The Master Cleanse

In my online browsing, I came upon something very interesting last week. It is called The Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet. It's not really a diet, it is a cleanse, which is something you do that is meant to cleanse your system of toxins and impurities. There are different cleanses, done in different ways. Kevin Trudeau's book recommends several cleanses, especially if you need to lose weight. He mentions a colon cleanse, a liver/gallbladder cleanse, a Candida cleanse (I KNOW I need to do one of those), and a general cleanse. The Master Cleanse is the ultimate cleanse, it cleanses your whole body.

In a nutshell, you drink a lemonade mix that you make at home for at least ten days. Some people go 30-40 days, but it seems like they usually do that the second time around. During this time, you eat nothing. The lemonade mix is supposed to keep you from being hungry and give you the energy you need. You also do "salt water flushes" to help...um..."flush" you out, if you know what I mean. They also recommend senna tea, like the "Smoothe Move" brand, to help you along.

I've heard of juice fasting before, but not cleansing. I NEVER would have considered this before (heck, I can't even stay on a diet) until after I read the online journals of people who have done it. If done properly, they say you aren't hungry at all, and after a few days, you feel great, full of energy. The first few days, you are getting adjusted, and the worst of the toxins are working themselves out of your body. After day 3, your energy is supposed to kick in, and you feel alert and better than ever.

There are some "side-effects". Your tongue turns white, your breath isn't as fresh, and you might be cranky at first. You won't be hungry (as long as you keep drinking the lemonade), although you may have dreams about food, or dream you broke the fast, and you wake up upset. Usually you lose some weight, but not everyone. Some people lose a lot. It seems that the average I've been hearing on a ten day cleanse is 10-14 pounds. The most I've heard of so far is 61 pounds on a 34 day (so far) cleanse, and I think this guy was pretty overweight. Some people, in an effort to keep losing weight, continue to drink the lemonade after the fast, during the day, then eat a healthy meal at night. Kind of like a Slim-Fast diet without all the chemicals. Probably works better too, since the lemonade mix is supposed to help keep you from being hungry.

The ingredients for the drink are:

freshly-squeezed organic lemon juice
pure water
organic, formaldehyde-free, grade B maple syrup
cayenne pepper

The maple syrup add necessary nutrients and sweetness, the cayenne helps things "move along" inside you, and the lemon juice has many amazing properties. Helps keep hunger down, has excellent enzymes, helps break things up inside, etc. I was amazed when I found out all the benefits of lemon juice.

Here are more links for information:

The recipe
An online journal of one person's experience
A site with great info (same as link at beginning of post), cheapest source I've found for maple syrup
Another site to buy ingredients, get info
The Master Cleanse by Stanley Burroughs, if you're too cheap to buy the book
A juicer comparison chart, compares some brands, very informational, read it before you go running out and buying a juicer

I've heard wonderful things about how you feel after doing this cleanse. People who do them often repeat it a few times a year. A lot of people have reported having some medical conditions go away during the cleanse, and some smokers have been able to break their habit during it. It seems to "reset" the body. One young woman whose journal I read had a bad case of gout, and it was gone by the time she ended the cleanse.

Like I said, I normally wouldn't consider even thinking about this, normally. But I've done a great deal of research on it, and I am excited to try it. The bad thing is I'm home all day with my refrigerator, and I have a family to feed. I'd like my husband to do it, but there's one problem...this lemonade diet is EXPENSIVE!! I figured out that with all the supplies, it will probably cost $100-110 for only ten days on the Master Cleanse, and that's not including a juicer. You need a juicer, you get only half the juice if you do it by hand, and the most expensive part is the organic lemons. I figured almost $70 for the lemons, $28 plus shipping for the maple syrup, I have organic cayenne already, another $4-5 for jugs of purified water, and another $4-5 for the tea. The juicer, if I can't find one used, will be around $50...I plan on buying the Juiceman Jr. There are a few cheaper ones around at Target or Kmart, but I don't trust the brand names for those.

I'd love a Champion, because it's a masticating juicer, and it makes higher quality juice with less oxidation. BUT it's $230!

So I'll just be settling for a Juiceman Jr. It's only $50 at Target, and as a centrifugal juicer, it makes more juice.


I'm still trying to figure out if we can afford for me to do the cleanse. Unfortunately, being impulsive, I went out and bought two days' worth of lemons already. I'm such an idiot. Buy the lemons...THEN calculate the cost! Duh. But at some point I will do it, because I think it would be a great, healthy experience.

If you think about doing The Master Cleanse, first research it online, then buy and read the books. Everyone says you NEED to read the books. There is a yahoo group dedicated to the cleanse, but they ask you to read the book before asking questions.

If you're not interested in cleansing, look into juicing. I've been hearing great things about it, how energetic fresh juice makes you feel. The grocery store juices are "dead"...little vitamins, no enzymes, etc. I thought it would be too expensive, but there are options. My health food store carries organic "juicing" carrots, $18 for 25#. Pretty good price for organic. And many health food stores offer discounts when you buy in bulk.

Good luck, happy juicing!

Natural Cures book

Lately I've been reading a really good book. It's called "More Natural 'Cures' Revealed" by Kevin Trudeau. It is meant as a sequel to his earlier book, "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You To Know About." I had his first book for a while. I read it and it was interesting, but didn't seem to have that many cures. Mostly it said to go to his website for more information. Of course, the website was members-only, and charged a monthly fee. I kind of blew it off after that. Then I checked out his second book after seeing the new infomercial (I admit it, I love infomercials, even the silly ones, I don't know why, but I do). The new one was really interesting. He names more specific products in his book. I think the problem with the first one was I just skimmed it, and missed a lot. They're meant to be read front to back.

When I went through the first book again, I realized there is a lot of good information in it, especially on weight loss. Some of it is stuff I've heard about before, some is new (to me). "More Natural 'Cures'Revealed" is good, but there are a few chapters of goofiness you have to wade through. For some reason he goes on and on about how he was in a "secret society" that controls the world, and even got to see the "aliens" at area 51. Seriously.

Now, I actually am a bit of a "conspiracy-theory" believer myself. But while I believe there are some conspiracies out there, I'm just not buying Kevin Trudeau as part of it. Mostly because his story isn't believable.

In fact, he loses a lot of credibility because of that, in my opinion. His point is to show you how bad Big Pharmaceuticals is, and how the FTC is out to get him. I think he realized that his last book talking about "them" really drew a crowd of buyers that were big into conspiracy theories, and so he thought it would sell more books if he put more of that stuff in there. And even if it were true, the first few chapters of the silly stuff is just going to turn off anyone not heavily into conspiracies, and make him lose credibility.

Aside from the secret society stuff, it's a good book with a lot of really good information now. And if you go to his website, he now gives a one week trial for free, so you can check out the website first. I haven't done it yet, it's not something we can afford right now (they count n people like me who forget to quit before the free trial is up), but I'd like to someday. I think the free trial was definitely a smart business move. I never buy memberships to websites, because you hear so often about sites that charge, only to find out there is other stuff on the web just like it for free. This way you can try before you buy.

A lot of the cures in his book are things that you can easily find on the web. But there is a lot of stuff that I don't think is commonly heard of. And it's nice to have all the information in just one place. If you buy the book, don't buy it from him or from Amazon. Get it at Sam's Club, it's ten dollars cheaper there. Or from Walmart, where it's slightly more. I think both books are worth the money.

I'll probably post some stuff from his books in the near future. I think everyone should be aware of how our food and environment are being poisoned by the food industry, agribusiness, and the government. (I'm definitely NOT an environmentalist, but I think God put us in charge down here, and we should keep a poison-free food and water supply.) Nothing is pure, as God intended it, anymore. The only way to make ourselves healthier is to avoid the fake stuff and the poisoned stuff, and eat organic food. "Natural Cures 'They' Don't Want You to Know About" and "More Natural Cures Revealed" will give you a lot of information on how to chose the right food and products.

Update on "Getting Back to Basics"

Thanks to much pleading on the part of Stephanie's blog friends, she has graciously put her archives back up so we can print them out, if desired. Apparently she and her husband have been harassed by some crazy loons who don't like hearing the truth. These people seem to have pretty sad lives, because they have nothing better to do than harass good, honest people just because they don't like what they read on a blog.

**Just a note to the crazies out there...if you don't like someone's blog, there's a little thing called a "back" button. Use it. And if you just CAN'T, then go see a psychologist and figure out WHY you need to victimize someone just because they make use of free speech. You expect us to put up with your disgusting sites about s*x and all kinds of filth, but you can't take reading a post about wifely submission? It's America people. You want censorship, take a plane to China!

