Nothing but everything to say

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Amanda

She’s not growing up as quickly as the other two did. I feel as if she’s soaking up her babiness – and I love it.

She’s 5 months already. She started sitting up a few days ago, and eating foods through her meshed little holder {coolest thing I’ve ever seen!} She’s teething, but I’ve noticed a HUGE difference ever since she started wearing her new amber necklace.

She’s such an amazing little soul that I just can’t get enough of. Ella and Jayden adore her and have been nothing short of an amazing help with their new little sister. I feel like I’m discovering more about myself as a mother this time around. I’m realizing things that are important, things that aren’t. I’m remembering that the days are long, but the years are short – so I try to treasure every moment with Aliyah being so small, cuddly, loving, BABY. The idea that she’s approaching her half year mark makes me cringe a little inside. I’m not rushing the milestones. I’m just enjoying the small things.

I probably have around 7 unpublished blog posts. Posts I’ve started and not finished, posts I chose not to share – I feel like lately I have so much to say yet nothing to say, if that makes any sense to you. I might release those blog posts soon – I don’t know.

I feel unorganized a bit in my life. I don’t feel like reading blogs and writing on my blog is going to help me in that department, so I’ve sortof strayed a little to get myself and my home life a little more organized – and I’m so not even close! There’s so much CRAP that I just need to get rid of. I’m trying to simplify things in my home, with my friends {I’ve had to dejunk a few of those as well} and really try to reach within ME to figure out things that I need in my life.

While I feel a tad unorganized lately, one thing still remains a constant, and that’s this beautiful family of mine. I was sitting here tonight thinking about how lucky I am to be in love with my best friend, to have these amazing kids who drive me CRAZY during the day, but hold all this love for me and I for them. We’re not a perfect family, but we are a family – and a family who has fought hard to be where we are today. A girl I know – her family is falling apart right before her eyes. Her husband decided he was done. I can’t be more thankful than I am at this moment to have a husband that is in it for the long haul – that isn’t willing to throw the towel in when perfection doesn’t exist. This man right here…. he’s my happily ever after. Thank God for him.

Digitally Organize Your Life with AboutOne {GIVEAWAY!!}

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Amanda

One of my weird guilty pleasures is watching the show Hoarders. I cringe when it’s over and rush to whatever things I’m hoarding and start throwing it all away. Well, that is until it

comes to all the paper stuff. You know, the kids’ artwork, the awards my son received from school, the papers the pediatrician gives me after each doctor’s appointment informing me about where my children are on the charts. These types of things I hoard. I’m here to come out and admit… I’m a hoarder.

I know I’m not the only one, because YOU…. yes, YOU reading this right now… I know you have artwork of your kid that you’re clinging onto because it’s JUST TOO CUTE to toss. You, my friend, are also a hoarder.

Can you believe that there’s hope for us? I came across About One a few days ago and I’m not over exaggerating when I say MY LIFE HAS CHANGED. I have been scanning, and uploading and TOSSING. I’m scanning things like my son’s awards he received when he was in public school, artwork that I just can’t part with, our birth certificates so that they are ALWAYS accessible. That’s just the beginning. I’m uploading these things in the most organized way I think I’ve ever seen.

AboutOne.com is a secure online service that makes it easier for moms to manage family life by providing one convenient location to quickly and easily store and manage family memories (text, photos and videos) and household information (health, possession, and education records, contacts and more) and providing the ability to access this data, at home or away, with a computer, cell phone, or other web-enabled device.

AboutOne is much more than just a digital filing cabinet. It also makes your information useful on a daily basis with time saving features like automatically created family newsletters (including text, video, and artwork) and caregiver instructions, paper greeting cards that mail themselves, and more.

It was designed to save time through fast and easy data entry with your phone, a scanner, or computer. There’s no need to enter history. You just open your account and, in seconds, enter info as life happens – document your baby’s first steps, scan a household receipt, record an idea in your gift log. Plus, AboutOne serves as your organizational GPS, guiding you along the path to organization with advice and suggestions.

With AboutOne, you’ll also have the information you need, right at your fingertips, to make informed decisions and respond quickly to a medical or other emergency.

This short video shows why moms love AboutOne.com: VIDEO

My Favorite Features:

You can create files for all of your friends and contacts and upload documents to them. You can also create a gift log for them, and keep track of gift ideas you have for them throughout the year. Major bonus in this is you can create files for all of your stores you go to, and then scan your receipts into the documents section and TOSS THAT RECEIPT!!!! Tossing makes this hoarder HAPPY!

