a whiny kind of venting post (be warned....)

Sigh...I can feel it - it's that feeling of a crack starting....you know the kind that runs along and gets bigger and bigger whether you pay any attention to it or not?
I feel it happening.

I am gonna crack.
Work has been draining (this is the understatement of the year...and next person who says "be thankful you have a job" is gonna get it! I AM thankful....that's not the point! ;0)
I have VERY sick kiddos at home (and perhaps even worse...) a sick husband...
My stove went out (a while ago but it's really bothering me now that its cold out)
There is tension at home
tension at work
it is the holidays (sorry..not tension free)
my boys went into a closed up cement plant's property this weekend and played on the "mountains" and equipment (of course pretending....but they were trespassing (and YES they know better) now we have to deal with that....
My daughter (who is 19) is currently being courted by a guy all the way in Ohio - which means a LOT of cell phone time and texting..and it's wearing on all of us - especially her dad who has said ENOUGH and taken the phone during the daytime. TRAGEDY!!
I'm the "middle man" between their (seemingly non stop)disagreements right now.
I HATE IT. Have I mentioned I HATE it?
I don't know what to say to either of them when they start the "why does she...How come he..." and it just messes everything up!
I keep getting disgruntled calls at work - things Iam not even remotely involved with - and having people yell at me (or even yell TO me) about someone elses mistake.
I'm gonna crack.
(One time I got really mad and told my kids "don't talk to me...I'm gonna snap like a cracker!" to which my kids at the time got very quiet (smart) but later laughed like crazy about..because do crackers really snap? really?)
So..
I'm gonna snap like a cracker people.
Just a warning.


withallmyheart..................
m

fun and cheap - continued....

http://sendacallfromsanta.com/

Now this is fun stuff - I sent one as a joke to all my girlfriends :)
Imagine their faces when they answer their phone and santa's talking to them.
LOL

it's free and good for a laugh.

Merry Christmas all!

With all my heart ~
Michelle

Merry Christmas

or should I say MARY Christmas?
I often think of Mary at Christmas time (especially last year when I was about 28 and a half months pregnant)
What a good mama
What a sacrifice
All who once loved her then looked with scorn, or at best just pity.
No one to talk to about what she felt, nausea, heartburn, braxton hicks....
No baby shower no family celebrations.....
Just knowing that this beautiful moving, kicking baby of love inside her was going to come....to grow..to love...to die.
To SAVE
The very thought makes me cry.
As a mother we do our best.
We never know how long we have with anyone... with any of our children - all who are precious to us...
We pray it all goes well.
She KNEW it would end with his death.
She KNEW that tiny baby suckling at her breast was the savior of the world.
That as much as any mama would die for her child....this child would love so much that He would die for EVERYONE.
Even the ugly unlovable sinful hateful violent....me
Every boo boo she kissed....she KNEW
Every flower she received as a gift from her little boy
Every drawn picture
Every celebrated holiday...

Please Please God let me be a good mama - Please let me love unconditionally and teach my children to do the same.
Please let me always remember what a blessing each child is and to value the TRUE message of Christmas.

The ultimate love.
in a manger....
swaddled and loved...
come to love.
even me.

OH COME LET US ADORE HIM.


Mary Christmas.

With all my heart!~
Michelle

WHO KNEW!!!

http://babystam.blogspot.com/">
Is having a baby leg warmer give away :)
The link is to the most fascinating site -
Why had I NEVER heard about the benefits of amber OR the benefits of hazelwood?
WHERE HAVE I BEEN??
It was fascinating to read about and I am looking forward to recieving the items I ordered (more christmas stuff check check off that list!)
Make sure to stop by and check out the Stam Family blog and zip over to the Finn Online shop!
The following is just some info copied from the Finn site...fascinating!


Hazelwood
It relieves or prevents ailments such as ulcers, acid reflux, heartburn, skin problems (psoriasis, eczema, acne), arthritis, constipation, migraines, sensitive & bleeding gums, helps reduce dental cavities and more. These necklaces are a great remedy for heartburn and nausea during pregnancy!
Hazelwood necklaces are made from the branches of a hazelwood tree alternated with glass and/or gemstone beads for ornamentation. They are handmade - from the gathering of the wood to the stringing of the beads.



