Works for Me Wednesday: Edible Arrangements

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I’m allergic to fresh flowers. If there is a fresh flower arrangement in the middle of the table, by the end of the meal, I’ve got a runny nose and my eyes hurt. It’s annoying. Truly.

When the Princess was born, people who didn’t know that about me sent me flowers…at the hospital…in that tiny room. Ya, that’s not so good. Whomever happened to be visiting at the time of the flowers arrival got to go home with a nice bouquet. The flowers couldn’t stay!

When my friend Katie passed away a few weeks ago, I got flowers from the #sisterchicks. However, they know me…well apparently. They sent me an Edible Arrangement. Have you seen these?


They are beautiful! And, you can eat them! All the fruit was fresh. The chocolate was high quality. There truly is NOTHING better than a chocolate covered strawberry. NOTHING. We at the House of Hills loved our arrangement.

So, if you want to send flowers and the person is allergic to them, send them some edible ones. They worked for me.

Let me just add a special THANK YOU to the #sisterchicks for reaching out to me during my grief. It meant more than you will ever know.

Disclosure: I was not paid for this post in any way. This is just my little opinion here.

Linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Top Ten Tuesday: I’ve missed blogging

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I’ve missed you all – my readers, my friends. I REALLY have missed you!

My sweet Katie went to be with Jesus on February 15th, just five days after my last post. I was able to serve her and her family in her final days and the week of insanity that followed. I was honored to write her obituary and give her eulogy – both incredibly difficult things to write. I was able to give ALL of my awesome to her and her family because of the amazing network of family and friends I had surrounding me. For that, I am eternally grateful. Thank you to everyone who blessed me during that time.

Now, I’m trying to get back into the swing of real life. I’m not over my grief. I don’t think it will ever totally leave me. I lost my best friend. It’s hard. I rejoice one minute that she is healed. I’m sad the next that she is gone. I’m mourning, which is healthy.

However, it’s time to blog again. I enjoy blogging. I REALLY do. So, I’m back! To get back in the groove, I thought I’d make a list of the ten things I’ve missed about blogging.

1. Writing – I write for my job, but it’s not the same as writing for me (and my readers).

2. Reading – When I blog, I read other blogs. I’ve been too busy to read much lately. I miss all my bloggy friends.

3. Link-ups – I LOVE linking up to Top Ten Tuesday, Works for Me Wednesday, Things I Love Thursday. Those are so much fun. I’ve missed them.

4. Sharing pictures – One of the reasons I even started blogging in the first place was to share with family (originally) things that were going on in the House of Hills. I’m sure they are in need of a Princess pic. So, here’s one.

5. Sharing stories – Same as above, but stories… I’m sure you want to know the story behind that picture – right?

6. Sharing recipes – I’ve tried a couple of new recipes over the last few months that I’ve yet to share. I’m excited about doing that.

7. Sharing ways to serve – We love to serve at the House of Hills. And, we love to share what we do so you can do it too!

8. Your comments – I miss my comments. I love comments.

9. Dreaming – When I blog, I’m always thinking of ways I can help/serve my readers. I had been dreaming about some neat ideas. I want to start dreaming again.

10. My friends – My readers are my friends. Whether you comment or not. Whether I “know” you or not, you are my friends. You take a minute to peek at my life. You are interested in what I have to say. I’ve missed my friends.

There you have it friends. I’ve missed you. But, I’m back. Hope to see you tomorrow.

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Ohamanda.

My Absence Explained

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I’ve been rather absent from the blog since Blissdom. Oh, I dropped in to give a recap, and I did my necessary Losing It Friday posts, but other than that, I’ve been rather absent.

You may think that I decided, like Alicia did, that blogging isn’t going to become a “job” for me. I’m not willing to put in the work it would take to make it lucrative. Well….maybe not right now, but I haven’t said “never” to making money from blogging. It’s just not where I’m at right now. It’s not where I’m meant to be.

No, God has a MUCH bigger plan for me right now. He needs me to bring my AWESOME somewhere else. (Have you read Ohamanda’s post about bringing your awesome? You must read it.) He needs me to bring my awesome to my BFF Katie and her family.

You see, my friend, Katie, is not going to be with us much longer. She is going to have the pleasure of being with her heavenly Father much sooner than she would have planned, but we know it will be exactly when He has planned. My friend, Katie, has cancer…. in her liver… and it’s not going away. We (and I say we because if you’ve been close to a cancer patient you know it is a group effort) have battled that stupid cancer in her liver for almost three years now. Her liver can’t take any more. It’s done. The doctors are out of options. Only my God can save her.

