Tim the Tire Man

Never have a met a 'sales man' who was less cordial, less chatty or had less people skills than Tim the Tire Man {also endearingly referred to by MANY as Tim the Tire Nazi} of Leo Tire and Wheel. However, never have I had a tire guy who time and time again had prices $100's of dollars lower than the competition.

And that is why I continue to put up with his less than charming {HUGE understatement} personality {or lack there of}.

I recently needed tires {by recently I mean I needed them in October but didn't really get around to it until I had a flat tire last week}.

This is just a little taste of Tim for you...here is EXACTLY how the phone call went {you have to be to the point and straight with Tim...He doesn't do pleasantries and his voice is always quiet and deadpan}

{Tim} Hello
{Me} Hi, I am looking for a new set of 4 wheels size 275/45/20
{Tim} Well what size tires do you want
{Me} Um, well, 275/45/20 (in my mind I am thinking didn't I just say that)
{Tim} Well you said wheels not tires
{Me} Oh, I'm sorry I meant tires (DUH) size 275/45/20
{Tim} $500, I'll have them tomorrow
{Me} I can't be there tomorrow, how about Thursday
{Tim} Fine, they will be here then
{Me} Great thank you, see you Thursday (I always get a little nicer at the end knowing it is almost over)
{Tim} Uh Huh (CLICK)

I had already called around here in Indy and the best quote for a new set of tires was $854 {which really wasn't too bad for the tires I needed}.

Then there was Tim's quote $500!!! Granted I would have to drive up to Fort Wayne, but I figured the $50 in gas and putting up with him was worth it to see some old friends and still save $300.

The icing on the cake is to see his 'shop' it literally is a tiny little store front so full of tires from floor to ceiling that only 1 person can walk in at a time, no passing allowed, back to the cash register and straight back out again. The 'workshop' area is literally the side of the building on the dirt gravel which gets very muddy in the winter and again there are so many tires and old wheels piled on the side you can barely get a car back there, or so I thought. They somehow managed to get THREE trucks back there the other day. No idea how, but it was a miracle non of them had hit each other. The best part are the guys who work there are JUST like Tim: to the point, rough, but they are so much better because they see me enough (Good Lord in Heaven we have had some tire stories) they at least talk to me and one guy always points out what great shoes I have {I mean the ones on my feet, not my car for all you gangstas out there haha}!

If you want a good deal on tires, but don't want the customer service I DEFINITELY recommend Tim at Leo Tire and Wheel...He'll take care of you!!!

Kasie: Christian, Friend, Wife, Mom, and New Blogger

It has been a little while since I featured a friend on my blog, so I decided to pick back up again with my 'newish' good friend Kasie.

Kasie and I met back in 2009 for the first time, but our paths were destined to cross as she and her husband went to high school with Phil and was college roommates with our friend Mandy (who also went to high school with Phil). Mandy and her husband Brooks would host a couples weekend where we would stay at their house in Michigan and tailgate at the Michigan-Ohio State games. Kasie's husband, Chris, is a HUGE Michigan fan, and we met for the first time that weekend.

Phil and I were still living in Toledo at the time and Chris and Kasie were living in Indianapolis so other than the weekend in Michigan, our paths never really crossed.

Michigan reunion weekend 2010, I was 8 LARGE months pregnant and the weekend was sweetened to share it with Kasie as she told us...SHE TOO WAS PREGNANT!!!

Fast forward about 4 months, Emrie is 2 months old and now we too have moved to Indianapolis. Kasie being the sweetheart that she is (along with our other friend, Nicole...who was also pregnant at the time:) invited me to Gigi's cupcakes for a mom/mom-to-be date and the rest is history!

Kasie has been an awesome go-to mom friend {not just mom friend...all around friend...she is so much more than just a mom as all mothers are!!! We both firmly believe that being a mom is just a PART of who we are as women, not what defines us}.

