sweet jewelry

My daughter has loved jewelry since she was old enough to talk. She loves little bracelets and necklaces that match her uniqueness and beauty! We made this cute glass piece together, made from authentic japanese papers. It was our first one...I think it turned out wonderfully!

Also, since the beginning of last year, I've started a journey of love for the written word. What I mean is I've been interested in

writing and designing jewelry with words "written in my heart," that is words of affirmation, inspiration, and passion.  This one is personalized but I'm in the process of creating others with a heartfelt message. It is a sweet hand-stamped sterling silver disc with gorgeous crystals or semi-precious stones.

I'd love to also include creating jewelry with acai beads, a bead that is a by product of acai berries that are known to give wisdom, strength, and good health. They are eco-friendly and acai is saving the Amazonian rainforest from extinction.

Lots of ideas and so little time...

giggle and wiggle

I've been into videos lately - can you tell? I giggle every time I watch my son wiggle! I just learned how to post videos on you tube, blogger, and facebook. I know, finally! 

cheerios monster

I have a cookie monster eating cheerios in my kitchen. He's not blue or from Sesame Street but he's cute...

sweet valentine

Hope you had a terrific Valentine's Day! We sure did! Our kids made precious Valentines for us. Our 3 year old daughter decorated a card for me. She lovingly gave me this one...(ERSHP) and she said, "Here's your card, mommy!" How wonderful! I think it says mommy on it? 

We had a blast at the kids' homeschool Valentine's Day party yesterday. The mom who organized the party was so creative! She made a bingo game and had the girls decorate cookies and cupcakes, to name a few of the activities to keep the kids occupied. We were indoors because of the rain, but we made the best of it! I'm going to post some pictures on facebook so you can see the creative talents of all the kids who made tasty goodies!

You probably love music like I do. You'll have to check out Pandora for free internet radio. You'll love it! I'm listening to Pandora right now while I'm typing. You can set up your favorite songs to play with no commercials! Oh, just had a thought! And yes, it works! You can type in "Disney" and with just a click of a button you can set up Disney Channel songs that play with no interruptions! No bothersome commercials that sell the kids on stuff that they don't need but think they need because they heard it on the radio or saw it on TV. Thank you Pandora!

mommy intelligence

I have felt unintelligent before. I'm a stay-at-home mom of four and homeschool the two older ones. I put all my efforts into raising and teaching my kids, while saving some time and energy for my husband! Very little left for just me to do what I want to do. I mean, how much intelligence does it take to do a load of laundry or turn on the dishwasher or change a diaper?? If you have felt like this before, I have hope for you.

You need to read The Success Journey by John C. Maxwell. Books by him, in my opinion, aren't usually geared for the mom types. I used to think that they were mostly for the corporate business minded types. But lately I've been very glad to have them around. I was cleaning the living room (miracle!) and came across The Success Journey. He has a section on "Steps to Building a Strong Family." In this section, he states that there are certain tools for us to help us appreciate each family member's uniqueness and to enhance our ability to see each other's natural talents. One of the tools is Thomas Armstrong's book, Kinds of Smart.

There are seven kinds of intelligences in Kinds of Smart. Now, I do not have linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence, or the few others that are mentioned. My husband is blessed with those! But what did catch my eye is the Interpersonal Intelligence. It is described as understanding and working with people. Armstrong says, "Those who have this intelligence are able to perceive and be responsive to the moods, temperaments, intentions, and desires of others."

I HAVE INTELLIGENCE!!! I know when my friends need someone to talk to. I know when my kids need a pep talk. I know when my three year old needs a spanking. (Ok, not rocket science.) I know when my husband needs me to be his sounding board for his ideas and thoughts. I am no longer just the housewife...I am MOM and I am INTELLIGENT!