I pray daily for my God to save her. I pray big, and I pray long. However, I also pray for His will. I pray that “His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Since I pray that, I have to be ready to hear a “no.” I have to be ready to hear that healing her is not in His plan. I have to be prepared for what a “no” means. A “no” means the ULTIMATE PARTY for her, and deep sorrow for those she leaves behind. A sorrow not that we will never see her again, but a sorrow because her laughter and her smile will be missed while we are still shackled to our earthly bodies.

While my Katie is still with us, I am spending as much time as I can with her while still working my full time job (although they are being VERY understanding) and caring for my own family. I am her list maker, her get it done girl, and I therefore have the honor of helping her transition during this time. There is much to do to prepare your home and family to run without you. There are many things to be written down and many plans to be made. It is here, with Katie, that I am currently bringing my AWESOME (or at least am attempting to with God’s help). I sometimes wonder if we became friends over ten years ago just so that I could be in this place at this time. In fact, I’m pretty sure that was His plan all along.

So, if you miss me here, know that I am where I need to be, with my Katie and her family… attempting to bring her (and HIM) my awesome.

If you would like to read my Katie’s story, visit her Caring Bridge Page. And, if you have a moment, please say a prayer for my Katie and her family.

Menu Plan Monday 02 07 11

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We are gearing up for some crazy weeks ahead at the House of Hills. Looking forward, I’m not sure if it’s every going to slow down. However, I’m beginning to think that is the new normal here. **sigh**

Here is the plan for the week. The Princess looked at it and said, “We’re having leftovers two days!” Little does she know we usually have leftovers two days. She just doesn’t realize it. How often do you do leftovers? I’ve found that if I cook too many days during a week we end up wasting food.

Sunday: Tortellini with meat sauce, salad, crescent rolls

Monday: Pork Chops (I just pulled these from the freezer. They’re in my favorite marinade.), rice, asparagus

Tuesday: Roast in slow cooker, pasta ribbons, green beans

Wednesday: Stuffed shells (making extra for freezer), broccoli

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Well, I don’t know about Saturday. The Princess may be at my mom’s. If that’s the case, then My Sweetie and I will go out. Or, we sit at home and watch TV and eat cereal. Really, not sure….

What you are you having this week? Anything yummy that I need to know of?

Linked to Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie.com.

Losing It! 02 04 11

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How is it possibly Friday again? Seriously? And, it’s February? How did that happen?

I’m not going to lie to you friends. I did TERRIBLE at Blissdom. TERRIBLE!!! The conference was called Blissdom. They had Hershey’s Bliss chocolate EVERYWHERE! Like EVERYWHERE! I couldn’t get away from it! (Not that I tried very hard.)

So, I came back from Blissdom up 7 pounds. 7 pounds! That’s insane! And crazy! And insane! I must be retaining some type of water. How does one gain 7 pounds in 4 days. It’s insane I say!!

**Sigh**

In the days since I returned, I’m back down 4 pounds. That’s almost a pound a day so I must have been retaining something. Or, it could be that I’ve cut myself off from yummy Bliss chocolate so my body is going back to normal.

Good grief! When will I learn?! When will I learn that you can’t let go of the discipline? You can’t have something “for a treat.” Why can’t I learn that my body takes sugar and holds on to it tight? Why can’t I remember as I’m shoving chocolate in my mouth that it will impact my weight in HOURS? Why can’t I learn that?

**Sigh**

Can you tell I’m a bit frustrated with myself? Just slightly.

However, this I KNOW. I KNOW that counting calories works for me. I KNOW that walking three to four times a day works for me. I KNOW that avoiding carbs works for me. I KNOW that drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day helps me. I KNOW these things.

The question becomes…what am I gonna do about it?

How did you do this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Blissdom Recap

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It’s the post you’ve all been waiting for. I know you have. You want to know ALL about my trip to Nashville for Blissdom. Well, I don’t know that I will ever be able to process ALL that was Blissdom, but I will do my best to get some of it down. Without further ado, here is my Blissdom Recap – Top Ten Tuesday style.

1. You can room with three people whom you have never physically met and have instant bonding based on the relationships you’ve built online. I had the BEST time just hanging out in the room with Hilary from The Other Mama (and Mint Julep Monograms), Mary from Giving Up on Perfect, and Kate from Savvy Little Women. These ladies are AWESOME and FUN and HYSTERICAL. There my have been crying due to laughter at some point.