Let me tell you, if you are looking for a kind-hearted, down-to-earth, practical, optimistic, God-loving, hilarious woman who tells it like it is, you need to get to know Kasie. She would give you the shirt off her back (well probably one out of her closet, starched and pressed of course:), leave you an encouraging note in your mailbox with a toy for your daughter, race to your aid to fix your flat tire and make you laugh while she is doing it!

She finds the positive in EVERY situation {literally, she can make a leaky roof into a positive}, she is comfortable in her own skin and makes others feel the same. She is virtually nonjudgemental and can see good in EVERY person. She is so humble that she will probably cringe when she sees the things I have written about her and argue that she isn't this great {she really is though}.

After spending time with her, I want to be a better wife {she talks so highly of her husband and builds him up even when he isn't around...and she is always thinking of little things she can do to make his life better}, a better mother {she will openly admit she struggles at times with the challenges of motherhood, but she pushes on purpose and gives herself the grace to make mistakes and learn from them...isn't that what great mothers do}, and a better friend {she really is one of the most thoughtful people I know, who really listens and hears what you are saying, AND remembers it later}.

She has recently started a blog called "Motherhood On Purpose" and shares great insight and wisdom {did I mention that she is a very wise woman} with a large dose of humor. Check out her blog and catch a glimpse of this beautiful person!!!

Here is the link to her blog: http://motherhoodonpurpose.blogspot.com/

I could honestly go on and on about Kasie, but this post has to end somewhere.

There are so many reasons I enjoy spending time with Kasie and I can't wait to continue growing and building our friendship as we grow and build our families and just do life together!

Things I Miss About Fort Wayne

Like any place you live, there are things you love and hate about it. When you move away there is always something you miss about that place. I visited Fort Wayne this week for some errands and it reminded me of the top 4 things I miss most about Fort Wayne:

1. My Friends - isn't that the case with anywhere you live, the people are what make it worth living there; they make it enjoyable and build and grow you. You build memories and life experiences with them. Yes I miss my friends from Fort Wayne.

2. You can get ANYWHERE...ANYWHERE in the city in 20 minutes or less. Phil's commute-7 minutes, grocery store-2 minutes, Church-6 minutes, Gym-3 minutes, Mall-9 minutes, hospital 5 minutes...Literally EVERYTHING is within 15 to 20 minutes.

3. The hospitals give you free diaper bags, either Vera Bradley or Cinda B depending on the hospital...but come on...FREE diaper bags, sweet! {this one probably seems pretty dumb to some people but I was pumped about it}

4. Any woman can relate to this one I'm sure...DeBrand's Chocolates...OH MY HEAVENS! Their Chocolate raspberry trouffle is to die for, so are their carmel or almond trouffles {okay any trouffle really}, but their ice cream sundaes are untouchable. I am making my mouth water just thinking about it. Of course their sundaes are supposed to be shared, but I can easily put one away by myself. If you ever happen to be passing through Fort Wayne, stop in DeBrand's and treat yourself to one of their sundaes, you won't regret it!

Why Blog?

When I first started this blog my intention was to keep family and friends updated on our life and growing little family. Since we live so far from my family and at the time, Phil's family too, I thought this would be a great way for everyone to stay apprised of our happenings.

Then I became a mom and then a stay-at-home mom and my reason for blogging changed. I didn't think much of it at first, but as I have been giving my blog some thought lately, a few things dawned on me.

See, I was have been trying to decide what I "REALLY" want to blog about and where I want my blog to focus; DIY projects, parenting issues, Christian moments, everyday nonsense, food...etc.

While I was pondering this 'deep' subject {haha}, I thought, well, why do I blog in the first place. It started as a way to update family, but I feel that especially since staying home, my reason has changed. I now view blogging as most people would view a diary or journal {although a blog is edited for public viewers}. I also see it as a almost a 'girlfriend' of sorts. Staying at home is a HARD job, and can be lonely at times. Yes you have a kid with you ALLLLL THEEEE TIMEEEE!!!! But you are their mom, not their friend and while talking about eating your vegetables and Dora can be fun for about a minute, you want and need that grown up to talk to.