Better yet...get right with God, and learn how to love. Because you don't know how to love anyone, including yourself, if you have to spew hate to make yourself feel better. There's a lot of people whose blogs make my blood boil. When I stumble upon them, I leave, never to return. I just have too much to do, too much self-respect, and too much love for others to be wasting my time attacking people over different viewpoints. Being hurt in your life doesn't give you the right to hurt others.**

It's not easy to love liberals, but I sure do try! ;-)

Anyway, back to the program...I suggest all of you RUN (figuratively) over to Getting Back to Basics and copy or print out any posts you like, before they're gone. I love almost all of them, but my personal favorites are her posts on cooking/diet, marraige and family, and the ones where she really tells it like it is in the world today (probably what got her into trouble, but who cares--you go girl!).

I really appreciate blogs like hers, because they are so few and far between. Every time I think I've found one, I read further into it, and find some wacky pseudo-liberal ideas buried in there. I love blogs that talk about wifely submission, modesty, homemaking, cooking from scratch, natural living/mothering (without the wacky liberal slant, lol), homeschooling, etc. If anyone knows of other blogs out there like Getting Back to Basics, please leave a link for it!

Stephanie, If You're Reading This...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I'm just kidding!

For those of you who have visited Stephanie at her blog Getting Back to Basics, I have bad news: it looks like she will not be blogging anymore. I know, I know, I was terribly disappointed too. But I respect and admire her devotion to her family. Keeping up a good blog can take a bit of time (depending on how fast you think and type, lol). Stephanie, maybe you could still post an article or an update once a week...? A couple of times a month...? I'll take what I can get! ;-) Assuming your wonderful husband is agreeable, of course!

Truly, I understand the situation, I'm just selfish. Of all the blogs I visited, hers was my favorite, because her information was so useful and enjoyable to read. She never got full of herself as I've seen many other bloggers do. I learned a lot.

Well, Stephanie, if we don't hear from you anymore, I understand. But please, please, PLEASE leave your blog intact as it is, and don't erase it, because there are so many good things on there for other homemakers to learn from and enjoy! It is a great source of information, even if you don't post anymore. I am trying to take my journey in the same direction you did, in growing as a wife and mother, and your example was such a good one. It was nice to know there was someone out there who started off much like I did, and through prayer and effort of will, made great progress towards becoming a godly wife and mother.

Thanks for the inspiration! Drop by here and leave a comment anytime you like, and let me know how you're doing.

God bless!

Daily Family Schedule

I've been trying to create a working schedule for myself and the family so I can stick to a routine (for once). I am basing it on a MOTH-type schedule (check out Managers of Their Homes--haven't read it, but gleaned some examples online from other blogs). I've re-done it a few times, and I think I've come up with one that is more realistic than the schedules I've done in the past. I'm always trying to come up with what I SHOULD be doing every day, instead of just what absolutely NEEDS to be done. Since all previous schedules were ridiculously unattainable, they went unused. This time I think it is more useable, so hopefully I can actually start USING it! LOL

I used Microsoft Spreadsheet (didn't like it, but it's all I've got) to create a color coded spreadsheet schedule. Most of the schedule is white, and the important events (meals, naptimes, baby feedings, etc.) are in color, so they stand out. I'll try to post a picture when (if) I get my camera charged up.

There is a column for each family member. Rather than list the schedule for each (especially since the kids' schedules are virtually the same and most of my husband's says WORK) I'll just give you an overview of mine.

7:00 Wake, pray, make bed, weigh myself, take vitamins
7:15 Spiritual reading, check Home Management Binder
7:30 Shower, dress, fix hair and makeup
8:00 Set table, load washing machine, start breakfast
8:15 Wake kids, supervise room tidying and bed making, change diapers
8:30 Breakfast
8:45 Wake/change/feed baby
9:00 Zone cleaning, unload dishwasher from previous night, declutter (5 minutes each)
9:15 Clean up after breakfast, load dishwasher, give kids an activity to work on
10:00 Prepare kids to go outside (with three children all under five, it takes a while)
10:15 Outside time, hang up any laundry if necessary, let dogs out
11:15 Inside, kids help unload dishwasher and "reboot" laundry
11:30 Feed baby, put her down for a nap, make lunch
NOON Lunch, read to the kids after I'm done eating, as they finish, do dinner prep work, if necessary, prepare naptime water cups
12:45 Brush kids' teeth
1:00 Put kids in bed, clean up after lunch, load dishwasher, fold/put away laundry
1:30 Project or take a nap
2:30 Computer time or take a nap
3:00 Wake/change/feed/play with baby
3:45 Make a snack for the kids
4:00 Wake kids, change diapers
4:15 Snack, do dinner preparations, if needed, clean "hot spots", do five minute "room rescue"
4:30 Clean up after snack
4:45 Fix hair and makeup, get exercise clothes/shoes ready
5:00 Watch to greet daddy when he comes home, then go exercise
5:45 Family rosary/feed baby
6:00 Dinner (put baby to sleep when she's ready)
6:45 Brush kids' teeth, put on kids' pajamas (daddy puts them to bed)
7:00 Make daddy's lunch to take to work tomorrow, clean kitchen/dining room, load/run dishwasher
7:30 Empty trash can, lay out family clothes, make morning cups for kids, set table, prepare for tomorrow's breakfast
8:00 Get ready for bed, check all door locks
8:15 Spend time together, talk, read
9:00 Sleep

Now, you'll notice that according to the schedule, I will have ten hours of sleep at night, plus possibly a two hour nap during the day. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! I don't think so. In reality, I'll go to bed with my husband, but probably get back up once he's asleep to work on something, or because I can't sleep. Then I'll go to bed at midnight or later, and get woken up before 7am, tell the boys to stop banging and play quietly in bed because they're up too early (we recently moved them in together, and it's NOT working, they're up much earlier now), and try to go back to sleep...but not actually fall asleep til shortly before the alarm or the boys wake me up at 8 am.

Basically, this is the schedule I am AIMING for. Right now it is nowhere near reality. But if I can do even half what I plan to do in this schedule, my family and my house will be in much better shape than they are now! Wish me luck!

Clean Your House Fast

This is a short little article I found on Homemaking Organized. I like finding different "emergency quick-clean" posts and articles, because they each have useful tips, and I plan to compile them and choose the best, to make my own quick-clean list. What can I say? I'm lazy! ;-)

Company is on the way and your house is mess. If you have about 15 minutes follow the steps below to get your house in tip top shape just in time.

1. Trash: Dump all the trash in the trash bag

2. Clutter: If you find something in the wrong room dump it in the basket. You’ll find it’s corrct home later.

3. Bedrooms: Make all beds. I say this because I can’t believe how nosey people are and they always find a way to look into your private bedrooms. I don’t like this but it happens.

4. Bathroom: Go to the guest bathroom and (hopefully you have some emergency wipes on hand) use your wipes. Wipe down the mirror and the chrome with the window cleaner wipes. Wipe the counter tops with the general purpose wipe. Swish and use a wipe to clean the seats of the toilet. Use a wipe to spot check any spots on the floor. Take all used towels and dump in laundry area. Hang a nice clean hand towel and spray some nice scented something. Put out a new piece of soap. Take the old one to your bathroom.

5. Kitchen: Get all the dishes out of the sink.and off counters. Wash them if you have time or put the all in the dish washer. Wipe down counters. Put any food sitting out away.

6. Diningroom / Livingroom: Remove all clutter. Fluff pillows. Stack magazines. Push in chairs and clean off dining table. Wipe it if it needs it.

If you have a few odors open all windows and maybe a back door with a screen. Spray something fresh. Or better yet throw some frozen cookie dough in the oven.

If you have time vacuum the livingroom and diningroom if they have carpet.

Whew! Now go comb your hair and spritz on some perfume! Look relaxed.

Feeling Down

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a long while. I've had a hard month, and just couldn't put into words how I felt.

I don't think I'm going to be able to get the surgery. It's a long story, and I just don't feel like writing about it right now. I have been so depressed over it. I've been trying to just really restrict my calories, but I can't do any diet for more than a day or two, as usual. I try so hard, but then I either get really hungry at the end of the day, or the stress of the day just builds up to where I can't stand it anymore, and I don't care about dieting. I just feel really miserable right now. I hate what I see when I look in the mirror. I don't even care about being skinny, I just want to look normal. You know, not have my stomach sticking way out past my chest, and not having a huge apron of fat hanging off my stomach.

If I were rich, I would forget about dieting. I would get a personal trainer and work my way into a good workout routine, eat healthier, and try to slowly reduce the amount of food I ate. I would have a major tummy tuck and some lipo done on my stomach, hips, and double chin. Then I think I could be satisfied enough with the way I look. It think it would even help me stay motivated so I could lose a few more pounds.