2. The women attending Blissdom were perhaps the most giving group of people I’ve ever been with. There were people there from all walks of life with all different ranges of experience and with all different abilities. ALL of them were willing to share. Willing to share their knowledge. Willing to share there fun. Willing to share their snacks. Even willing to share their jewelry. It was AMAZING! And comforting. And humbling. And loving.

3. Ohamanda is a FABULOUS driving partner, well passenger. We decided to drive up from Atlanta the night before to avoid driving in ice first thing in the morning. Amanda kept me laughing and awake for the entire drive. Then, she introduced me to MANY folks at the Wisdom Workshops so I didn’t feel quite so lost with all those mega bloggers walking around. Love her.

4. The sponsors of Blissdom were OUT OF THIS WORLD! We got a fun box before we even went to the conference. In it was popcorn from Conagra foods, which we thoroughly enjoyed and coupons for Freschetta pizza that the family enjoyed while I was gone. Hallmark gave us a great recordable book that I did for the Princess before I left. She listened to it every night. That doesn’t even include ALL the AWESOME vendors who had booths at the conference. I came home with so many goodies that I don’t even have them all unpacked yet. I think that’s an entire post in and of itself.

5. There is SO MUCH I DON’T KNOW about blogging. I heard terms I’d never heard before. I saw so much on the first day that I had never seen before that I was COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED! But, as the days progressed I understood more and was given many resources to help me figure it out. What I REALLY learned this week is how much I don’t know. And that challenges me. I’m excited about learning more over the next year and returning being able to go into the more advanced tracks.

6. If you stalk follow around the Lands End rep, you will end up winning something from Lands End. Look at this AWESOME bag I won by reading a post on Twitter and showing up at the right place at the right time. I also won a shirt for My Sweetie. In addition, I made a new friend with the Lands End PR rep. She’s so very nice.

7. Twitter is KING of the blogging world. Never in all my days have I seen so many smart phones. And, they were all out ALL THE TIME. If you weren’t tweeting it, it wasn’t happening. At least that’s what I felt like. In fact, my Twitter thumb was TIRED after the conference. As in, it was sore. Seriously.

8. I got to room with (well, even share a bed with) Mary, whose post about weight loss literally changed my life. Her openness and vulnerability online translated wholeheartedly into real life. It was a pleasure to spend time with her and our late night conversations have formed what I hope is a life-long friendship.

9. Massive pajama parties are tons of fun. There is nothing like walking around a huge hotel in your pjs to go eat pizza, dance and get a massage. We played telephone (yes, that childhood game) and LAUGHED hysterically.

10. Finally, I learned that my family can survive without me. They missed me and I SERIOUSLY MISSED them, but they survived. I will say that My Sweetie had a very relieved face when I walked in the door. He was also extremely thankful for all the preparation I did before I left. We used the iPhone Face Time for the first time. I LOVE that technology as it allowed me to give the Princess kisses each night. Although, I think it made me miss them more being able to see them.

That’s a quick recap of my trip to Nashville for Blissdom. Was it everything I learned? Nope! Was it everything that happened? Nope! Was it all I’ve processed so far? Pretty much.

Thanks my friends for indulging my Blissdom posts over the last few months. Hopefully, they are coming to an end. However, integrating all that I learned into the blog is just beginning.

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Ohamanda and Blissdom Recap Carnival at Musings of a Housewife.

Losing It! 01 28 11

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Happy Friday Losing It! Ladies!

How are you? I miss you all. Things have been so crazy, I haven’t been able to spend my normal amount of time with you. I hope all is going well in your lives.

I’m currently at the Blissdom conference meeting TONS of other bloggers, learning MUCH about fixing this here blog to make it better, and eating WAY TOO MUCH food. I can only say that I’m thankful I don’t drink, or the calorie issue would be really bad.

Since I am out of town, I was unable to weigh today. However, I can pretty much promise you I didn’t lose weight. I’m just praying I didn’t gain. It is SO HARD to stay on any kind of plan when you are traveling.

It’s also hard to get enough water. I’m REALLY struggling with that.

How are you doing this week? How do you handle traveling and not eating too much? How do you make sure you get enough water when you’re on the road?

Link up and let us know how you’re doing.