That is where my blogging has morphed recently. In order to not bombard my husband at night when he comes home with all my thoughts that have been running around in my head all day {yes, even stay-at-home moms still have thoughts that are their own}, I see my computer screen as a 'girlfriend' who I can share my thoughts with.

Some of you might think I'm a little nuts to see blogging this way, but I am okay with that; I know I'm a little nutty {hey, let's be honest, aren't we all}, but this understanding has helped me to decided that my blog is going to keep being as random as it is.

Because my blog is like my girlfriend, I am going to continue sharing all aspects of me with her. I am a Christian, therefore my faith is going to bring up topics. I am a mom, who stays at home, so naturally parenting issues are going to come up. I am a homemaker who likes to do crafts and home projects, so DIY is a part of me. Sometimes I feed my family so I might share a recipe or two from time to time. I am a wife who loves her husband and spend a great deal of time with him. I am a friend who has AWESOME friends and care a great deal about those friendships! And stuff happens randomly ALL THE TIME that I just want to talk about.

These are all just parts of who I am as a whole...CURRENTLY...who knows how I will change in the future, I already know I have grown from aspects of my past {I was a student, an athlete, an educator}.

This is why I blog...this is why my blog will continue to be chalk full of randomness...because all these random pieces make me whole!

My {Pregnant} Mommy Must-Haves: January Edition

There are 5 things I can not live without right now:

1. Hot caffeine-free pomegranate tea (Yes, Lesley, that is the mug your mom got me in college, still love it!!!)



2. Palmer's Coco Butter Lotion (Nothing better than getting out of a shower and lathering up my growing belly...I just hope it does as good of a job as the Bio-oil that I used with Emrie)



3. Flavored Water (I don't know what got me started on this but I can't get enough of it)



4. Books (I am on a streak right now, watch out)



5. Yoga Pants (because regular jeans get a little tight at the end of the day)

Bubble Tea {Bobba}

Bubble Tea or Boba was really popular when I was in high school. I only had it once and liked it well enough (the tapioca balls at the bottom were awesome), but you just ordered it and there was only one type they had. Well NOW, I have been introduced to a whole NEW world of Boba and I LOVE IT!!!

Tea Buds is a new Tea Shop that opened on Main Street in Carmel and there had been an article in the paper about them (which was VERY ironic because the week before we had dinner with Phil's cousin and her husband who is from China and we had just been talking about bubble tea).

I know very little about tea, but I thought it would be fun to go try it out. So I met up with a girlfriend and we experience bubble tea together. Only this place was awesome...you get to concoct your own.

1. Start with the base tea: Green, Black or Red (I chose Red)
2. Choose your flavor: watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberry, mango, kiwi, peach, almond, coconut, blueberry, raspberry, pineapple, pomegranate, pear, lychee, cranberry, blackcurrant, blackberry, acai, guava, vanilla, sugar-free peach, sugar-free raspberry, green milk tea, black milk tea (I chose guava).
3. Choose your bubble: tapioca pearls, aloe jellies, strawberry popping boba, mango popping boba (I chose mango)

Clearly as you can see the options were endless...

All of this wonderfulness served with a thick straw so you can suck up the Bubbles...ENJOY!!!

The Boba pearls at the bottom remind me of bath balls...there is a thin film on the outside and they pop with a little pressure and release the liquid inside.

Probably best served on a hot summer day rather than a cold 30 degree winter day, but oh well!

Raising Kids With Grateful Hearts {and myself for that matter}

Two days ago I mentioned that I heard a really powerful lesson at MOPS titled “Raising Kids with Grateful Hearts.” This is something that Phil and I have discussed ad nauseam because we believe it is important AND because I struggle with it personally. The best way to teach your child something is through modeling. Kids don’t do what you say, they do what you do (whether you like it or not)! So if I am struggling with having a grateful heart, how am I going to teach my kids to be grateful?

CAUTION: THIS IS A REALLY LONG BLOG POST…READ AT YOUR OWN RISK (but it is chalk full of wisdom that I can’t take credit for and totally worth reading if you have the time and energy;)

Here were some of the key points made by the speaker yesterday (my condensed version, she had so much wisdom to share, I couldn’t possibly fit it all in one blog). They don’t really flow because of the way I edited them, but you get the point. Although these were presented in way to teach your child, I pretty much have to apply them to myself first, so they are just great lessons for kids and adults of all ages.

