the housing situation, there have been times where I literally wanted to give up and accept that it was never going to happen...especially when i am faced with another day in this tiny house with all my kids. But one thing I know is that God never forsakes us, and he definitely never leaves us. He wants whats best for us (Jeremiah 29:11), even though we cannot see the reason behind the pain we are going through.
And ultimately while suffering happens and stinks (seriously!)...in my mind is is the culmination of what Jesus did for us. Does that mean we have to suffer to become like him? Well, yes and no. We do not need suffering to save us, Christ already did that, that's done. But it does give us an idea of what Christ willingly went through for us, even though he could have prevented it from happening to him. I don't know about anyone else, but if I could stop myself from being hurt or messed with in a situation, I'd have a hard time NOT doing exactly that LOL! But today I am thankful that I do not hold that power. I have renewed love today for God, not in his abiality to make me suffer, but in the saving grace that Jesus brought to me 2000+ years ago on that cross. My whole life and everything in it is because of that one single moment in time and I am today eternally grateful beyond measure. I would not have my best friend...My God, my Lord my savior if not for the ministry, life and wretched death Jesus took upon himself that fateful day.
Happy Easter friends! May the love that God has bestowed upon us all fill each of our hearts today and remind us to trust God in all things great and small.
Monday, March 29, 2010
loss.
Because time cannot erase years of memories and a God appointed encounter.
15 months have come and gone, and I still think of you.
"My Immortal"
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus]
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
[Chorus]
15 months have come and gone, and I still think of you.
"My Immortal"
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus]
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
[Chorus]
Thursday, March 25, 2010
I'm a pescatarian, and public school lunch programs.
For the last 2 years I have thought about, and wanted to take this step. I didn't when I was pg with Scarlett (even though i desperately wanted too) because i seriously didn't have time to put in the research I needed to know WHAT to cook for my family in the event we did this.
Well this week it has happened, finally. We are still clearing out the freezer with the last bits of chicken and beef that I refuse to let go to waste, however I myself have been on a pesc. diet only for about 3 weeks now and I.LOVE.IT.
When i told the kids we would be switching, Dylan automatically asked "well what about big macs?" (LOL!!) I reminded him that whenever the sitch presented itself if he wanted to eat meat he could, otherwise here at home for the most part we would be eating veggies (which we already do a ton of) and fish/shell fish of course.
I know there will be the occasional summer grill out with hot dogs here at home, and thats fine, its more of a moderate overhaul versus an absolute with me. For me there won't be compromise with one exception...I don't think i could give up hot wings. I don't eat them but a few times a year, but seriously....there is no comparison veggie, fish or otherwise so for that I reserve the right to be a flexitarian for a day rofl!
Also, here is a great site I found while scouring for recipes....I COULD NOT agree more. I am so sick to death of the school lunch program. my kids pack about 80% of the time, but on te days they do not I worry about what the lunch is (weeks like the last few weeks they have bought more than they packed.) NACHOS are not real food Sedexho! (thats the name of the food company our school system uses) and neither are french toast sticks, seriously!!! Anyways, I've wanted to do this for years now, petition the school systems to make the lunch room healthy. I don't mind the occassioal pizza day, even once a week, but the majority of what they feed our children are junk foods, laden with sugar and artificial ingredients. No wonder children misbehave and are hyper, their brains are STARVING.
SIGN THIS PETITION!!!
This also applies of course to neighborhood/communities, friends and families. As much as my friends/family are tired of hearing me say it, I refuse to be quiet about it any longer. Your food can make or break you. Your food can KILL you if you are eating food that isn't truly food. They are CHEMICALS. As I have said before and will continue to say ;) a bag of organic apples costs $3.99 for 12 servings...that's the same price that a box of fruit snacks cost. (sometimes cheaper when apples are in season and on sale).