One thing I have decided to do for sure, is NOT GAIN any more weight. I got up to 253, my new all-time, non-pregnant high. Great. I'm down below 250 now, wavering up and down. I have resolved that I will NOT go over 250 again. If I had done that back when I weighed 200, I wouldn't be so miserable now. I didn't like being 200, but at least I could find clothes that fit. So from now on, when I see my weight getting to 249, I will be very careful what I eat until I lose a few pounds. I'll just have to weigh myself religiously.

I'm double-posting this on my other blog, Weigh Out of Control, and I will try to put any posts about my weight on there, rather than here, so the skinny people don't have to listen to me whining! I'll try to post some other topics as soon as I feel up to it. Unfortunately, the way I feel right now, homemaking and my other interests are just not something I can keep my concentration on right now. Hopefully I can get out of this funk soon.

Thank you to those who have posted comments in support of me. I really appreciate it, especially from those who are going through the same thing, and understand how I feel.

Support, Please

I've been getting some feedback, emails, etc. from readers (and a couple of relatives who know), who are concerned about my chosing to have the lap-band surgery. I know some people are concerned that I am taking the "easy" way out (anyone who knows anything about WLS--weight loss surgery--knows it is anything BUT the easy way out) or that I haven't tried hard enough or long enough to lose the weight. That gets kind of annoying, because most of these people either aren't heavy or aren't as heavy as I am. Sometimes you find someone who WAS as heavy as me, and finally managed to lose it. Time will tell if they'll keep it off. Maybe they will. But the facts are that only 3-4% of people who diet will keep it off. The rest will regain the weight eventually, and usually a little more. Studies have shown yo-yo dieting is actually more dangerous than staying fat.

The difficult thing about being so overweight is that once your body gets this heavy, it is very hard to lose more than a small percentage of it, because your body thinks its supposed to be this way, and will hold onto the weight any way it can. Sure it's possible to lose it, but it is SOOOOOOOOOO hard. If you've never been more than 100 pounds overweight, you would not understand. Losing 20 pounds is nothing like losing 100. And of course, there is the emotional issue. Unless someone has a physical problem (thyroid problem, medication side-effect, etc.) then they didn't get fat without some emotional eating going on. So not only is your body addicted to the sugar and other junk you may eat, but worse still, you are emotionally addicted to overeating. You use food as comfort, to stuff down your emotions. We all have something we use to deal with stress--alcohol, drugs, food, sex, exercise. My habit just happens to make me fat.

My major problem in trying to lose weight is discouragement. I try so hard, and see little result. Then a stressful situation arises, and I am miserable, and thinking "why bother, why suffer just to stay fat anyway?" And so I eat. Now, I don't sit in the closet and eat a bag of oreos in the middle of the night. Really, I don't. Everyone assumes you must, to be so fat. Well I didn't get fat overnight! You don't necessarily have to eat massive amounts of food to get fat. I ate normally, maybe sometimes overeating a little...but I drank regular soda constantly for two or more years. Whoops! How did that sixty pounds jump onto my butt?! Soda, my friends. Soda. Of course, drinking all that soda (in my opinion) stretched out my stomach, and I started eating more and more. I've given up the soda, and I try not to keep junk in the house. I try to make it so that if I want junk, at least I have to go drive somewhere to get it, and I don't stock up on it. Unless I get depressed, then I might get enough junk to ration it out over three days.

Now I can honestly say I do overeat. I eat too much at meals--not huge amounts, but too much. My problem now is grazing all day. Being home all day is a killer when you're heavy. I have all the time in the world to stare into the fridge and decide what to eat next, and often I don't realize I'm doing it. I'm also too lazy to cook for myself. I don't like cooking, so I'll cook for my family, but I don't like to go to too much trouble to make my own lunch.

I know everyone has my best interests at heart, but it is very discouraging to hear all about how someone else lost their weight, and I should do it too. Believe me, there isn't anything you can tell me about the risks of weight loss surgery that I haven't already found out about. I have been researching this for two years. I read through dozens of memorials for WLS patients who died, to find out which surgery they had, what they died from, etc. Most of the time people quote me the risks, they are usually referring to the risks of Gastric Bypass or some other WLS, not adjustable gastric banding (Lap-Band). And often it is second, third or fourth-hand information. I would never make any serious decision without thoroughly researching it first.

Also, I have weight-related health problems that make it necessary to lose weight as soon as I can. I'm not going into my personal health history, but one thing I will tell you is that I have two defective heart valves that will need replacing in the next 5-10 years. That means open-heart surgery. My chances of dying during this serious operation will triple if I do not lose the weight and KEEP it off. The risks of dying from the lap-band are extremely small...basically the same as any routine operation (if any operation is routine), such as a c-section or hernia operation, both of which I have had. Most of the serious complications found in studies of U.S. lap-band trials were due to inexperienced surgeons who have done less than 100 bands. I will not be using an inexperienced surgeon. Adjustable gastric banding is the gold standard of WLS in Europe and Australia, where long-term studies of the band have been done, showing much more successful statistics. American surgeons are no longer in the "clinical trial" stage with the band, and are much more experienced, on the whole.

Believe me people, I've tried plenty of diets: South Beach, Sommersize, Weight Watchers, all natural, several diets of my own making, starving, "miracle" herbal supplements, Atkins (twice), you name it. The only one that worked was Atkins, and it was not worth it. The lack of carbohydrates made me so cranky and nasty that it wasn't worth it, and it threw me into a year-long depression. (Some people don't experience this, but many do). And of course, I gained back the weight, as well as a few extra pounds.

I am definitely not doing this to look like a model, or fit into a size 2, or anything like that. I am doing this to be the healthy, happy, productive, best wife and mother that I can, and should, be.

I would prefer if people would not tell me that I'm making the wrong choice, or that I haven't tried hard enough, or that I haven't tried the right diet yet. No one but me knows what I have tried, or how hard I worked at it, or what choice is right for me. I know these people are just trying to help, but in the end, it only makes me feel worse. I understand if someone doesn't agree or can't support my choice to get banded, but in that case I would rather they not say anything, if they can't be supportive. To me, being supportive isn't telling me I'm making a rash or uninformed decision, when I'm not...even if they mean well. Right now, support is the one thing I need, and except for my wonderful husband, I have no other support system.

The most important thing you can do, is keep me in your prayers. Thank you for thinking of me!

WLS Update

Wow, long time no post! I've been spending all my online time researching Weight Loss Surgery, doctors, hospitals, etc. For one insane day I actually was considering gastric bypass, because a doctor at WLS informational seminar was really pushing it, and putting down the band (pretty typical--bypass is what they're comfortable with). But luckily I didn't allow myself to be swayed (well, not for long) by the great before and after pictures and rapid weight loss of the RNY gastric bypass patients.

I researched the possible complications, not only the "death rate" (which is woefully under-reported, as many bypass patients die months, even years later) but also the problems talked about on the yahoo group OSSG-gone_wrong. I searched the archives and found a HUGE "laundry list" of repeated complaints--health problems that were strongly suspected to come from vitamin deficiencies, even when patients took their vitamins. Just a FEW are: vision loss, memory loss, tooth loss, cancer, osteoporosis, depression, suicide...the list goes on and on. And these are YOUNG women we're talking about. So NO, no RNY for me!

I am still wanting to do the band. My only major concern with that surgery is the number of fills I may end up having to get, because each pregnancy I'll have to have the band unfilled, then refilled later, and probably adjusted a few times. Lotsa buckaroonies, people, and not covered by my insurance. Multiply that by all the pregnancies I'll probably have...and we all know how often I get pregnant, don't we? ;-)

The research I've done the last week has just confirmed for me the relative safety of the lap band surgery. I say "relative", because ANY surgery can kill you, just from blood clots and infections alone. General anesthesia and the fact that I'm overweight just add to the risks. But it's no riskier than a c-section. In fact, in my case, it would be less risky. And I believe that if it is my time to die, I will die no matter where I am--at home, on a bus, or in an operating room--assuming I'm not being reckless, that is. I would consider the RNY reckless for me, in my opinion and in my particular circumstance. I just don't feel that I am fat enough or sick enough to take on the risks of that surgery. But lap band is another story. Much fewer risks, and the risks themselves are less severe. And it's adjustable and much easier to have removed in an emergency. I'm not selling the band to anyone, just stating my reasoning.

Weight Loss Surgery

I've fought with my weight for a long time. Very little seems to make a difference. The only diet that worked at all for me was Atkins, and I had to go off it because the lack of carbohydrates made me really cranky and depressed.

My weight has gone back up. I am bouncing between 247 and 250, mostly staying around 249. I can't take it any more. I try so hard, and nothing works. If I saw some real progress, maybe I could stick with it. But I'm just not the kind of person who deprive myself on a constant basis without seeing some real benefit.