Philippians 4:11-13 is what we want our children to learn, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

1)BE CONTENT – everything else will fall into place if you can learn to be content with what you have. By the way, ALL of us (well all 3 of you reading this blog:) are RICH. If you have a refrigerator in your house…YOU ARE RICH. Be thankful for the things we do have. It is ridiculous in our culture that we become discontent if our basement isn’t finished…or if we have boots, but they don’t have the UGG logo on them…I mean come on (oh, and I have been in that category more than my fair share of times so I am NOT throwing stones here).

2)Things don’t make us happy – the only way we will truly find happiness is to know and love Jesus, the one who made us with our individual purpose. We have to live out our PURPOSE to be happy, and our purpose is NOT to consume things.

3)IT ISN’T OURS TO BEGIN WITH – No resource we have; money, time, possessions, talents…etc. is ours anyway. God gave it to us to use for HIM. He wants us to be happy, but the sooner we realize that it isn’t ours anyway, the sooner we begin making wise decisions with our resources.

4)If they (kids…but I like to say YOU, Morgan) aren’t exposed to it, you won’t even know what you are missing. This is so hard for me because between T.V., the internet (Pinterest, Facebook and other blogs specifically), the mall or ALL the dumb catalogues that come to our house (in the name of the last owners) I WANT. I didn’t even KNOW that I ‘needed’ that gorgeous dress and, of course, the fabulous matching shoes, and, hey, while I’m at it that necklace is a staple too, until I saw it on the mannequin at the mall, even though I really only ran in to get water filters for the fridge (which remember, already makes me rich, because I have not just any fridge, but one that has a water dispenser in the door).

Defensive Tactics – (disclaimer, NONE OF THESE ARE EASY…but no one said being a GOOD parent was easy, or convenient for that matter)

- Teach them to find their identity in Christ (not things)

- Define ‘ENOUGH’ – This one is a BIGGY!!! There are roughly four amounts that we can have: scarcity, enough, abundance, too much. As parents we want to give our kids abundance, BUT they can’t appreciate abundance unless they know and understand what enough is. Example: Every time we went out to eat as a family when I was a kid we got water. It was a non-negotiable. We didn’t even think to ask for anything else, because we knew the answer was no and water was our standard. That was ENOUGH! Once in a BLUE (and I do mean BRIGHT BRIGHT blue) moon, we were allowed to get a fancy drink (like the strawberry lemonade at Red Robin…woot woot). That was an ABUNDANCE, and we appreciate it so much more. Same with clothes. Those of you who grew up in California probably remember Mervyn’s (it’s like a Kohl’s). We always got our clothes from there. We always got whatever was cheapest (typically High Sierra, yucky). I would BEG my mom for the Union Bay overalls (it was of course the 90’s). She made it clear that she was willing to pay for the standard jeans because that was ENOUGH, but if I wanted the Union Bay overalls, I would have to buy them myself (I didn’t have $40 to buy them, so I never did get them) because that was an ABUNDANCE. The point to all of this is whatever you train your children to understand that what they have is enough, they will truly appreciate when they are given an abundance. The difficult part is keeping that level of enough reasonable. Every family has to decide what their enough is (and don’t let your friends, media, society or of course your kids dictate what enough is).

- Minimize the Inflow of Stuff – it can be really hard to do this (especially if you have generous grandparents or neighbors or friends) but do your best to be intentional with the things (mostly plastic) that come into your house.



Financial Discernment

- Model financial decision making – verbalizing why you are choosing to make or not make a purchase is a learning moment for the kids…take them grocery shopping and narrate while you go.

- Use a ‘spending plan’ (ie a budget, but a spending plan sounds more fun) Rather than saying, “We can’t afford that,” say, “we choose not to spend our money on that”. Explain that you have to make decisions between things.