Ok, stepping off my soap box. I just emailed emealz and asked if they would include some pesc. recipes with their current veggie plan, i am hoping my interest will spark them to come up with one, I loooove my emealz! Such a life saver for this incredibly overly busy mama <3
.......
p.s. they just switched it for me, wow that was quick!! if anyone has any good fish recipes, please share :)
Well this week it has happened, finally. We are still clearing out the freezer with the last bits of chicken and beef that I refuse to let go to waste, however I myself have been on a pesc. diet only for about 3 weeks now and I.LOVE.IT.
When i told the kids we would be switching, Dylan automatically asked "well what about big macs?" (LOL!!) I reminded him that whenever the sitch presented itself if he wanted to eat meat he could, otherwise here at home for the most part we would be eating veggies (which we already do a ton of) and fish/shell fish of course.
I know there will be the occasional summer grill out with hot dogs here at home, and thats fine, its more of a moderate overhaul versus an absolute with me. For me there won't be compromise with one exception...I don't think i could give up hot wings. I don't eat them but a few times a year, but seriously....there is no comparison veggie, fish or otherwise so for that I reserve the right to be a flexitarian for a day rofl!
Also, here is a great site I found while scouring for recipes....I COULD NOT agree more. I am so sick to death of the school lunch program. my kids pack about 80% of the time, but on te days they do not I worry about what the lunch is (weeks like the last few weeks they have bought more than they packed.) NACHOS are not real food Sedexho! (thats the name of the food company our school system uses) and neither are french toast sticks, seriously!!! Anyways, I've wanted to do this for years now, petition the school systems to make the lunch room healthy. I don't mind the occassioal pizza day, even once a week, but the majority of what they feed our children are junk foods, laden with sugar and artificial ingredients. No wonder children misbehave and are hyper, their brains are STARVING.
SIGN THIS PETITION!!!
This also applies of course to neighborhood/communities, friends and families. As much as my friends/family are tired of hearing me say it, I refuse to be quiet about it any longer. Your food can make or break you. Your food can KILL you if you are eating food that isn't truly food. They are CHEMICALS. As I have said before and will continue to say ;) a bag of organic apples costs $3.99 for 12 servings...that's the same price that a box of fruit snacks cost. (sometimes cheaper when apples are in season and on sale).
Ok, stepping off my soap box. I just emailed emealz and asked if they would include some pesc. recipes with their current veggie plan, i am hoping my interest will spark them to come up with one, I loooove my emealz! Such a life saver for this incredibly overly busy mama <3
.......
p.s. they just switched it for me, wow that was quick!! if anyone has any good fish recipes, please share :)
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Spring is in the air, time to get busy!!
Busy doesn't even come close to describing life in our house for the last 2 weeks.
On top of getting this house ready for future renters, we have dealt with a house wide case of food poisoning to which even I myself got. While one might think this would come from eating something from say a fast food restaurant, etc, in this case it was simply a case of trying to get the best nutrition for myself and my kids that kind of back fired. Not going into details right now as I have to take cookies to my ink guy right now (he gives me gorgeous sexy ink...I bring cookies and cash, it's a bargain lol!!)
Anyways, the big news of the weekend is, while i am not posting a picture, nor giving details...I will simply say that we did put in an offer friday on another house. We will know something by tomorrow evening. I'm really excited about this house :)
This week's line up... #1 spring! I never realized how much I loved spring until last year wen I was pregnant and due any day with my sweet blessed baby girl. I have always been a fan of fall, but this put new meaning to spring for me and i find myself loving the cool wet mornings and the sunny warmer afternoons. I love Easter, and I'm really looking forward to celebrating Lettie's 1st birthday at the zoo in a few weeks! She is such a princess, all my girls have been but this one is so especially sweet and beautiful <3 I can't believe it has been a year since she was born.
2nd, we are visiting a local dairy farm for a field trip with my HS'ed one.