With one click of the mouse a monthly newsletter can be created to send or email to your friends and family. This newsletter compiles all the information you fed into your profile for the month including pictures, milestones, memories, basically whatever you choose to share and sends it off to your friends and family to keep them in the loop of your life.

Aboutone can automatically make a hardcover memory book including pictures, memories, and milestones. This is my DREAM! I love the idea of doing a yearly scrapbook, but I’m busy and it just doesn’t happen. And Christmas cards? Um… woops didn’t send any out this year. Yup, you can have Aboutone take care of that for you. You just pay for the stamp and the card.

My daughter has a heart condition and in order for us to leave her with anybody I have to write out this long spill about what to look for, her cardiologists information, her pediatrician’s information, oh and all the information about the medication that she has to take every 8 hours. Aboutone has a printables section that will print all of that information out for the babysitter. Actually, Aboutone gives even more information than I ever would have thought about.

SECURITY

At first I was a little hesitant about putting so much of my information online, but then I read on their site: We use the same technologies and practices that banks and other financial institutions use to protect customer information.

That is just the beginning. I highly suggest going and reading about all of the amazing steps Aboutone has gone to secure your information. It honestly has me feel secure enough to upload copies of my social security cards, birth certificates, and other highly confidential documents. You can read all about it {HERE}

When I read all about Aboutone I instantly thought it was going to be at least $100/year… honestly. I think it’s a dream come true. So when I read that it’s only $5.00/month or $30.00/year I called my husband at work stumbling over my words with excitement. Aboutone will even give you a 17 day FREE passport to try it out. People…. this is a STEAL!

Even better than that…… I have an annual subscription to giveaway to one of my readers!!

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY:

All you have to simply do is leave a comment

EXTRA ENTRIES {Make sure you leave an extra comment for each extra entry}:

Become a fan of Aboutone on {facebook}

Follow Aboutone on {twitter}

Follow Enchanting Havoc blog

Become a fan of Enchanting Havoc on {Facebook}

Follow Enchanting Havoc on {twitter}

You can tweet about this giveaway once a day

Enter to win a year subscription to @Aboutone from @Enchantinghavoc. http://tinyurl.com/4l83deh Digitally organize your life!!

THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS AT 11:59PM PST ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 2011. I WILL DRAW A WINNER ON JANUARY 31, 2011.

** This is what is working for me ** Linked up for {Works for Me Wednesday}

List of Randoms

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Amanda

Randoms ~ things going through my mind

~ I have become completely obsessed with cleaning out my garage. I think about it all day while I’m at work and every box I empty out I seriously feel like doing a happy dance.

~Once the garage is completely cleaned out I have plans on making a super awesome playroom since baby #3 will mean less room.

~I have found things while cleaning out my garage that are priceless and things I thought were lost…. Mya’s u/s picture. This might sound morbid, but I really wish that they would have printed out an u/s picture when we discovered that she had passed away. I wonder if it’s in my charts that the Sacramento office sent over to my Medford OBGYN. I just might ask. The u/s picture I found was from our first appt. There’s just a little sac, but she was in it and that is something I always want to treasure.

~Now that I’ve found her u/s picture I want to create a shadow box in remembrance of her. And get another urn necklace made w/the remainder of her ashes to put inside of it. I am so relieved that we still have ashes since Ella flushed my original urn necklace down the toilet…. That was a sad, sad day.

~I’ve also found my mother’s Book of Mormon from when she was a little girl. That to me is a priceless treasure.

~My daughter is turning 3 on Saturday. She’s overwhelmingly excited for her party on Saturday and I’m overwhelmingly excited for her! She’s anticipated this day for a VERY long time.

~I’m on my 3rd week of work. I’m surviving and I actually kind of enjoy it. The break from the house was probably much needed, especially with a new baby on the way…. But my heart definitely misses my kids.

~I had a prenatal appointment yesterday. Very uneventful, but those are the best in my opinion. I was in and out and won’t be back for another 4 weeks. Baby’s heartbeat was beautiful. On Sunday I will be 6 months pregnant! It’s flying by! Still have no morning sickness and have been feeling absolutely wonderful. About dang time!

Who would’ve thought?!

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Amanda

Who would have thought that in order for me to just get some major things done at my house all I’d need to do is just go and get a JOB! I have no idea what in the world my deal has been at home these past 3 years, but ever since I’ve been OUT OF THE HOUSE I’m doing more IN THE HOUSE.