- Begin chores and allowances together – if they are asking for stuff, then they are probably responsible enough do work a little for their money. This way they learn to be responsible with money and to make decisions for how they want to spend their money.

- Define wants and needs

- Use ‘The List’ – my list (things we as your parents will buy for you…we will always, always, always make sure you have everything you need and some of what you want) your list (things that are in abundance that you want to buy for yourself)…You can use this when they ask for something and you ask if they have enough money to buy it. If they say no, you can say they can put it on their list. This is a good way for them to decide if they really want it or not because it helps them learn to make decisions about what they really want.

- Say ‘No’ with conviction – say it like you mean it and don’t give in…they will get the point.


One point she made that I had heard before, but really struck a cord with me now was for parents of girls. “The best gift you can give your daughter’s future husband is to give her a content heart.” What we as her parents set as her ‘enough’ now, is what she will expect from her husband, and who knows what kind of income he will have. We want to set her up for a successful marriage and giving her a content heart and a good understanding of the value of money will help that.


NOW...The trouble I have with all of this isn’t that I disagree with any of it (as a matter of fact, I can say that I whole heartedly agree with EVERY single thing she said). The difficult part is putting it into practice.

See, I struggle with having a content heart at times. Sure we have a nice house, nice cars, plenty of food, plenty of clothes…but there is always something ‘better’ out there isn’t there?

It sounds silly to say it out loud, being a 27 year old mom and wife, but I feel peer pressure at times still. I need to have what my girlfriends have, my kids need to have what their kids have…NO WE DON’T! Phil and I decide (with God’s help and discernment) what our family needs and what is enough, our income doesn’t determine that, our friends don’t determine that and society doesn’t determine that…WE DO!

My prayer is that I can learn to be confident to make the tough decisions regarding money, not because we can’t afford something, but because we don’t need it. That I can model that for my kids and learn to be content with what I have, because it is more than enough!

MOPS Moment

Today was my first day of MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers). I will admit that although I did sign up for it, I wasn't overly thrilled to go today for a few reasons.

1) It is snowy
2)It was 9 degrees out
3) I only got notice that today was my first day on Wednesday so I had naturally already plan things for today (starting with my workout that I skipped and don't plan to make up)
4) Emrie was still asleep when I needed to leave and I HATE waking her up (she is a little like her mama in that she gets VERY grouchy if you wake her up)
5) I am still driving on my spare tire from a few days ago and really need to go get it fixed
6) I sometimes (usually) get nervous meeting new people for the first time
7) Did I mention that it is COOOOLD outside!

Anyhow, I also don't like missing stuff if it can be avoided so I bundled my little grouchy baby up and headed off on my three good legged mule and showed up early.

Boy did it pay off to get there early. Not only did I hit it off RIGHT away with the women at my table (magenta;), but I won the early bird door prize since I was, well, early (beer bread from Tastefully Simple, oh yeah, be jealous), AND I was the only one there to announce I was pregnant (I wasn't about to get up in front of 50 women I didn't know, but my table convinced me because you get a gift).






While all of that is fine and well, there was a bigger reason God put me in that room today. This very day I was made to hear the message presented by a very wise woman.

The practical lesson (oh, how I love practical lessons, with bullet points and everything...it just feeds my anal personality...and yes I took notes...yes, I am a nerd) was about how to raise children to have thankful hearts.

I can't stop thinking about the words spoken, some of them I believe God made her say right to me. I am not going to dive in just yet to the lessons learned (I am going to do a whole blog on that later, maybe even a week's worth of it...there was EASILY enough material to spend a week on it), but it was so valuable.

As I went to pick up Emrie from the nursery (it was so pleasant to hear them say she was delightful...they actually used that word for my child, my very headstrong, opinionated, handful of a child who needed a nap...delightful!) I almost started to cry (I blame it on the pregnancy hormones). I felt so blessed that God gave me this opportunity and I was filled up!

Now I am off to spend my 1 hour of undivided attention (this has been my new initiative for they year that I started a couple of weeks ago) with Emrie. I have been fired up to be that intentional, inspirational mom I was created to be!