3rd...I have painting to get too, and border in the girls rooms (used to be boys room) that must come down. It's been a huge struggle to get it done because Lettie is always sleeping when I find the time lol, and second we have been sick non stop for weeks, first stomach flu, then colds, then food poisoning. I'm really looking forward to the warmer weather to kill off some of these germs, thats for sure. Also this constant run of sickness has seriously impacted my ability to hit the gym the way I need too so I'm a bit behind schedule (read I haven't lost more than another inch or so in the last month :/ ) so I'm getting antsy to get the ball rolling again.
Also I decided after much soul searching and schedule reviewing that doing the tri in May is not in the cards for me. I was trying to keep an open mind about it, but once the rounds of never ending sickness hit, I had to be realistic about having the time. I'd much rather workout for my weight loss goals, and to feel good about myself and get my me time in, versus that. Also what little free time I have right now i don't have the energy to do more in that regards, i'd much rather continue with my guitar lessons. I LOVE playing. it's very rewarding to me after all these years to return to the greatest gift (music) my life has ever been given. Once I get good enough I have songs to write, this has always been a dream of mine, to write and sing them and who knows what else ;)
Off to deliver cookies, i'll have more to share later.
On top of getting this house ready for future renters, we have dealt with a house wide case of food poisoning to which even I myself got. While one might think this would come from eating something from say a fast food restaurant, etc, in this case it was simply a case of trying to get the best nutrition for myself and my kids that kind of back fired. Not going into details right now as I have to take cookies to my ink guy right now (he gives me gorgeous sexy ink...I bring cookies and cash, it's a bargain lol!!)
Anyways, the big news of the weekend is, while i am not posting a picture, nor giving details...I will simply say that we did put in an offer friday on another house. We will know something by tomorrow evening. I'm really excited about this house :)
This week's line up... #1 spring! I never realized how much I loved spring until last year wen I was pregnant and due any day with my sweet blessed baby girl. I have always been a fan of fall, but this put new meaning to spring for me and i find myself loving the cool wet mornings and the sunny warmer afternoons. I love Easter, and I'm really looking forward to celebrating Lettie's 1st birthday at the zoo in a few weeks! She is such a princess, all my girls have been but this one is so especially sweet and beautiful <3 I can't believe it has been a year since she was born.
2nd, we are visiting a local dairy farm for a field trip with my HS'ed one.
3rd...I have painting to get too, and border in the girls rooms (used to be boys room) that must come down. It's been a huge struggle to get it done because Lettie is always sleeping when I find the time lol, and second we have been sick non stop for weeks, first stomach flu, then colds, then food poisoning. I'm really looking forward to the warmer weather to kill off some of these germs, thats for sure. Also this constant run of sickness has seriously impacted my ability to hit the gym the way I need too so I'm a bit behind schedule (read I haven't lost more than another inch or so in the last month :/ ) so I'm getting antsy to get the ball rolling again.
Also I decided after much soul searching and schedule reviewing that doing the tri in May is not in the cards for me. I was trying to keep an open mind about it, but once the rounds of never ending sickness hit, I had to be realistic about having the time. I'd much rather workout for my weight loss goals, and to feel good about myself and get my me time in, versus that. Also what little free time I have right now i don't have the energy to do more in that regards, i'd much rather continue with my guitar lessons. I LOVE playing. it's very rewarding to me after all these years to return to the greatest gift (music) my life has ever been given. Once I get good enough I have songs to write, this has always been a dream of mine, to write and sing them and who knows what else ;)
Off to deliver cookies, i'll have more to share later.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Another one bites the dust.
I really hope I'm not wasting this title on this particular post right now lol.
Today we got word that the house we had attempted to get (it was a different one than the one I posted pictures of, similar , same neighborhood, etc) is a no go. As of right now it looks like we are still in the running for the SL house. I am not disappointed in the least, just anxious....really, really anxious to move and have some space. It's ok though, because we would have had dump at least 4-5K into that house to begin with, not to mention having to front more for the extra closing cost we were not anticipating, so while I'll miss that kitchen (TDF!! *sigh*) I also know God has his reasons and I'm ok with that.