I've looked into weight loss surgery for quite a while. I concluded almost immediately that gastric bypass was not something I would consider. Perhaps if I weighed another 100 pounds, or had more serious co-morbidities (weight-related health problems) I would consider it. But the risks are just too high in my opinion. Plus I don't believe in cutting out body parts that God gave you. Yes, technically they're still in you, but you've surgically separated them. Plus there are so many miserable and serious complications you can suffer afterwards.

Then I found the Lap-Band...adjustable gastric banding. It is similar to gastric bypass in that it restricts your food intake, but your stomach is not separated, nor are your intestines bypassed. All they do is put a silicone band around the top of your stomach. It has a tube leading away from it that ends in a "port" that is sewn near the front of your abdomen. The silicone band restricts the amount of food you can eat by forming a pouch at the top of your stomach, which is very small and fills up quickly. But unlike the gastric bypass, the food still goes through the rest of your stomach and intestines. Six weeks or so after surgery, you go to the doctor for a "fill". The doctor locates the port in your abdomen, numbs the area, puts a syringe into the port and puts a little saline solution in, which inflates the band, making it a little tighter around your stomach. That gives you more restriction, and this is what makes it adjustable.


If you find that you're able to eat too much, you get another fill. If you need the band looser, say for pregnancy, you can get unfilled. If you have problems with the band, it is reversible. You can have it surgically removed. There is a much lower risk of death, fewer and less serious complications possible, and you will ultimately lose just as much weight with the Lap-Band as with gastric bypass. The weight usually does come off slower, but that is better anyway, to give your skin a chance to get its elasticity back, so you can have less hanging skin.

Lap-Band is the "gold standard" in most other countries. And if your insurance doesn't cover it and you're paying for it yourself, you can travel to another country and get it done much cheaper, by doctors who are much more experienced. The doctors here are fairly new at it, because it is a newer surgery in this country. So often when you go in for a seminar or doctor's appointment, they try to steer you towards the bypass.

There are risks, but if you choose a surgeon who has done at least 100 bands, the risk is very small. Also, since it is done laparascopically instead of an open incision, the healing time is less.

My insurance does cover it, and I am definitely eligible. I am applying this week for approval. Please pray that I get it, and quickly, and that I can keep up my breastfeeding so that I will not get pregnant. I will have to stop breastfeeding before the surgery (American doctors' rules), so after the surgery I will have my priest's permission to use natural family planning to avoid pregnancy for at least a year to allow time to lose the weight (docs say 18-24 months, but they're so anti-pregnancy anyway).

I have researched this for a year and a half and done a lot of thinking and weighing the risks and the benefits, and I think this is the best choice for me and my family. My family deserves a wife and mother who is healthy and capable of fulfilling her duties, and can't be that person the way that I am right now.

For more information, check out Lap-Band.com and the information about lap-band on Obesity Help. Obesity Help has forums and reviews from many patients for their surgery, the hospital they used, and their surgeon. However, this site is for all weight loss surgeries, so keep this in mind when reading testimonials, reviews, etc. Also search for bandsters and Lap-Band support groups on Yahoo. People who have the band often refer to themselves as "bandsters".

If you are interested in getting the lap-band but would have to pay for it yourself, I would recommend going to Mexico. I know, your first thought is "eeeeeww" but there are surgeons there who specialize in this surgery. The important thing is to pick a good one, and a good hospital. The best I've heard of is Dr. Kuri in Tijuana. I've talked to many people who've gone to him, they all swear by him (though most bandsters LOVE their surgeons, anyway). He's done more than 1200 surgeries, teaches other doctors in Mexico and the U.S. how to do the surgery, and it only costs around $10,000. In Mexico you get excellent attention from the staff, and many people who get their band there go back to Mexico for follow-up plastic surgery to remove excess skin. But again, research is VERY important.

Please keep my intentions in your prayers. Pray that I am approved quickly, that I don't get pregnant til way after the surgery, and that the surgery is safe and successful. Thank you!

Supplements Galore!

I'm trying to be healthier, and as part of that plan I am taking supplements. Or trying to remember to, lol. First, I am taking Fenugreek, to maintain my breastmilk supply. I've had supply issues with all my children, and to combat this, I take the Fenugreek. It works excellent! I use the Nature's Way brand. Usually it works within hours. I tried another brand, Nature's Herbs, and it didn't work at all.

I had a big reduction in my milk this week and had run out a while back, so I called all around within a fifty mile radius, and after calling Nature's Way directly, found a place over 25 miles away that carried it. It was worth the drive. My milk is back and my poor baby is happy again! (Not that it hurt her weight--she was in the 95th percentile for both height and weight at her doctor's appointment yesterday!) Please make note that this supplement can lower your blood sugar, for those who have blood sugar issues, and this should NEVER be taken while pregnant.

I also take a prenatal vitamin, because I'm breastfeeding, and calcium. (Okay, I admit I haven't been taking these for a while, but I've started back up again.) This week I started taking Emergen-C and Noni juice. I've read Noni has many healing and curative properties. However, I warn you: it is NASTY NASTY NASTY tasting. Did I mention it's nasty? It's really really gross. If it weren't supposed to be so good for you (and if I didn't spend $10 at Walmart on it) I wouldn't take it again. Today, I poured 1 ounce of it into four ounces of OJ, held my nose (most of your taste actually comes from your sense of smell) and chugged it. Then, still holding my nose, I rinsed out the glass a few times, and my mouth, then I refilled the glass with a few ounces of straight OJ, drank that, then ate a snack bar to make sure to replace any lingering bad taste. LOL--silly, but it worked!

So here I was popping four fenugreek capsules, a prenatal vitamin, two calcium, four ounces of water mixed with Emergen-C powder, and the OJ and Noni Juice with an OJ and snack bar chaser! All I can say is, I'd better feel healthy and energized today!!!

I've heard a lot of really good things about cod liver oil, but it's at least twenty dollars for a bottle that I'm sure wouldn't last a month. So, for the time being, I'll stick with the "laundry list" of supplements I'm already taking. :-)

Depression, Negative Thinking, and a Merry Heart...

Today I stumbled across some articles on Titus2.com's Dad's and Mom's Corners. I've seen that website before, and have heard many recommendations of it, including for their book, "Managers of Their Homes", or MOTH, its nickname. But I never looked at the site much, mostly because of its somewhat slick, commercial feel. I've often found that the more "commercial" type of websites that are selling stuff usually are a waste of time, so I bypassed Titus2.

However, taking a second look at it, I found the Corners articles, and they are extremely helpful and informative for any Christian familly, but particularly growing, quiverfull families.

Their articles on depression (September 2000)were very interesting. I have struggled with this myself, and it is very difficult. I wish I had read these articles when was dealing with depression last year, it would have helped a lot (the depression has lifted quite a bit since the birth of my baby). They also have articles on negative thinking, a merry heart, a mother's hard work, and much more. I think these subjects are very important for those of us with growing families, because there are many moms who become overwhelmed and slip into depression.

I believe depression is partly physical/hormonal, but I think it is often exacerbated by allowing yourself to think negatively, feel sorry for yourself, not sticking to a household routine or schedule, and letting the house get cluttered and dirty. I know coming down each morning to a chaotic mess definitely affects my moood. The days when I have breakfast planned, the morning dishes set out and ready, the children's clothes and diapers set out, my own clothes picked out, and dinner planned, it makes a huge difference in my mood and ability to cope with stress.

I found the June 2002 Dad's Corner very good also, on not having a critical spirit. They recommend that women not read the dad's corners first, and some shouldn't be read by women at all (usually denoted by "For Men Only" after the title. But I found that particular dad's corner to be useful to women also. The September 2000 Dad's corner about helping your wife during her depression was excellent, also. I think if you have this problem, it would be good to find an inoffensive way to get your husband to read it. It will help him understand and deal with it, which will help you also.

I think many of these articles are useful for homemaking moms. And whether you've dealt with depression or not, we could all use help with some of the topics that Steve and Teri Maxwell write about in these articles, so I would highly recommend them!

We Have Chickens!

Yesterday we picked up our chickens. The owner had several to choose from, and we chose one Buff Orpington and one Black Astralorp. Both are supposed to be good cold weather birds. I've wanted a Buff for a long time. Eventually when we move, I'm hoping she'll be a broody hen, and set eggs and raise chicks for us

They've settled in well. I put them in the chicken tractor and they immediately set to nabbing bugs and tearing off little pieces of weeds to eat (our lawn has almost as much dandelions as grass). It's been dry here, and we've begun to water the grass. Chickens are great for grass, so I'm hoping they really help.

