Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Early to bed, early to rise, makesa man healthy, wealthy and wise. -An old proverb (no idea from where) that my mom said to me often in my adolesence :)

I am not a morning person. It has aways been very difficult for me to wake up. I used to feel really guilty about it, but I tend to be very groggy in the mornings. But I've found a groggy mommy= a grumpy mommy. My mornings usually didn't start out well.

I made it one of my New Year's goals to get up earlier. I hoped to be up by 7AM reguarly by the end of January and today I was up around 7AM! Woohoo!!

I do not by any means want to make anyone feel guilty for not getting up early, especially if you're a mom of little ones. There a season for everything and moms with little ones are in the season of snatching any bit of sleep they can!

My youngest daughter is 19 months now and she and her sister are reguarly up at about 8AM everyday. I would often sleep until they woke me up each day, but I often woke up grumpy and groggy and our days were starting off on the wrong foot. I decided to make it my goal to be up and awake and ready to go before my girls got up. I knew it was time to discipline myself in that area.

If you're trying to make a habit of getting up earlier, here are a few of the things I've found that helped me:

• Know yourself. I soon figured out that I love sleep so much that I needed something tangible to get myself up. Just getting up early "because" wasn't enough of an inducement. I needed a reason. My husband and I started reading the Bible together in the mornings. This accountability was enough to keep me heading in the right direction.
• Take it slow. I started by setting my alarm at 8:30. When I had that down, I'd make it 5 minutes earlier. Every day or two I would try to make the alarm time 5 minutes earlier. Now my alarm is at 6:50 which is a real accomplishment for me! :)
• Stanard, noisy, turn off alarms don't work for me. I have been known to turn them off in my sleep without even remembering it. I now set my cell phone alarm, put it on vibrate and put it under my pillow! LoL. Sounds weird, I know, but it's really working for me!
• Plan on snooze time. I set my alarm 10-15 minutes before my target wake up time. I know myself, I will hit snooze a few times, no matter how hard I try not too!
• Have a morning ritual. Because I'm groggy in the mornings, I need a routine to remember what to do in my morning haze. I've found it really helpful to go downstairs to the kitchen and fix warm drink (hot lemon water or tea). The action of making something helps to wake me up enough to pay attention when my husband is reading the Bible. Otherwise, I'm still in a fog!
• Early to bed..... It's true. Going to bed early enough makes it much easier to wake up on time. I am, by nature, a night owl. I can seriously stay up half the night. I learned in college that it's easier to stay awake all night, rather than getting just a few hours of sleep. :)

Ok, I think that's it. As hard as it was at first, I'm very happy that I've been getting up earlier. I get to spend time reading with my husband, I have a warm drink to get my stomach ready for the day, I'm a nicer mommy and it feels good to be on a schedule rather than just getting up "whenever." If you're able to wake up earlier in your season of life, I highly recommend it!!

What works for you? What tips do you have for non-morning people (like me) trying to wake up earlier? Share with us! You can check out Works for Me Wednesday for other great tips!

Works For Me Wednesday: Claritin

I've dealt with allergies for as long as I can remember. I was actually on Claritin as a kid every springtime, back when it was a prescription. It never even crossed my mind that one day, my children would have to deal with allergies too.

While at Lizzy's yearly check up, my 2 1/2 year old's nurse practitioner noticed that under her eyes was purple. She said that's a typical sign in children that they have seasonal allergies. That was last August, so I didn't worry about it much. Then we took a trip this March to Alabama. My poor little girl (and I!) were hit pretty hard. I felt so bad, but I didn't know what to do for her besides a nice cool cloth and tissues.

When we came home, things died down again but then Lizzy got some weird rash on her back. I didn't think too much of it because kids are always getting rashes. But when it didn't go away after a week, I began to worry. I tried a cortisone cream on it, but it actually got worse. I was on the verge of taking her to the doctor (because it was close to 2 weeks by then) when a suspicion came into my mind.

I'd heard before that seasonal allergies can manifest as rashes, not just respiratory problems. The nurse practitioner said that our other daughter, Lily, seems to have eczema, which is actually a form of allergy that manifests in the skin. I had received a sample of children's chewable Claritin in grape from Buzz Agent, so I decided to try Lizzy on it since it's ok for kids 2 and older and the nurse practitioner already told me before that she seems to have allergies.

Sure enough, within a few days the rash was beginning to go away. Coincidence? Maybe, but I don't think so. I'm not saying that this will work for everyone and I'm certainly not a doctor, so don't just go by my word, but I just wanted to share our story because Claritin worked for us in this case and saved us a trip to the doctor's office! If you're interested in trying it, you can get a coupon for $3/1 non-drowsy Claritin.

Works for Me Wednesday: The Bunny House

I usually cook dinner every year at my house for Easter. It's a tradition I started in my first year of marriage and I love it. I was in Aldi's the week before Easter and saw a kit to build and decorate a bunny house for $7. It looked so cute and I immediately thought it'd be a great way for my daughter to stay busy while I cooked and cleaned.




I was right. She loved helping her Daddy decorate the bunny house. Sure, it wasn't the most beautiful work of art, but it made a great centerpiece at dinner and the family loved it! It was a nice touch and worked for me to keep her little hands busy while Mommy was busy!! I'm sure there's plenty of similar projects for kids at other holidays or you could make your own. Maybe it could help your little ones too!