On another note...I still can't decide if I want the boys in baseball this spring or not, I need to make a decision, but I'm leary of having the time to pull it all off with the move and swim lessons. I think we might skip it one year, and that could mean the difference between Nate getting into the higher leagues in another few years or not. Jon Paul obviously it isn't going to matter. I hate making decisions like this, I just know how limited my time is going to be moving, cleaning the new house, getting renters set up, etc.
Sometimes...........I wish I could clone myself.
Today we got word that the house we had attempted to get (it was a different one than the one I posted pictures of, similar , same neighborhood, etc) is a no go. As of right now it looks like we are still in the running for the SL house. I am not disappointed in the least, just anxious....really, really anxious to move and have some space. It's ok though, because we would have had dump at least 4-5K into that house to begin with, not to mention having to front more for the extra closing cost we were not anticipating, so while I'll miss that kitchen (TDF!! *sigh*) I also know God has his reasons and I'm ok with that.
On another note...I still can't decide if I want the boys in baseball this spring or not, I need to make a decision, but I'm leary of having the time to pull it all off with the move and swim lessons. I think we might skip it one year, and that could mean the difference between Nate getting into the higher leagues in another few years or not. Jon Paul obviously it isn't going to matter. I hate making decisions like this, I just know how limited my time is going to be moving, cleaning the new house, getting renters set up, etc.
Sometimes...........I wish I could clone myself.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
You are what you eat...the truth about food.
This is the first of many times I will post about this subject here on my blog. Reason being, this knowledge has changed my life personally and that of my children, and because of that i am incredibly passionate about it.
About 3 years ago while pregnant with baby #7, I developed severe morning sickness. At the time I figured it was simply the fact that I was carrying the 3rd baby in just under 3 years that was making me so sick, while that may have been some of it, even more so it was my diet.
It wasn't until I decided to goo to a friends get together at her house to learn about this supplement stuff she used. I went with a few mommy friends as some time out that week, not realizing how much it would change my life.
What I learned that night was...my diet was so depleted of real food and full of processed *junk* that it was seriously affecting my health in major and subtle ways. After the 2.5 hours we spent there, eating the nutritious foods they had made, including the protein shakes (all fresh organic fruits and veggies mind you)...I went home at nearly midnight with more energy than I had recalled having in years! I stayed up 2 more hours cleaning my house, slept well and woke up feeling refreshed the next morning. Could it be that simple? Could it really be that the key to feeling good and longevity was really based on what we eat? I have come to find out since that yes, without a doubt, it is!!
Since that day, I've spent hours learning and being open to learning new and better ways to not only feed my body what it needs, but also that of my growing children. We started taking a daily whole food supplement called juice plus which is backed by research as giving bodies what they need daily to thrive. Whats in it? fruits and veggies and lots of them!!
So, lets back it up here,...a few facts that I have learned and want to pass on to basically put this whole post in a nutshell.
1. the FDA recommends that as adults we get at least (LEAST) 9 fruits and vegetable servings each day. That's a LOT if you ask me. For children the minimum is 6.
2. Processed food will kill you. A whole foods diet is the only way a body can function properly, avoid cancer, diabetes, heart disease and the like.
So, what IS a whole foods diet?
I'll tell you what it is, and what its not and why.
Whole foods are:
anything that comes directly from nature in it's natural form.
Wikipedia give the definition... "Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat.[1] Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; fruits and vegetables; unprocessed meat, poultry, and fish; and non-homogenized milk."
Meat, fish, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, natural fats, spices...all good examples. One good way to get your share of them while grocery shopping is to shop the perimeter of the store, typically this is where you will find most of them. the center isles are where you will find refined sugars, processed items and worse so only buy those in limited (or not at all) quantities.
What is not a whole food?