While I made some adjustments to the tractor, the chickens were making very loud "bok, bok, bok" sounds. I was worried if they kept that up, they would be "stealth chickens" no more! But once I put them in the tractor, they quieted right down. The cat next door discovered them very quickly, and began stalking the chickens. I have no fear of the cat though. She's small, and these chickens are pretty big. I think she just likes to think she can "take" them. I'm pretty certain if I let them out, the cat would head for the hills!

The dogs were in awe of the chickens. They just stared at them as if to say "hey...what the heck are those, and what are they doing here?" The kids were thrilled. The lady who owned the chickens let us check out her chickens and goats, and they got to pet the cat.

My oldest son wanted to name the chickens Jason and Jackson. I have no idea where he got those names from! I told him the chickens are girls and needed girl names, so he came up with Jill, and I helped him come up with Ginger. The Buff is Jill. I was thinking of calling them Buffy and Blackie, just to get the naming over with, lol! It took a while!

The "girls" seemed to settle in well. I gave them a pan of water and some leftovers for dinner...lettuce, green peppers, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes. It was late in the day so I didn't feed them much, they were already looking to go to roost. Which reminds me...tomorrow I need to add another roost in there. The one in the chicken tractor wasn't big enough for these two big birds, so I suspect the Buff will be spending the night in the nesting box...she appears NOT to be the dominant bird, since the Astralorp, Ginger, was perched on the roost, and didn't look like she planned to give up her "throne" any time soon!

This morning I found quite a mess in the tractor. They'd spread the newspaper strips I had put in the nesting box all over the place, and dumped out their water. I know this is typical chicken behavior, but I do believe it is more of a problem because there isn't much room. The footprint of the cage is about 3 x 3, but the actually useable space is 2 x 2. I made the mistake of dumping this morning's scraps in the middle of the cage. Ginger promptly placed herself over the pile and feasted on it, while Jill made raspy bok-bok noises and circled around her. Finally I took some of the scraps and placed them in the now-empty nesting box, so Jill could sneak up there and eat some too. I definitely want to get a cage with more room, because otherwise it's going to be too easy for Ginger to hog all the food.

Otherwise, so far so good!

Chickens in My Backyard...soon!

My husband said I could get a few chickens! Yay! We've had a few chickens before, and had to get rid of them when we had moved. We're in the city now, so we'll only have two or three. I'd like as many as five, but that's probably asking for trouble. Technically, we're not supposed to have them. At least that's what the city planner said, but I can't find anywhere in the codes that specifically prohibits them. I know there are a few "stealth" chicken owners around here, and my neighbors are nice (only two houses have any view of our yard), so I don't expect a problem.

I was able to ask around and found someone giving away some chickens, and another person giving away a chicken tractor. For those who don't know, a chicken tractor is a moveable cage/pen used to house a few chickens, that is rotated all over the yard to give the birds access to fresh grass and bugs, and eliminate the need to clean out a pen. Plus it's great for the grass. Some chicken owners make huge chicken tractors that you need a lawn tractor to move, and house a dozen or more chickens. Then some people, like me, have a tiny one that houses only two, and is easily moved by one person.

The chicken tractor I got wasn't that well-made, and is all of older recycled materials. Which is what you expect for a free chicken tractor! I'll need to refasten some nails, and remove a couple of screws that actually protrude into the nesting box (yikes). It's just a temporary solution til we can build a bigger, nicer one.

Chickens only need two square feet of space. I like to give them more, but that's what the experts say. And a chicken tractor isn't quite the same as a cage or even a coop. They're constantly exposed to new grass and bugs. They don't get to run much, but they'll be happy. The chickens I had in a coop never ran, either. And the time I had them free ranging, they pretty much only ran when being chased by the rooster. The tractor I have only has enough room for two chickens, unless I get bantams (mini chickens).

We're trying to come up with a lightweight design for the next tractor that will allow us three to five chickens, with a little room to run back and forth if desired. The trouble is making enough room for a nesting box with perches that is insulated well for the cold weather we get (I'm wanting to get Buff Orpingtons,like the birds pictured above, as they're great cold weather birds). I'd let them roam the yard, but we don't have fencing yet, and the small children's park behind our house is dogwalking central...and a lot of irresponsible, selfish owners don't put their dogs on leashes. (Don't get me started on that one...they think their precious pooch would NEVER bite another animal or a child...til it happens then they whine and say it wasn't THEIR fault. Cry me a river, I'm still suing their butt if their dog comes in MY yard and bites my kid!) Anyway, back to the chickens

I spent a long time uploading pictures that didn't turn out, so for pictures of coops and tractors grand and small, visit the Chicken Tractor Gallery and BackyardChickens.com

Declaration of Independence

Click on the Declaration of Independence to go to a site and read it up close.

I think today's liberals would love to turn it into the Declaration of New Dependence. Rather than be independent, liberals want us to turn our dependence inward, towards our own government. The laws and taxes and governmental controls, which our forefathers fought so hard to free us from, pale in comparison to the complex web of rigorous laws and back-breaking burden of taxes that we labor and suffer under today. You can't sneeze without permission from "Uncle Sam", and if you get permission, you will be heavily taxed for the "privilege." Colonial Americans never knew they had it so good! *sigh*

Pledge of Allegience

I Pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.



According to popular legend, the first American Flag was made by Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia seamstress who was acquainted with George Washington, leader of the Continental Army, and other influential Philadelphians. In May 1776, so the story goes, General Washington and two representatives from the Continental Congress visited Ross at her upholstery shop and showed her a rough design of the American Flag. Although Washington initially favored using a star with six points, Ross advocated for a five-pointed star, which could be cut with just one quick snip of the scissors, and the gentlemen were won over. Unfortunately, historians have never been able to verify this charming version of events, although it is known that Ross made flags for the navy of Pennsylvania. The story of Washington's visit to the flag maker became popular about the time of the country's first centennial, after William Canby, a grandson of Ross, told about her role in shaping U.S. history in a speech given at the Philadelphia Historical Society in March 1870.

What is known is that the first unofficial national flag, called the Grand Union Flag or the Continental Colours, was raised at the behest of General Washington near his headquarters outside Boston, Mass., on Jan. 1, 1776. The American Flag had 13 alternating red and white horizontal stripes and the British Union Flag (a predecessor of the Union Jack) in the canton. Another early flag had a rattlesnake and the motto “Don't Tread on Me.”

The first official American Flag, also known as the Stars and Stripes, was approved by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1777. The blue canton contained 13 stars, representing the original 13 colonies, but the layout varied. Although nobody knows for sure who designed the flag, it may have been Continental Congress member Francis Hopkinson.

After Vermont and Kentucky were admitted to the Union in 1791 and 1792, respectively, two more stars and two more stripes were added in 1795. This 15-star, 15-stripe American Flag was the “star-spangled banner” that inspired lawyer Francis Scott Key to write the poem that later became the U.S. national anthem.

In 1818, after five more states had gained admittance, Congress passed legislation fixing the number of stripes at 13 and requiring that the number of stars equal the number of states. The last new star, bringing the total to 50, was added on July 4, 1960, after Hawaii became a state.

[Taken from www.americanflag.com]

Star Spangled Banner

(composed by Francis Scott Key, "In Defense of Fort McHenry", September 20, 1814. Congress proclaimed it the U.S. National Anthem in 1931 -- history follows.)

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!



History: In 1814, about a week after the city of Washington had been badly burned, British troops moved up to the primary port at Baltimore Harbor in Maryland. Frances Scott Key visited the British fleet in the Harbor on September 13th to secure the release of Dr. William Beanes who had been captured during the Washington raid. The two were detained on the ship so as not to warn the Americans while the Royal Navy attempted to bombard Fort McHenry. At dawn on the 14th, Key noted that the huge American flag, which now hangs in the Smithsonian's American History Museum, was still waving and had not been removed in defeat. The sight inspired him to write a poem entitled Defense of Fort McHenry; later the poem was set to music that had been previously composed by a Mr. Smith. The song was immediately noted as an inspiring song that should be the national anthem of the United States of America. It was accepted as such by public demand for the next century or so, but became even more accepted as the national anthem during the World Series of Baseball in 1917 when it was sung in honor of the brave armed forces fighting in the Great War. The World Series performance moved everyone in attendance, and after that it was repeated for every game. Finally, on March 3, 1931, the American Congress proclaimed it as the national anthem, 116 years after it was first written.

[Excerpt taken from www.niehs.nih.gov website.]

Frugal Tip: Ban the Bottles...of cola

...and the cans! If you drink soda (pop, soda pop, whatever you call it in your neck of the woods) you not only might be wasting money, but also wasting your health. I should know!