WE MADE IT!! We’re at Blissdom

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The fabulous @oohamanda and I made it to Nashville LATE last night. We decided to come up early to beat the snow and we are SO GLAD we did!

We are now hanging out at Blissdom, and I am already OVERWHELMED by all that there is to know. Whew! Trying to make it better for you friends. Trying to make it better. We’ll see if I’m learning anything over the next few weeks!

Top Ten Tuesday: Prepping the House for Blissdom

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If you’ve been reading the blog at all lately, you’ll know I’m heading to Blissdom. I AM SO EXCITED!!! I’m excited to meet all these amazing women whom I only know online. (Yes that includes @onceamonthmom who seems to think I’m avoiding her in real life. LOL!) I’m excited to LEARN LEARN LEARN how to make the blog better and serve you, my readers, more. I’m excited to spend four hours in the car with @oohamanda and pick her bloggy brain.

I’m REALLY EXCITED to be going, but I’m a bit nervous too. I’m NERVOUS because I’m rooming with three strangers amazing women that I’ve never met in real life. I’m nervous because this is SO OUTSIDE my “box” that I have no real expectations or understanding of what’s going to happen. I’m nervous because I still haven’t lost that extra thirty pounds, and I’m going to try and look “cute” for the evening activities. I hardly ever “dress” people. I’m a jeans girl. I’m just a wee bit nervous about the whole thing.

However, the one thing I’m not nervous about is leaving my family for four days. Will I miss them? Yes. Will they miss me? Yes. Will things run EXACTLY as if I were there? No. Is that okay? Yes. Do I think they can do it on their own? ABSOLUTELY!

That being said, there are a few things I’m doing before I leave to make it a bit easier on My Sweetie and The Princess to run the house without me.

1. I’m recording my Hallmark book tonight that came in my Blissdom pre-conference fun box. Hallmark has books that you can record yourself reading. That means that I can read a story to the Princess even when I’m not there. Pretty cool, huh!

2. There are plenty of leftovers in the fridge for dinner and the pantry is stocked. They won’t go hungry. Of course, they could go to the grocery store. They’re capable. I just didn’t want them to have to.

3. I’ve already prepped for the Princess’s lunches. There are stacks of baggies and little containers on the counter all ready to be put in her lunch box each morning.

4. I’ve typed out the morning routine. Neither of my loves are morning people. I’m the morning person that gets it all going. So, to have the routine all typed up and ready will help them both.

5. All the laundry is done. They won’t have to run a load. However, if My Sweetie did run a load, I would love him for it. He probably will. He’s awesome like that.

6. The Princess’s clothes are stacked on her dresser for each day with a reminder note for sneakers on PE days. Again, neither one is a morning person and this means no decisions have to be made.

7. I plan to hide a couple love notes for the hubby. He LOVES to find little notes when we’re apart. Shh…don’t tell him.

8. We planned on my Father-in-law and StepMother-in-law to come in for a weekend visit starting Friday. That will add some excitement to the week, and they typically take us out to dinner so that’s one less night the hubby has to cook dinner.

9. I’ll pull out the copy of medicine instructions that I’ve typed up for the Princess. It’s a list of “If she has a fever, give her this. If she has a cough, give her this.” Since I’m usually the one making those decisions, it’s easier for My Sweetie if it’s right there for him in the medicine basket.

10. I plan to pray over the house tomorrow before I leave (at 5:15 AM). This is probably the MOST IMPORTANT thing. My Heavenly Father can take much better care of them than I ever could.

Did I miss anything? What do you do to prepare your household for an absence?

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday at Ohamanda.com

Live Love Serve 01 22 11

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Live

Easy To Peel Hard Boiled Eggs: Good Life Eats – The Princess has been eating hard boiled eggs as of late for breakfast. This is a GREAT post about exactly how to boil an egg. I think that the immersing them in ice water is key by the way.

5 Minute Cake: Simply Staci – Okay, this is BRILLIANT. A quick one person cake in the microwave. BRILLIANT I say!

Love

Chore Chart Cards: Confessions of a Homeschooler – AWESOME chore chart reproducible and ideas for chore charts for the little ones you love. Children need structure and responsibility and giving it to them is a true act of love.

Serve

Swappin’: A Southern Fairytale – I LOVE this idea! A soup – swap. If we weren’t in the middle of total craziness at the House of Hills I would be doing this in like two weeks. The best part is that you could make it a soup can collection party too! Wouldn’t that be awesome!! Gotta figure out a way to do this!