We might also just do some cleaning with the cool home-made cleaner that we made today as our craft (all it is is 1 part vinegar, one part water...apparently it is wonderful)...

All Jacked Up

You know when your day is going along just fine and then....BAM...something annoying happens. Like you drop your phone and shatter it, or the washing machine hose decides it no longer wants to stay in the drain and floods the laundry room, or you lock yourself out of the house, or your kid decides to rub their hands and face on the freshly painted wall...well, you get the point (not that any of those things have ever happened to me before).

Today I came out of Target (where I was already slightly frustrated because I was trying to find a cute 1 piece bathing suit for vacation next month...apparently they don't make 1 pieces that fit over my thighs and my belly hangs out of the tankini's...arg....but of course that is a side note) and hopped in the car and drove to the end of the parking lot. I felt the rumbling the whole way. So I parked and low and behold, FLAT TIRE!!!!

Of course Phil is out of town and I wanted to be a big girl anyway and take care of it myself. So I pulled out my wallet to get the AAA card, oh, but darn, it expired in 2010...hmmmm...

So I did the next best thing I could think of...I called my girlfriend Kasie. I had barely gotten out that I had a flat tire and she said, "okay, where are you, I'll come get you!"

Seriously in 15 minutes (AAA would have made me wait at least an hour anyway) Kasie was at my rescue. She drove me back to my house so I could get a spare tire (long story about why I thought I didn't have one in my car, run-flat tires...long story short there actually is one in my car). We got back to Target and after settling our babies in Kasie's car with peppy children's music and puffs, we did a little back and forth between which jack to use (mine was made of PLASTIC...PLASTIC....Come on PEOPLE). We went with mine.

We did what all good mechanics do and loosened the lug nuts first, then started jacking the car up. Once we realized that the jack was upside down, we quickly fixed it :) but noticed that even though it was right side up now, it still didn't look too sturdy. So I lowered it back down and jacked it up again. This time it seemed better, although still slightly tilted.

I started loosening the lug nuts the rest of the way and...BOOM!!! The jack gave out and the car came slamming down on the tire. It seemed to happened in slow motion. All I could do was jump back and prepare for the worst. I absolutely thought the car frame was just going to hit the ground. But the lug nuts weren't off all the way and the tire held and the car came down on the tire without any issues.

After we thanked Jesus about 5 times that we had all our limbs and extremities, Kasie suggested that since we were at Target, I run in to see if I could buy and industrial jack. I asked the guy if they sold jacks...his actual response to me was, "no, but we have towing kits". What the heck would I do with a towing kit...I need a jack!!!

When I got back to the car we figured out how to get Kasie's jack out of her car (no easy task either:) and thankfully hers was MUCH sturdier than mine. The only problem was it took about 30 minutes to get it jacked up high enough because the little wrench used to elevate the jack was only able to rotate half way before it hit the ground. So each rotation she had to take the wrench out and re-load it half way! Of course! Needless to say it worked!!!!

Once we got the car jacked high enough then we struggled to get it at EXACTLY the right height for the lug nuts to line up with the tire rack (since my stupid car has a flush tire rack and we didn't have anything to push it up on).

At this point (almost an hour into the process) the FIRST and ONLY person came over to see if we needed help. Not that we needed any help at that point (Kasie was kicking butt), but I was shocked that no one else came to see if we needed help. Two men literally stood at their car and talked directly in our line of sight for 15 minutes and never came to check on us. I don't know what to make of all that (I like to think we just looked like we knew what we were doing, and we did for the most part), but it just seemed strange to me!

Anyhow, we got the tire on...screwed in the lug nuts in the star pattern, of course...dropped the jack...tightened the lug nuts and got giddy excited that we did it!!! If it hadn't been for our two babies scream crying most of the time in the car, we would have forgotten that we were even moms.

Our true mom moment did come though in the midst of our joy and excitement when we BOTH admitted that the first song that popped into our heads was, "we did it, we did it, we did it, yeah" from Dora the Explorer (if you know the song you are singing it right now, if you don't you don't want to).