Anything that has ingredients that you 1. cannot pronounce or #2 don't know exactly what it is. Kids snacks are the worst for this sort of thing. They promise you vitamins and minerals that keep your kids healthy, yet are full of artificial flavorings, coloring and sugars and no real *food*. They taste good to your kids because the big food companies spend a lot of time and money adding ingredients into said snacks which entice the palate and make the brain *think* it tastes good. That's why you meet people who hate the taste of water (wha?! Water has a taste?? really?!) because they are so used to consuming liquids that have added artificial flavorings and sugars that their taste buds don't know how delicious water truly is.
Also anything labeled *diet* is not good for you either. These are loaded with something called neuro-toxins which literally destroy brain cells and your nervous system. Anyone that has ever had an addiction to diet drinks will find that once you get them out, your memory improves as does mental focus. That's because the saccharin or artificial sweeteners effects your nervous system and will destroy it little by little over time. NOT good!!
My kids when we first started down this road were not thrilled trust me. I'm not going to sit here and tell you their conversion was easy, or that we are perfect when it comes to their diets. My kids still get treats once or twice a week, and will on occasion get the coveted Mickie D's run, but it is on an incredibly limited basis. And by limited I mean 1 time a month, maybe 2 times if we are super busy and it can't be helped but if we have the choice we try and do subway (great fast-food alternative!) or I try really hard to keep quick easy fix meals here at the house, not only is it cheaper for a family this size (a fast-food run is now costing us roughly $40+ these days and I only have 3 that eat bigger kids or adult size meals...scary isn't it? lol), but in the long run I know I have not loaded their bodies with trans fat, sodium and junk calories.
One thing to watch for when shopping...anything that has the word *hydrogenated* in the ingredients, even though it says no trans fat, it really actually does. The FDA only requires food makers to record trans fat if its in a quantity greater than 1gram per serving. A lot of food manufactuer's have found a way around this in their products,...they still contain trans fat (a minimal amount by never the less they still have it) but according to the *food rules* they can claim its trans fat *free*. I'm not sure how they do it other than maybe they have added other chemicals/ingredients in to make up for the bulk of the trans fat?? Not sure, but what I do know is that it is also recommended that no one consumes more than 2grams of trans fat per day. I can tell you right now, there isn't a single burger or chocolate item on the Mickie D's menu that doesn't contain that much TF or more. You can find this information on their website, look it up.
Sugar is my next victim, and then I will close for the day. Did you know that every time you consume sugar (regardless of the form, organic, processed...which is worse but still, honey you name it) it automatically lowers your immune system for a minimum of 4 hours after consuming that sugar. Lowered immune system means look out infection, here I come! If you deal with infection of any kind, reoccurring colds, you name it, look to your diet, are you consuming sugar? especially refined sugars? (white table sugar, processed sweetened foods, even breakfast cereals and granola bars are chalk full of it!). Over time this kind of consumption puts you at a higher risk for cancer, diabetes, etc.
So in essence what I am saying is this....people ask me all the time why I look so young and how I have so much energy. The truth is, I am what I eat. Trust me I am sooo not perfect all the time. I have times where I crave cake (my fav cheat food! LOL) and i eat it...but I eat it knowing full well whats in it and that I might feel awful for a little while after consuming it. It's an educated *choice* versus a staple in my diet.
A typical diet for me for one day would be this...
protein shake in the am with coffee (with low fat organic creamer & stevia...a plant based sweetener with fiber), sometimes a banana or a small bowl of kashi type cereal if i'm really hungry post workout.
snack mid morning is usually an apple...
lunch 4-6 ounces of tuna with low fat mayo or none, 1 slice of whole grain bread and some kind of veggie (sometimes fresh, sometimes leftover) and my 4 JP capsules.
afternoon snack...protein shake w/fruit and maybe some celery or sliced bell pepper
dinner...depends but a typical one here is some kind of fish (salmon, tilapia, etc.) a veggie and usually rice or a potato. (I eat limited carbs, but I do still eat them...)
if I'm really hungry at night, I choose cottage cheese and fruit, fresh veggies, a bowl of good cereal , oatmeal (whole oats only) and on occasion if hubby and I are watching a movie, i LOVE salsa!! I will eat it with chips...but I only buy the non flavored tortilla chips that have corn and oil and salt.