This weekend I did some major transformations in my garage. I found things that made me oooooo and ahhhh and things my friend who was in there with me wanted to hit me over the head with for not having up in my home. But I’m finally organizing MAJORLY and I think I’m even ready to bust out some paint and have this home of our’s {well, sortof since we don’t own it} the way I envision it.

I need to remember after this working thing I’m doing is over that I MUST stick to a schedule. I MUST take advantage of all the time I will have at home to ensure that my home looks how I want it…. to make my home the haven it should be for my family.

Tackle It Tuesday…. a lovely list of things!

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Amanda

It’s been a while since I jumped in the {Tackle It Tuesday} clan, but I feel like I’ve tackled so much I need to share with the world!

1) I REMODELED MY OWN BLOG!!!! I thought so many times about hiring someone, because the frustrations were just too much for me, but I DID IT! I added graphic links under my header, borders around my posts, a Tweetmeme, a 2nd sidebar and DESIGNED MY OWN LINK BUTTONS – there’s more things little things I did here and there, and much more that I have planned, but I did it on my own… saved the buck and am satisfied with the results.

2) I FINALLY got all of the kids’ toys out of my living room and built the cute tower lamp that has been sitting in my garage for months just dying to be displayed in my home {now to get some cute picture frames displayed on it}…. this entire corner was TOYS and now it’s clean!

3) While my friend Jenise was here visiting I tackled the most amazing thing possible for me…. EVERY, SINGLE PAPER IN MY OFFICE IS FILED AWAY! You might be sitting there thinking, big deal… oh no, it is a BIG DEAL had I a before and after picture you’d completely understand… my brain is now uncluttered, my office area is now uncluttered, and my friend now has a new IPhone for helping me out…. win/win!!!

4) I managed to fill a frame that has been displayed on my wall for 2 years w/the pictures that it was bought with!

So, I guess you can say I’ve tackled LOTS OF STUFF!!! And hope to tackle much, much more!

Since I have you here, and you are more than likely a blogger ~ you should check out {THIS POST} that I just posted and let me know your thoughts on it. Thanks!!

Ella = AWESOMENESS

Posted on August 30, 2009 by Amanda

Today my daughter shocked the pants off of me. The girl just turned two and I watched her saw her do this….. this video is of me telling her to do it again, but she honestly did this EXACT thing on her own…. I’m still in shock!

**oh and don’t mind my phone ringing in the background of the video LOL**

ASK A BLOGGER @ BLOGNERD!

Posted on July 25, 2009 by Amanda

WOOOOOOOPS!!! I thought that this post was going to automatically post at midnight…. guess I did something wrong. So, I guess for this lovely Saturday we’re gettin’ this party started off LATE!

If you haven’t already introduce yourself {HERE} and leave comment love for a great giveaway

and then you should head over {HERE} and share your blogging advice, give more comment love for another great giveaway

Today’s is simple, sweet and to the point…….

ASK A BLOGGER ~ WHATEVER YOUR HEART DESIRES!!! Have you ever wondered what bottles you should use for your baby? How about advise in the kitchen? Are you stuck on a family decision that you would like a fresh set of ears to listen? Write a blog post and link up and let’s go around answering each other’s questions ~ bloggers helping bloggers

Today’s giveaway is….. a surprise gift basket from {Bath & Body Works}…. because we ALL love the stuff!!!!

THIS AND THE OTHER 2 GIVEAWAYS WILL NOW END AT MIDNIGHT ON 7/27/09 ~ WE’RE DRAGGING IT OUT FOR MY BIRTHDAY WEEKEND!!! SO SPREAD THE WORD!

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment For 3 more entries write a blog post asking the bloggers anything you want and then come back to leave 3 more comments for your 3 extra entries Send a tweet ~ leave an extra comment for another entry

~ Here’s my ASK A BLOGGER question ~

I am not a coupon clipper. I’m not very frugal when it comes to grocery shopping, but you can read {HERE} how that’s about to all change. I want to learn about a good system that I can use to start trying to be frugal. I don’t even know where to begin….. I don’t know how to organize coupons and all of that….. so bloggers can anyone help me????

I call it stupidity… who would’ve thought

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Amanda

I come from a snobby family, well not all of them, but a couple of us are. I’ve picked up their traits and probably created a bunch of my own.I’ve changed into things I never was before, for the better, since I moved to Oregon. One thing I have yet to let go is where I grocery shop. In Sacramento if you go into a cheap food store it’s so ghetto you want to disinfect your food before you bring it into your home.