So....now that you have a taste of what I'm referring to - go go go! :)

With all my heart~
Michelle

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Did you ever get all geared up to post a NEW POST and then stop short because you wonder....What in the world do I have to say that anyone needs to hear?!

Well I don't blog because I think my opinion is so important that you MUST hear it :)
I don't blog because I think I know anything - and whew...the older I get the less I know believe you me! :)

So...why do I blog?
Maybe because I read several blogs and I think...I AM NOT ALONE!!! :)
So...maybe that's what I'm hoping for you (me) (you know what I mean)

So....I wanted to do the MUCH LESS COMERCIAL CHRISTMAS this year...and I'm failing miserably.
I want people to know how loved they are with home-made stuff..but then I get panicky when I don't have a "GIFT" to give them.
I KNOW KNOW KNOW the REASON FOR THE SEASON.
I just can't get over the "TOTAL BAD PARENT...F.A.I.L.U.R.E" feeling that I KNOW I'd feel if I gave them a sparkly glitter pinecone and told them "It's your gift - because I love you and I'm not crafty enough to make a GOOD gift" lol.
I'm sure that somehow makes me a bad person.
I'm not hand-crafting all my presents.
I'm not giving only gifts like.... a goat for an village.... or a well....
I'm baking like a lunatic (and I'm on this fabulous yet STRICT diet)
I'm buying even cheap stuff so that the kids will have "stuff" (no they don't need stuff...but somehow I worry that they do)
I'm taking off a few afternoons because of my mom guilt of working full time...to do things with the kiddos.
I DID try to order things from my blogger friends who WERE making stuff :) That felt good :)



I thought I could do it differently this year.
I did. (think so)
I'm just having a hard time pulling it off any way other than the way we've always done it.
"family traditions"
maybe if I start with just ONE new family tradition.....

What do you suggest?:)
Are you too having a tough time reigning in the "christmas madness"
I keep thinking...two ways...1.) it's only the 7th OR 2.) OH my goodness it's only 18 days till Christmas!!
:)

With all my heart~
Michelle

More Christmas ideas :) HOT SNOWFLAKES!

Oh these were on the Martha web site too - and I have to admit - I love them :)

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/snowflake-quesadillas

these fit all my holiday ideals - cheap easy fast oh and they look really really yummy :)

I have a friend who is celebrating advent by having red and green food tonight....
I'm gonna zip over an tell her to do these and ad in bits of red and green pepper!
:)
(Way better than my red and green m&m idea since I'm hungry! :)

I think I'm gonna tell my kids we're having "HOT SNOWFLAKES" for dinner - they'll have NO idea! :)

Enjoy!
Much love this holiday season!

With all my heart ~
Michelle

p.s. the picture is a lifescience PHOTO of a real snowflake - please take a moment to notice the heart that God put there in the middle :) This of course was JUST because He loves us so!

Delicious and super easy recipe!!

Okay - THANK YOU to allrecipes.com for the "official recipe" for these....
LET ME TELL YOU....these are our family FAVORITE! :)
It's insane how easy they are - but for us that meant that even the little ones could help!
The "chocolate covered caramel" we use are "rollos" candy (I even saw them at the "everything's a dollar store" the other day!!
and we have used whatever nut we have on hand (almonds - yum - peanuts - yum - walnuts - yum...you get the picture :)

PRETZEL TURTLES

Ingredients:
20 small mini pretzels
20 chocolate covered caramel candies
20 pecan halves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet (**you can just use tin foil..we do!!**)
Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.
3. Bake for 4 minutes. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container


VIOLA! You're done!
SO easy - SO yummy....These make a nice gift for neighbors and friends too!

So...that's my "cheapo fabuloso" Holiday idea for the day!

Don't forget I'm still posting comments about the cheap/fun craft ideas!!

With all my heart~
Michelle