That's fine, because we are moms...Moms who were all jacked up what we changed a tire by ourselves in the 25 degree weather!!!

And what would I do without my great friend Kasie, who saved me a ton of money, helped me keep my cool and made a great memory in the process!!!

All in a day's work!!!

A New Look

Okay, so like most people, I get bored of looking at the same thing over and over. That is probably why we go shopping for new clothes, cars, make-up, hairstyles, re-decorate our house or whatever.

My blog needed a facelift. I am too cheap to actually pay to have a cool website designed, and I am not techie enough to do it myself, so I use the free websites.

I started doing a little "research" about what I wanted for my facelift.

Here was the problem I ran into...I STARTED COVETING!!! Everyone else has super cool blogs...the design, the header, the signatures, the content, the number of followers, advertising, sponsors...etc.

Since staying home, I have found that I have more time to peruse (read-waste time) on the computer. Most of the time I will admit I just look at facebook and Pinterest and typically I just get ideas or inspiration.

But there are times (like today) where I look at Pinterest or other people's blogs and I just get plain jealous. I want what everyone else has. I want other people's ideas to be my original ideas. I want my blog to be cool. I want, I want, I want!!!

Someone needs to slap me silly and put me in my place. WHO CARES if other people have great blogs and mine is just okay! GOOD FOR THEM!!! WHO CARES if I have to steal other people's ideas and make them my own! At least I have a cool product at the end, right?

And what about all the awesome stuff I DO have...like my sweet little Emrie and the bun in the oven and my hunky husband! WHO CARES what my blog looks like, or my clothes or my house for that matter...It is all going to be gone when I die, and I will probably just get bored of it after about a year anyway!

A new look is fine, but I need to keep it in perspective. I am not changing to 'keep up with the Joneses' (or that really cool blog _______ ). I am doing it because it makes me happy and I think it is pretty and I just enjoy a change of scenery.

Alphabet Wall

So I have had a few people ask how long it took me to get all the alphabet letters straight. The answer is only about 1 hour total time. Here is how I did it. Of course, as I was hanging them I thought of about 45 other quicker easier ways to hang them, but this worked like a champ and was super fast (and I literally made NO mistakes which is unheard of when I hang things).





The letters are just chipboard letters ($1.99 a piece at Hobby Lobby...I should have waited until they were 50% off, but I wasn't patient).




I didn't want to spend a lot of money on picture hangers for the back of the letters, so I spent $1 on a box of paper clips and hot glued them to the backs as hangers.

I measured exactly 1/4 inch from the top of all the letters, then glued the paper clip so the top was at the 1/4 inch spot. (Side note, always put 2 paper clips, one on either side of the letter, to keep the balance...it is just physics 101).



I was thinking of a way to get a straight line on the wall without having to measure each time. So I took painters tape (Frog Tape is AMAZING)and used a level to stretch the line across the whole wall.



After laying out all the letters on the floor, I realized that I would have to put the letters literally right next to each other in order for them to fit.



Starting with letter A I put the letter up, looked behind it where the paper clip was and made a dot on the tape.





To make sure the letters were straight I hammered the nail in at the top of the tape.



Once I hung each letter, I would move on to the next letter. This was REALLY important to not mark all the spots and then hang the letters, but rather do one letter then move to the next, because if you want them really close, as you hang the letters they shifted just enough that they won't all fit.




Just a side note, this was a really long wall (17.5 feet), but if I didn't have such a long wall I would have just wrapped the letters around 2 or more walls if I need to. I still think that would look cute.

Anyway, this was my very homemade system, but it worked for me and I will definitely use it again when I try to hang straight picture frames.

Playroom Makeover

I have wanted a playroom for Emrie and this house had the perfect room in the basement. The last owners used it as a gym, but I knew right away it would be our playroom.

Not only does this room keep all of Emrie's stuff organized, but it lets me get my teacher fix too:)

My budget was $500 to do this room (but I accidentily went over by $50), which might seem like a lot, but I literally had NOTHING for a playroom, including many toys. So here is the makeover and the budget breakdown!