About ten years ago I started drinking a lot of soda. I gained weight steadily, a little at a time. Then about eight years ago, I started drinking a TON of soda, and gained a TON of weight...well, not literally a ton, but about sixty pounds or so. Yikes! And it was only over the space of about two years! I was drinking regular soda, because I didn't know about Splenda (although that is probably almost as bad as the aspartame) and I was dead set against aspartame, knowing how bad it was. Of course, I was apparently too stupid to do the math...a two liter of Coke a day equals about a pound a week in weight gain!

In recent years, I almost never drink regular soda. I do drink diet, but I usually only drink Diet Rite (no caffeine, no sodium, no aspartame, no calories). I know it's not good for you, but it's better than the regular soda. I've tried to keep a rule in the house, that there is no soda allowed in the house, because if it's there, I will drink it. My husband agrees to this rule of course, though he's not thrilled with it. But if I didn't keep him in check, he could drink a case of soda a day all by himself! That would be $84 a month, at least! Not to mention, I can drink plenty myself. Lately I've given in on this, and we've gotten back in the soda habit, which we now both want to break.

But the other bad thing about soda is that I believe it expands your stomach and makes you eat more. I know there are two camps on opposite sides of this issue. Some nutritionists and doctors say that isn't possible, but some say it is. I believe from my own experience it is. I know when I am in the "soda habit", I eat more every day--whether I drink a soda with the meal or not. I believe the air bubbles in the soda expand your stomach, making you want to eat more, and taking more food to fill you up. I know that when I am out of the habit of drinking soda on a regular basis, I don't eat as much. My husband says the same thing.

So, if my unprofessional opinion is correct, then by giving up soda, you will not only save the money you spend on them, but also save money on extra food, and save your health from being destroyed!

What to drink instead? Milk and juice in moderation, and water, water, water! Now you may think water is boring, and it is if you're used to bubbly overly sweet "beverages". Give it time, and get creative. Drink your water ice-cold. Add a little lemon. Add a little bit of various kinds of flavoring to it. Each night I take a bottle of semi-frozen water to bed in one of those "coolies"...a gel-filled can cooler that you put in the freezer, which keeps drinks cold. If it's cold enough, and not too warm in the room, it will stay cold all night. This is really good if you're pregnant or nursing. You need the water!

Happy non-cola drinking!

Clean Heart, Clean Home Challenge

The Clean Heart, Clean Home Challenge is a cleaning challenge sponsored by Amy over at the Dandelion Seeds blog. This challenge is different, however, because it focuses not only on cleaning your home, but preparing spiritually so that the change is not only in your home, but in your heart as well. I think this is a great idea, because I know that my house is in chaos because I lack order in my spiritual life, and have not put my heart into my homemaking in the way that I should. I think if we remembered to look to God for help in our homemaking struggles, we wouldn't struggle nearly so much. I'm really looking forward to it.

I missed the last one, but I'm jumping in right on time with this one. And not a moment to lose, either, because I'm drowning in neglected housework. Between being very pregnant, then recovering from a c-section, then recovering from a hernia operation, my house is in a shambles. It seems like I take one step forward, then fall two steps back.

Join the CHCH Challenge and get your home in order in 52 days!


(By the way, did you notice I finally figured out how to put links in my posts...ROFL, how dumb, there's actually a little BUTTON for it...with a picture of a "link"!!)

Are Newer Cars Frugal?

Some of you may be wondering why we chose to buy a newer vehicle when we are supposed to be trying to be more frugal with our money. Well, it was a decision we thought about for quite a while.

The major problem was the old van. It was ten years old when we bought it last year for about $2600, and seemed fine for a while. But then things suddenly started going on it, one by one. We were spending so much on it, we might as well have had a car payment! Now, we could have tried scraping enough together for another old vehicle, but it just didn't make sense. My husband doesn't know how to make major repairs, and we only have one family vehicle, so having another car that would potentially need repeated repairs wasn't feasible. Plus, my husband drives 90 miles round trip to work each day. He really needed the security and peace of mind that his only vehicle wouldn't break down on him. We have no family or friends in the area, so who would pick him up?

Also, the cars he has owned that he purchased fairly new were all reliable and ran well for a long time. Our truck had almost 300,000 miles on it when we got rid of it, and was still going strong. The cars we bought that already had high miles tended to have problems. It just seems that we get more usage out of cars when we've had control over the car for most of its life. We're not super-careful with our maintenance or anything, I guess a lot of people just abuse their cars.

We just figured it was worth the investment. Plus a newer car gets better gas mileage than old worn out cars. And the previous owner took the hit on the depreciation, leaving us with an almost-new car for a very good price. I'm guessing about ten thousand less than new.

We did a lot of research and carefully chose a model that would fit our needs and wants. It wasn't completely loaded (for the Town & Country--compares to other vans it was) but it had what we really wanted. We also checked the CarFax report to make sure it hadn't been flooded, totalled, etc. It had been owned by a rental company, but leased by an individual customer the entire time. Probably an executive car.

We felt the car would fit in our budget because we could count on no repairs for a good while (still under manufacturer's warranty) and we had recently given up other expenses that added up to about the amount of the car payment. We did have to pay more for insurance, but I never liked having only liability coverage anyway.

Now, buying a newer car might not make sense for other families, particularly if the husband is really good at fixing cars, but for us it was a good choice.

Got a New Van! wooo hooo!

We got a new car! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! (See shoutbox in side bar for super-happy smilies.)

Okay, it's new to us, anyway. I'd never pay for a new car, especially a mini-van. They depreciate at least $10,000 the first year, worse if it's a Windstar. We got a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country. It is sooooo nice! We got a good price on it. It comes with CD and cassette (I wanted both, and that's not always easy to find), Sirius radio, a DVD player with wireless headphones, TWO sliding doors (yes!) and a lot of other great features. It has 29,000 miles on it, a lot for a one year old car, but over 6,000 miles left on the warranty. It runs so smooth and quiet.

I don't think I ever posted about my old van. Ugh! It seemed nice at first, it was a 1995 Oldsmobile Silhouette. After we got it, I realized it wasn't as roomy as we thought. I couldn't even comfortably cross my legs in the passenger seat. And the seatbelt would tighten up on me, and I'd have to undo and redo it to get comfortable--not very safe. There was NO legroom. And the floor was littered with diaper bags, purse, etc. so you couldn't walk to the back. Plus, worst of all, after we got it, it seemed like every month there was a bigger and bigger problem cropping up. Rotors, ignition coil, burned out tail lights, fuse problem, etc. etc. It felt like it was going to fall apart any second. The new car was an answer to our prayers...literally. My four year old son prayed with me every night that we could get a new car.

There was another T&C we wanted in a beautiful blue color, with EVERYthing I wanted, including power sliding doors, power rear lift gate, back up alarm, and a remote starter, which would be nice in the winter times, to warm up the car without it getting stolen. But they wouldn't come down on the price, and it was two thousand more, plus 4000 more miles. *sigh* But the car we got is really good. All I really wanted was a roomy comfortable van with two sliding doors, CD and cassette, and a DVD player. The DVD was crucial to me. Try going on a cross-country trip with a four year old, a three year old, a two year old, and a newborn. We've gone cross-country waaaay too many times! Anyway, the DVD player was for my sanity. I'm not very patient when the kids get loud all at once in the car. But the best thing is, the wireless headphones. They can listen to their movie (and not yank on any wires) and we can listen to the radio up front.

Oh, and another great feature is the dual zone climate control. The driver and the passenger can each choose the temperature level on their own side. Great if one person tends to like it cooler than the other. Plus there's a rear climate control for the kids, for when they get older. This car is also really roomy. Being overweight, when I cross my legs, I'm really putting one ankle on top of my other knee, so you need a lot of room width-wise. This one has it! And the seat belt doesn't lock up and strangle me, praise God! I can't tell you how much that bothered me. I was seriously praying after we bought it that it wouldn't lock up, because I forgot to check. It didn't, and the seat belt is a nice soft kind, not stiff.

But the best feature is the Stow-n-Go seating. All the rear seats fold down into the floor, which is great because I'm always hauling something home from a yard sale or something. I can just pull out the safety seats, stow the van seats, and stack the safety seats in a corner. But better than that, when the van seats are all up in place, you can use the compartments under the floor as storage. Major storage! Now we keep a large diaper bag full of diapers, extra clothing, etc. under the floor, and a small bandolier style diaper bag under a seat for trips into church or the store. Plus I keep phone books, road atlases, extra toys, etc. under there. Sooooo nice. And the van is big enough to easily crawl to the back to buckle the kids in, which is great when you're a larger size. Or pregnant. Or both! (No, I'm not pregnant yet, lol.)