So, I was always a Safeway shopper. In my eyes we were getting amazing deals! I didn’t have to deal with the grimy feeling I felt when going to the less expensive stores. Then we moved to Oregon, where we remained a Safeway shopper, later discovered Fred Meyers, which was like 10x better than Safeway, because it was like having Target and Safeway combined! Yes, it was a dangerous thing, since we always ventured in to the fun part of the store and bought things…. things that are still sitting in my garage waiting to be used. Basically, Fred Meyers was sucking my bank account and I thought I was making out, because I didn’t have to drive all over town for the different things I needed.

I never understood why people would shop at places like Winco, Food 4 Less and other ghetto looking places. Haha, I know what you’re thinking…. what a snobby little biotch ~ just stick with me here…. a rare occasion is about to happen!

Last night my friend Brittany (she’s my new nephew’s mom) needed to go grocery shopping. Being that her baby is so new and the entire thing is just new to her she needed a helping hand to make sure it all went smoothly. I had no intention on buying a thing, because we were going to Food 4 Less. I walked in and it was like a light shone in my eyes and I heard angelic music. THIS STORE WAS AMAZING! The prices were completely unreal ~ it wasn’t dirty, sure there were some trashy people there, but I was more in awe over the store than being concerned with them! How could the bread I buy for over $3.00 a loaf only be $1.89??????? What in the fricking world was I doing shopping at Fred Meyers?

I spent less than $50.00 and got quite a bit of stuff! They even have organic and natural sections… you can buy brown rice by the pound! The milk is a whopping dollar less than Fred Meyers……. the mayo ~ don’t get me started I can’t believe I ever paid more than what I did last night on the stuff.

I think my husband is a bit relieved that his wife who thought she was too good for a good deal is over herself. I’m relieved that I’m over myself, because I’d rather not spend what I spend on groceries. It’s ridiculous! I’m anxious to sit down, menu plan for next week and head to my new found, glorious store to discover what’s down those aisles, and have the prices sing to my heart!

I AM NOW A

GIRL

Things I Love Thursday – My Magic Bullet

Posted on July 2, 2009 by Amanda

One thing I LOVE LOVE LOVE is my Magic Bullet. Blenders and I don’t get along. I don’t know why, but I never could get thing things I wanted to blend the way I wanted. I know, it wasn’t the blender…. it was the user! Making a smoothie isn’t a hassle anymore in my home – even my husband makes them.

There are so many things that you can make with your Magic Bullet ~ I make any sauces I’ll be needing for my dinner, salsa of course using {THIS MIX}, and it comes with tons of recipes you can try out.

I am really satisfied with my purchase and this thing gets used daily in our home.

Everybody loves something and {Diaper Diaries} is hosting a great carnival for everyone to express their love…. head over there to read more!!

Friday Favorites

Posted on May 1, 2009 by Amanda

Been a while, but I want to get back into this…..

My favorites of this week are as follows:

Jayden finally made it to the dentist for the first time and did AMAZING! My 7 year old doesn’t even have a cavity. I’m so proud of him 🙂 I highly believe that this is because I never let him go to bed with a bottle or anything to suck on, but it might just be because he’s a super star brusher.

My superstar husband helped me to start clearing out the clutter out of our garage. We have one section completed and a shelving thing in its place. I love organization, even though I suck at it, and am glad we’re on an organizing mission. He also cleared off our old kitchen table and carried upstairs so that it can serve as a return on my desk. I LOVE IT!!! We were actually going to spend money on a new desk and now I really have no reason. I can even use my table as my sewing area…. THANKS WONDERFUL HUSBAND!!

Ella has begun potty training and to my shock and surprise is doing amazing with it! My little girl isn’t even 2 and is telling me when she needs to go potty and even held up on a 2 1/2 hour outing of the house!! WTG, Ella!!

We got to bring in my husband 28th year with him. Thursday was his birthday and we got to go as a family to dinner. Amazing thing is – we got together when he was 18. We’ve last almost 10 years together and 5 years of marriage. I love him. Here’s to another year of his life that will be spent with ME!!

Jayden tested for another belt in Karate. He got called on in Karate class to give a Code of Ethics and he said, “I will forget my mistakes and concentrate on the future.” That made me proud. He makes me proud. I sure was blessed with a special little boy. I can’t wait until we find out if he earned his belt!! I think he did a great job.

That pretty much sums up my favorite things of this week. I love my life. I know sometimes I can complain and get overwhelmed and discouraged, but at the end of the day….I love my life, and I’m so thankful for it and the many blessings that are poured on my family. I’m excited for the next week to come and to talk about my favorite things.