Bookcases - Ikea, Big one $129, Small one $69
Green Bookcase Bins - Ikea, $40
Alphabet Letters and paint supplies - $61
Chalkboard Wall - Lowe's, $84
Reading Chair - Ikea, $30
Kid's Table and Chairs - Ikea, Table $40, Chairs $60
Art Easel - Ikea, $15
Hanging Art Wire - Ikea, $13
Magnetic Oil Pan - AutoZone, $9

Here is the room before...Pretty much just a storage room:

Here it is now:

Chalkboard Wall

Alphabet Wall

Reading Corner

Hanging Art Wire and Magnet Oil Pan Board

Our family looks forward to having a blast in our new fun space!!!

Look for future posts about some of the details of the room.

Shades of Grey

I enjoy reading! Often times I will pick up ‘mindless’ books just for entertainment. Some of my go-to authors are Vince Flynn, Mary Higgins Clark and James Patterson. I know it will be a suspense-filled, page turning read that will take me about a round-trip flight time to finish.
But every once in a while I come across a book that is REALLY worth reading! The kind of book that makes you think, inspires you to action, or at least deeply reflect on your own life.

The Help is one such book that I just finished reading. While I am sure just about everyone out there has read it (I waited a week on the waiting list at the library and they have 23 copies just in Carmel) and it is a #1 New York Times Bestseller, I STILL wasn’t prepared by how touching it was going to be.

There are so many incredible powerful and ageless themes packed into 530 pages. Some of the smaller themes I just can stop thinking about:

How would I have viewed segregation if I were living in the 50’s and 60’s when it was common
place? What ‘norms’ have I just accepted because society says so?

What voice is loudest in my child’s ears, mine or the world? How do I make mine louder?

You are who your friends are, or are you? When is it time to cut a friend loose?

How far would you go to fit in? Is being accepted that important? When is it just not worth it anymore?

Do people ever really change? Can people change? Relationships change, is that because people change or circumstances change or both?

How far would you go to help a friend? How far would you go to help a stranger?

The most powerful line to me in the whole book wasn’t the catch phrase I hear so often associated with this title, “You is smart, you is kind, you is important” (although I did tear up reading that line). The most powerful line for me was on page 492.

“There is so much you don’t know about a person. I wonder if I could’ve made her days a little bit easier, if I’d tried. If I’d treated her a little nicer. Wasn’t that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I’d thought.”

The irony of this epiphany is that given the nature of the book, you would think this was spoken by a white woman to a black woman, and yet it was spoken from one white woman about another.
After reading this book, it becomes clearer to me that people, circumstances, rules, laws, and life aren’t usually blank and white; everything is mostly shades of grey.

BVG2 15 Week Update

I went to the doctor today for my routine check-up and everything looked good. The baby's heart rate was in the 140's-150's. I shouldn't have told Phil that because now he thinks it is a boy since the heart rate is much lower than Emrie's was.

I guess we will find out soon enough what we are having. Come February 9th we will have the BIG ultrasound when we find out what we are having!

Stay Tuned:)

Look Back 2011-2012 Look Forward

2011 was a fantastic year for us. Can't wait to see what 2012 has in store!

New Year's 2011

Top 10 2011 Highlights:
10)Selling our house in Fort Wayne quickly
9)Moving to Indy...near Phil's parents (well, with his parents for 4 months)
8)Getting plugged in at a great church
7)Making so many WONDERFUL friends so quickly once we moved here.
6)Vacation in July, just Phil and I!
5)Deciding to be a stay-at-home mom
4)Phil starting his new job...it is such a perfect fit for him!
3)Moving into our dream house in Carmel (best neighbors EVER)
2)Starting the year with a 10 day old Emrie. What a fantastic addition!
1)Finding out we are having another BABY!!!

New Year's 2012

Things to look forward to in 2012:
1. Baby Van Gelder Due July 1, 2012
2. IUFH Girls Week at my house in February
3. Couple's Vacation in November (well, we just decided this last night:)
4. Growing Friendships
5. Waiting to see what God has in store for us this year!!!