Can you tell I'm happy? Wheeeeeeeeeee! I'll update this post with a pic of the van. Too dark now to take one. If you're looking for a new van, I'd recommend it. We're so happy with it. :-D The only downside is that I am seriously doubting we'll be able to add a third car seat in the back row. It doesn't look like there's much space between the two that are there. We'll probably have to invest in the slimmest booster seats on the market. I guess we'll see.

Belated Father's Day

This should have been posted last weekend, but I thought it was important not to forget all together. How was your Father's Day...more specific, how was your husband's?

Sometimes we forget to take the time to show our husbands how much we appreciate them. I know I do. My husband is a wonderful father who loves to spend time with his children. He would like to develop friendships with men outside the family, but he hates the idea of spending his precious free time with anyone else but his family. He loves teaching things to them, and reading to them, and playing on the floor with them. I knew before we married he'd be a good father, but I had no idea he would be this good. It means so much to me that he loves and takes care of his children so well. He's so willing to help out, change diapers, look after them so I can take a nap. He's completely "tuned in" to their lives.

The children all looooooove Daddy. He's the man. It's so funny that even though my children are kept close to me all day, and were all breastfed, they are still so attached to him. But I guess it's not so surprising, since he's so much fun for them, and he's so patient with him.

This Father's Day I had a lot planned, but unfortunately relatives came to town, so the plans were pared down a lot. But I made him a card on the computer (I didn't like any store ones, and this one was much more personal) which included pictures of the children and little scribbles by each of them. I also bought a carrot cake, his favorite. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to do more. Next year I plan to do a lot more. I can't tell you what, though. He doesn't read my blog, but you never know if he might decide to someday. ;-)

If things got crazy last weekend and you didn't get a chance to tell him, let your husband know every single thing that you love and appreciate about him as a father.

Frugal Tip: Dispose of the Disposables part 2

Have you priced diaper wipes lately? Wow. Now I admit I pay for the good ones. If you're going to buy something to wipe up poop, pay for something you think works, lol! I tried the cheaper ones, they didn't seem to wipe easily, weren't wet enough, etc. I use Huggies Naturals Pop-Up. I think it's $6.84 or something like that, at Walmart.

That was fine before, but now with a fourth child in diapers (well, number one is mostly trained, but he's been using up pull-ups lately) it's crazy. Plus I was using them to wipe the table and dirty hands, too. I stopped that by buying microfiber towels that I cut into quarters (see previous post). But what about their intended purpose? I make homemade wipes.

Gasp! No! Eeeeeww! I can hear it now. But really, it's not that bad, especially if you're using cloth diapers. I thought it would be nasty, but it's no worse than the cloth diapers. They work really well. I use cut-up flannel baby blankets--you know, the ones everybody gives you, but are too small to use with any baby but a preemie? You have to hem the flannel, though. You could use the microfiber cloths, poop would probably rinse even easier off those, but I'd cut them into smaller squares and be sure they're not too wet when you use them--they hold a lot of water.

The easiest way to use them is to get one of those sprayers you can attach to the water line at the back of the toilet. It hangs on the side of the toilet. You just turn it on and spray over the toilet. It's pretty handy for toilet cleaning too. They sell them on a lot of cloth diaper sites. Don't pay more than $35 for it (it's worth it, trust me, and easy to install).

You can use your wipes three ways: wet each one as needed at the sink (sounds like a hassle to me), you can make up some diaper wipe solution and pour it over a stack of wipes in an empty wipes box, or you can keep a stack of dry ones on the diaper changing table, along with a sprayer of wipes solution, and spray each wipe as needed. I prefer method two, although you have to keep in mind that the water in the wipes tub will get mildewy if you don't take steps to prevent it. There are tons of wipes solution recipes on the web. I like the ones with a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil. Use distilled water, or it will mildew quicker. Only make up enough wipes that you can use in two days. Smell the wipes every day. If they smell mildewy, throw them in the wash, clean the container, and start over.

The amount of laundry the wipes add is negligible. If you use one pack of brand name wipes a month, this should save you about $7. But it all adds up.
I'll post more about diapers in the future.

The Duggars are Back!

For those of you who love to watch the documentary programs aired on Discovery Health (and other Discovery-owned stations)about the Duggar family, I have great news...they're back!

The most recent installment of Duggar shows just aired on June 11th, called On the Road With 16 Children. It is airing again today at 4 p.m. Go to www.discovery.com to the Discovery Health section of the site for times. And if you miss it, don't worry, just keep an eye out and they'll replay it, like with the other shows.

For those of you who are thinking "Who the heck are the Duggars?", click on the Duggar Family link in my side bar, or read on. There have been three previous shows about the Duggars:

14 Children and Pregnant Again!
Raising 16 Children
16 Children and Moving In

They are a family with sixteen children. The dad, Jim-Bob (yes, they're southern) was in politics for a while and makes a living in real estate. The mom, Michelle, homeschools all of her children. They seem to be a wonderful family, and an example to all of us who are quiverfull-minded...meaning we accept all the blessings (children) God chooses to give us. She is very organized, and I have picked up many tips from these shows, such as the pantry, the family closet, dressing in all one bright color when on road trips so as to easily spot a "lost lamb" (though our kids are too little to be able to wander off on their own much yet), how to live debt-free and more. I wish they'd spend more time on talking about how she runs her house.

But the miracle is that while they do refer often to how unusual Michelle and Jim-Bob's family is, they don't make fun of them or treat them like freaks, and that is amazing considering that this is mainstream media we're talking about. These shows are very enlightening, showing that it IS possible to provide for a family of 18 without being on welfare or winning the lottery. They are not a wealthy family, and though they appear to have a comfortable living now, it comes from hard work and sacrifice, and putting what is important first.

I would recommend this show to anyone, but especially to Christian families. It is nice to finally see a show that portrays a close-knit, loving, hard-working, modestly-dressed family that we can hold up as an example for us all.

So remember this: Discovery Health Channel, On the Road With 16 Children, watch it!

Also, if this picture I got from the website is recent, Jim-Bob is running for senate. If you are in his district in Arkansa...VOTE people, VOTE!!

Frugal Tip: Dispose of the Disposables part 1

One way I am chipping away at the waste in our budget is trying to ban paper towels. No, not altogether...I think it's worth the money to clean up something particularly greasy or nasty. But for normal spills and messes, paper towels are a waste. I have tried to scrounge up some rags from our towels, but unfortunately we have so few that our "holey" towels are actually still in use, lol!

We're going through way too many of those paper towels. Now I admit to sometimes using them as plate substitutes for PB & J sandwiches, but when my husband uses three of them in one night to dry his hands after doing the dishes, when there is a perfectly clean, dry hand towel...something's got to give!

Then I heard rumors on other blogs about these microfiber towels available at Sam's Club. Found in the automotive section, they are sky blue in color, and come in packs of 25 for about $11.25. They are almost as big as normal kitchen towels, but square. Kind of an odd shape, and a little unwieldy for anything other than drying dishes. So I cut them into quarters. Brilliant!! They don't even need to be hemmed, just cut and use. They are just the right size for wiping faces (I admit to using baby wipes for this normally, yikes), wiping tables, counters, floors, chairs, etc. They catch crumbs great, and hold a TON of water. I originally heard about these on blogs and websites about cloth diapers, because uncut and folded into thirds, they're supposed to make great diaper doublers or inserts for cloth pocket diapers--and they do.

If you cut all the towels up, that makes 100 cloths, plenty for my family. A really large family may want two packs. If you think of the savings, it could really add up. It's almost $17 for a large pack of paper towels at Sam's. If you use Bounty. I don't know how long that lasts us. I think a month, maybe more. So the microfiber cloths more than pay for themselves in a month. And the cloths are so small that if you're using just a few a day, it won't add to your laundry at all. If your family would normally use one large pack of paper towels a month, this will save you around $193 a year, and a lot more if you use more paper towels than that,or if you buy them a roll or two at a time.

There are many other uses too, such as "cloth diapers" for dolls. ;-)

So I've asked my husband nicely if he might think of using the hand towels to dry his hands, and the cloths to wipe up spills, etc., so we can try to conserve money. Hopefully he'll remember. :-) If not, at least I'll save money using them myself!

Yard Sale Fever

I think I am coming down with something. The symptoms are: racing pulse, breathing fast, breaking out into a cold sweat. What is the cause? Well, the symptoms occur only when I am driving down the street and see it...the YARD SALE sign!!

Oh, how I love to turn the car around and follow those beloved neon paper signs to that "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow...a driveway full of someone else's junk! There is no thrill quite like discovering a treasure--either something you can't get anymore, or something you've been wanting, for a great price.