A huge tip....the smaller the ingredients list on a food item, the better!! ;)
So that's it for now. I could go on and on, but I've got a toddler that needs to have a few books read to him and a diaper change, oh and its almost snack time! :) Today's snack is red bell peppers and cheese chunks (mont. jack cheese, yum, they love this combo!). Have a great day, and remember ...eat food that will help you thrive and feel ready to live the best possible life you can!!
About 3 years ago while pregnant with baby #7, I developed severe morning sickness. At the time I figured it was simply the fact that I was carrying the 3rd baby in just under 3 years that was making me so sick, while that may have been some of it, even more so it was my diet.
It wasn't until I decided to goo to a friends get together at her house to learn about this supplement stuff she used. I went with a few mommy friends as some time out that week, not realizing how much it would change my life.
What I learned that night was...my diet was so depleted of real food and full of processed *junk* that it was seriously affecting my health in major and subtle ways. After the 2.5 hours we spent there, eating the nutritious foods they had made, including the protein shakes (all fresh organic fruits and veggies mind you)...I went home at nearly midnight with more energy than I had recalled having in years! I stayed up 2 more hours cleaning my house, slept well and woke up feeling refreshed the next morning. Could it be that simple? Could it really be that the key to feeling good and longevity was really based on what we eat? I have come to find out since that yes, without a doubt, it is!!
Since that day, I've spent hours learning and being open to learning new and better ways to not only feed my body what it needs, but also that of my growing children. We started taking a daily whole food supplement called juice plus which is backed by research as giving bodies what they need daily to thrive. Whats in it? fruits and veggies and lots of them!!
So, lets back it up here,...a few facts that I have learned and want to pass on to basically put this whole post in a nutshell.
1. the FDA recommends that as adults we get at least (LEAST) 9 fruits and vegetable servings each day. That's a LOT if you ask me. For children the minimum is 6.
2. Processed food will kill you. A whole foods diet is the only way a body can function properly, avoid cancer, diabetes, heart disease and the like.
So, what IS a whole foods diet?
I'll tell you what it is, and what its not and why.
Whole foods are:
anything that comes directly from nature in it's natural form.
Wikipedia give the definition... "Whole foods are foods that are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible before being consumed. Whole foods typically do not contain added ingredients, such as sugar, salt, or fat.[1] Examples of whole foods include unpolished grains; fruits and vegetables; unprocessed meat, poultry, and fish; and non-homogenized milk."
Meat, fish, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, natural fats, spices...all good examples. One good way to get your share of them while grocery shopping is to shop the perimeter of the store, typically this is where you will find most of them. the center isles are where you will find refined sugars, processed items and worse so only buy those in limited (or not at all) quantities.
What is not a whole food?
Anything that has ingredients that you 1. cannot pronounce or #2 don't know exactly what it is. Kids snacks are the worst for this sort of thing. They promise you vitamins and minerals that keep your kids healthy, yet are full of artificial flavorings, coloring and sugars and no real *food*. They taste good to your kids because the big food companies spend a lot of time and money adding ingredients into said snacks which entice the palate and make the brain *think* it tastes good. That's why you meet people who hate the taste of water (wha?! Water has a taste?? really?!) because they are so used to consuming liquids that have added artificial flavorings and sugars that their taste buds don't know how delicious water truly is.
Also anything labeled *diet* is not good for you either. These are loaded with something called neuro-toxins which literally destroy brain cells and your nervous system. Anyone that has ever had an addiction to diet drinks will find that once you get them out, your memory improves as does mental focus. That's because the saccharin or artificial sweeteners effects your nervous system and will destroy it little by little over time. NOT good!!
My kids when we first started down this road were not thrilled trust me. I'm not going to sit here and tell you their conversion was easy, or that we are perfect when it comes to their diets. My kids still get treats once or twice a week, and will on occasion get the coveted Mickie D's run, but it is on an incredibly limited basis. And by limited I mean 1 time a month, maybe 2 times if we are super busy and it can't be helped but if we have the choice we try and do subway (great fast-food alternative!) or I try really hard to keep quick easy fix meals here at the house, not only is it cheaper for a family this size (a fast-food run is now costing us roughly $40+ these days and I only have 3 that eat bigger kids or adult size meals...scary isn't it? lol), but in the long run I know I have not loaded their bodies with trans fat, sodium and junk calories.
One thing to watch for when shopping...anything that has the word *hydrogenated* in the ingredients, even though it says no trans fat, it really actually does. The FDA only requires food makers to record trans fat if its in a quantity greater than 1gram per serving. A lot of food manufactuer's have found a way around this in their products,...they still contain trans fat (a minimal amount by never the less they still have it) but according to the *food rules* they can claim its trans fat *free*. I'm not sure how they do it other than maybe they have added other chemicals/ingredients in to make up for the bulk of the trans fat?? Not sure, but what I do know is that it is also recommended that no one consumes more than 2grams of trans fat per day. I can tell you right now, there isn't a single burger or chocolate item on the Mickie D's menu that doesn't contain that much TF or more. You can find this information on their website, look it up.
Sugar is my next victim, and then I will close for the day. Did you know that every time you consume sugar (regardless of the form, organic, processed...which is worse but still, honey you name it) it automatically lowers your immune system for a minimum of 4 hours after consuming that sugar. Lowered immune system means look out infection, here I come! If you deal with infection of any kind, reoccurring colds, you name it, look to your diet, are you consuming sugar? especially refined sugars? (white table sugar, processed sweetened foods, even breakfast cereals and granola bars are chalk full of it!). Over time this kind of consumption puts you at a higher risk for cancer, diabetes, etc.
So in essence what I am saying is this....people ask me all the time why I look so young and how I have so much energy. The truth is, I am what I eat. Trust me I am sooo not perfect all the time. I have times where I crave cake (my fav cheat food! LOL) and i eat it...but I eat it knowing full well whats in it and that I might feel awful for a little while after consuming it. It's an educated *choice* versus a staple in my diet.
A typical diet for me for one day would be this...
protein shake in the am with coffee (with low fat organic creamer & stevia...a plant based sweetener with fiber), sometimes a banana or a small bowl of kashi type cereal if i'm really hungry post workout.
snack mid morning is usually an apple...
lunch 4-6 ounces of tuna with low fat mayo or none, 1 slice of whole grain bread and some kind of veggie (sometimes fresh, sometimes leftover) and my 4 JP capsules.
afternoon snack...protein shake w/fruit and maybe some celery or sliced bell pepper
dinner...depends but a typical one here is some kind of fish (salmon, tilapia, etc.) a veggie and usually rice or a potato. (I eat limited carbs, but I do still eat them...)
if I'm really hungry at night, I choose cottage cheese and fruit, fresh veggies, a bowl of good cereal , oatmeal (whole oats only) and on occasion if hubby and I are watching a movie, i LOVE salsa!! I will eat it with chips...but I only buy the non flavored tortilla chips that have corn and oil and salt.
A huge tip....the smaller the ingredients list on a food item, the better!! ;)
So that's it for now. I could go on and on, but I've got a toddler that needs to have a few books read to him and a diaper change, oh and its almost snack time! :) Today's snack is red bell peppers and cheese chunks (mont. jack cheese, yum, they love this combo!). Have a great day, and remember ...eat food that will help you thrive and feel ready to live the best possible life you can!!
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