My chest swells with pride as I climb back into my car with a pretty picture, a cute toy, or a really neat book, for less than a dollar. I can't wait to show my husband my new dress, or the kids their new toys, or put that new knick-knack on a shelf. Even better yet, when I look into the FREE box, and find something that I can't believe they are giving away! Yeee haaaww!

Garage sales (yard sales, moving sales, tag sales, whatever) can be a great way to get things you need for a great price. Some stuff is like new, and some (with a little creativity) can be good as new...and even more interesting. Once I paid twenty dollars for two van loads of furniture plus a bunch of smaller miscellaneous items. It saved my family a lot of money, because we really needed some dressers and dining chairs (I later found a table and three more chairs for free).

However, these sales can also become addictive, to the point where instead of saving money, you are wasting it. It is easy to buy things you don't need. Sometimes you can even develop a habit of buying without thinking, and end up with a bunch of things you never use cluttering up your house.

It can also cause strain between you and your husband. He may resent seeing you drag other people's junk in the house week after week, knowing that most of it wasn't needed, and your budget is very tight. This isn't fair to him.

I realized this myself recently. Although my husband has been wonderful about it, I can tell it has been bothering him when I go yard saling. I have cut way back, and resisted most temptations, but I can't hide it anymore. Yes, my friends...

My name is Mommaroo2, and I am a sale-aholic.

I can't pass up a yard sale. If I have only two dollars to my name, I will still stop. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I have even been known to make arrangements with kind souls to have them hold an item for me until later in the week, when we get paid. Thec worst thing is, I will tell my husband I'm only going to look for a particular item we need, and that is my intention...then I'll come home with a big bag of other stuff.

I told myself that I had it under control. I can stop anytime I want. Yesterday, I went out to find those clothes for my son, because he really needed it. I was strong at first. I passed up the box of flexi blocks for three dollars, the marble run game for two dollars, and even the Brita water filtering pitcher for a dollar that we really (kind of) needed. I was so proud!

But then I saw it...the cutest framed picture you ever saw. It was very similar to a Thomas Kincade. I loved it. I wanted it. I HAD to have it! It was five dollars. I'll offer them three, I thought. No, $2.50. They'll never take it. But...they did. Well, it's a great deal, and it's sooooo pretty. Okay, that's the only extra thing I'll buy. At the next sale, there were three heavy hardcover fairy tale books for children. 25 cents each!!!!! How could I pass them up...after all, that's just 75 cents. After that, it was all a blur. Fifteen yard sales and twenty dollars later, I made my way home, mortified. I couldn't resist the temptations!

I had told myself we could afford for me to spend a few dollars, but at home I realized I had spent money my family truly needed this week. Here I am trying to find was to save my family money, and I was throwing it out the window!

Yes friends, the time has come to admit my addiction. Unfortunately, there are no "sale-aholics anonymous" groups, therefore I will have to overcome this addiction on my own. It will be difficult, yet it must be done for the good of my family. So from this day on, I'm going cold-turkey. No more yard sales. None, nada, zip, zilch. Until I can control my impulses, the Queen of Yard Sales must abdicate her throne. It won't be easy. I know that the Fever will strike, and I will have to force myself to drive past the lovely neon signs, quell the shakes, and fight the uncontrollable urge to screech to a halt and race up the seller's driveway, purse in hand...but...*sigh*...it's the only way.

Wise Wife's Guide to Stretching Her Husband's Dollar

Over at Getting Back to Basics, there is an ongoing series called the Wise Wife's Guide to Stretching Her Husband's Dollar. It's a fabulous title for a fabulous bunch of posts about conserving your family's resources. I highly recommend it. This is one of my favorite blogs to read.

I have been trying to cut back on expenses, by cooking only healthy foods from scratch, trying to eliminate "disposable" products in my house (diapers, paper towels, baby wipes), making my own cleaning products, and hanging some of my laundry to dry. I can always use more advice on the subject. I know I have a long way to go before I can consider myself to be a good steward of my husband's money.

Bread Baking

In my quest to lower my family's expenses and raise our level of health, I am trying to bake my own bread. I've only done it a few times, but I'm getting the hang of it, and it tastes soooooo good fresh out of the oven, with butter.

Tonight I used my bread machine that I got at a yard sale for the first time. It's baking now, so we'll find out. Unfortunately I started it so late, that I'll have to get up at 4:30 am to take it out, in order to have a crisp crust rather than a soggy one. I hope it turns out well.

I probably won't use the machine often. I like the idea of making it by hand, plus with a bread maker you can only do one loaf at a time. I'd like to make 5-6 at a time, and freeze the extra. Tomorrow my husband is baking a bunch of stuff so I'll have a freezer full of baked goods for snacks and easy meals once he goes back to work. We're planning on making some sweet breads, muffins, bread, and breadsticks. And knowing him, a cake! Well, HE'S making it. I'll be resting in my chair...at least that's the plan...I haven't truly rested much this week! I'm hoping to get up the strength to fold some laundry tomorrow. I'll let him put it away though. Oops, I've gotten way off-topic! ;-)

Back to the bread...can anyone tell me what freezing does to it? Is it still pretty good when you thaw it? I know store bread seems the same, and although I'm sure homemade bread won't be as good as fresh-from-the-oven, I'm wondering if it's still as good as next-day bread. What do you knead your bread on? My mom has a big pastry board she uses for pie crusts. I wish I had one to try for breads. When I use my countertop, it seems to stick a lot, and I end up putting in too much flour to keep it from sticking.

I think bread making is an art, but my last loaf was pretty good, so it's not too hard. Once I find a recipe I prefer to others, I'll have to run an analysis on how much it costs to produce. I'll be using organic ingredients, which raise the price, but I still think it's cheaper. And a heck of a lot cheaper than buying organic bread--it costs almost four dollars for a tiny loaf!!!

Parenting Tip of the Day

I read something recently that made me think. How often does my child see me smile throughout the day? Or frown?

Wow. At first, we're tempted to think "of course I smile more than I frown." But do we? If we are having a bad day, how often will we frown, mumble, complain? How often will we get frustrated with our children...even when they've done nothing wrong? How many complaints, or gossipy conversations, or sarcastic remarks do our children overhear? These things are never so evident than when we have a four year old who listens and understands much more than we realize, and who then repeats every word and tone of voice he or she hears!

So today, let's be aware of what we say and how we say it, and the expressions on our faces, and make sure that our children see and hear far more positive things than negative.

Contest Winner!

I have selected the winner of the "Cruddy Job Challenge". I thought it would be a big decision, but as it turned out...SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO ENTERED! Mrs. Wilt of The Sparrow's Nest, you are now the proud owner of a lovely 1951 Simplicity Apron Pattern! :-D


Thank you for entering, Mrs.Wilt! I liked your post on reclaiming your closet. That was a great idea on storing your hats. I plan to buy more hats, so I think your idea will come in handy for me. For anyone who would like to read her prize-winning post, go to http://the-sparrows-nest.blogspot.com/2006/05/reclaiming-my-closet.html and don't forget to check out the rest of her blog. It's my favorite, so many inspiring ideas, and fun to read! Plus she has a shoutbox and chatroom.


Mrs. Wilt, I'll contact you to make arrangements to send you the pattern, hopefully before the weekend. Please be sure to let us all see the results when you make your first apron! I'm sure it will be beautiful! I wanted to use the pattern myself, but I knew I'd never get around to it, so I'm glad to see it find a good home. :-)

I'm still working on my kitchen, but veeeerrrryyy slowly right now, while I recover. Yesterday bought a few storage containers to organize the clumps of hair accessories I have in a basket for my daughter. So instead of an unsightly basket on the kitchen counter, I have an organizer with a handle kept inside the diaper changing cabinet. The container was chosen from the hardware department, and I wanted one that had a snap-shut lid and handle, so I could send my daughter to fetch it for me whenever I was getting her ready in the morning.

Home from the Hospital

Thank you all for your prayers. The surgery went well. There was only one hernia to repair. I was pretty sick feeling and in a lot of pain the first day, but then they worked out the medication and I continued to get better after that. I was in the hospital four days. I pumped the whole time for my daughter, and she latched on right away when I came home. I was relieved, because I worried she wouldn't want to nurse after having bottles.

I'm still extremely sore, but the doctor gave me plenty of pain medication (unlike my last o.b., who didn't seem to care that I was in pain the whole time, grrr). My wonderful husband will be home for a week to do everything for me. He even tidied up and organized some stuff for me while I was gone. :-)

I was very nervous before going in for the operation, because I was getting general anesthesia, and I was in the hospital alone (my husband had to drop me off and stay home with our four children). But it ended up being no big deal, and I was glad they put me under, since it meant not having to experience any discomfort or fear during surgery.

Well, I'm pretty sore right now, I'll post more tomorrow when I feel better. God bless.