Works for me Wednesday: Freezing

Don't freeze blocks of cheese. I've heard of people freezing shredded cheese before, so I thought I could freeze blocks too. Here's what happens:

It gets all crumbly and falls apart. I guess if you're going to crumble it up anyway, it'll work ok. But it's definitely not a good idea for slicing the cheese... So, NOT freezing whole blocks of cheese works for me. :)

Moving...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jwthompson2/ / CC BY 2.0

My husband and I were waiting for an application to be approved to move into a townhouse in a nearby neighborhood. Yesterday, I found out that we were in fact approved and that our lease begins.... FRIDAY.

So, needless to say, I probably won't be around much this week or maybe even next. We'll see how long it takes me to drag an internet service guy out to the new place. Could be months... :) I'll be packing much of this week and we hope to have a big moving event this Saturday.

My favorite way to prepare for a move is to slowly pack, a little every day, as I obtain boxes. Right now, I have several boxes already packed with things I know we won't need in the next few days (books, linens, etc). That way, when Saturday comes and people come over to help, there will be minimal packing to do and we can get out fast. This is what definitely worked for me last time we moved and I hope it works well this time. :) Any suggestions for us?

Works For Me Wednesday: Weight Loss

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plastanka/ / CC BY 2.0

I'm still waging war with my eating habits. I love food. I love to cook. Love to eat. Love to feed other people. LoL. It's no wonder I'm on Weight Watchers!

Whenever I manage to stay on track for my points each day, I'm thrilled. So, I'm always looking for satisfying, low points foods that I actually want to eat. I've come up with the perfect breakfast that uses up my stock, is low in points and keeps me full until lunch!

Weight Watchers Blueberry Oatmeal (2.5 points)

• 1/2 c. quick oats
• 1 c. of water
• 1 packet of truvia
• 1/2 c. frozen blueberries

I mix the water and oatmeal and microwave until hot and the water is mostly absorbed. I then stir in the truvia and blueberries, microwaving again if the blueberries make it too cold.

What a fantastic breakfast! I use up some of the oatmeal I got for $0.50 or less with coupons, the 30 some pounds of blueberries I picked last summer and I can even tolerate the "fake" sugar truvia. I figure that since it's made from stevia (all natural) that it's not so bad for me. I'm sure I'll read otherwise sometime in the future, but until then I'll use it. I stretch eating this oatmeal out all morning and it lasts me and keeps me full until lunchtime.

This low points recipe works for me. What weight loss recipes work for you?

Works For Me Wednesday and Giveaway: Junk Drawer

The worst, most disorganized drawer in the house is probably my kitchen "baking drawer." It somehow always ends up a mess:


Then, I have to waste precious baking time searching through a big pile of utensils. I once hurt myself trying to force a stuck utensil out of there. So when Rubbermaid's organizing blogger asked me if I'd like to receive their new Drawer Organizer 6 piece set, I quickly jumped at the opportunity!

One really neat thing about this set, is that they are all separate pieces of different sizes, but they can interlock with each other so they stay together! I actually used 4 of the pieces in one drawer and two in another. What a perfect fit!

These could be used in any drawer... make up, toys, kitchen and more. They come in different sizes so they're all good for different things (one for utensils, one for twisty ties, etc). Plus, they have a no slip feet on the bottom that keep them from sliding around in the drawer when you open it.


Oh my, what a difference these made!! Now, all my measuring cups, measuring spoons, and odds and ends are all grouped together for easy finding and using! These little organizing containers certainly worked for me! Rubbermaid also provided some tips on organizing the junk drawer and a $1/1 coupon for any Rubbermaid Kitchen Organization Product.

Because these worked so well, I'm very pleased to be able to give a set away to one of my readers!! To enter the giveaway you can do any of the following, leaving a separate comment for each:

1. Leave me a comment telling me your worst drawer in the house!
   
2. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link.
3. Become a follower or tell me if you already do (left side of the blog)!
4. Become a subscriber or tell me if you already do (left side)!
5. Follow me on twitter or tell me if you already do!
6. Become a fan of the Christian Frugal Mama Facebook page or let me know if you already are!
   

That's 6 chances to win! Sorry, but they can only ship to the USA or Canada. The giveaway is open from now until Friday February 26th at 11PM EST when I will randomly pick a winner. I will email the winner (so make sure you leave a way for me to email you!) and the winner will have 48 hours to respond. If they don't, I will pick a new winner. Good luck!!

Weight Loss Tip: Have a Game Plan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pozzo/ / CC BY 2.0

My wonderful husband took out this past weekend while my mom watched our two girls. :) Yay! A real date! We first went to see the movie Avatar in 3-D because we'd heard excellent reviews about it. It was definitely very interesting.

After that, we went out to Carrabba's because we had a gift card. Carrabba's is amazing. I love, love, love Italian food. It's definitely a weakness of mine. But I'm also on a diet. I've been trying to follow along with the Weight Watchers program online. I track my points, activity and current weight. I've seen a little progress lately and I definitely didn't want to ruin it because of one night out.

So, before we went out, I did a little research online. Carrabba's website doesn't specifically list the nutrition info for each dish, only the carbs and exchanges. I had to go to Swagbucks and look up the info on my own by searching "Carrabba's calories." Many, many websites came up and I just picked one.

The website I choose to use is called My Fitness Plan. I'm not sure where they came up with their calorie values, but I think it's ok to use as a general idea. It's better than shooting in the dark. I found a dish I wanted to eat (Chicken Bryan) and used the calories, fat and fiber info to calculate the Weight Watchers Points value of that dish (14 points).

I personally like the idea of Weight Watchers and being able to spend my daily points (23) and weekly bonus points (35) any way I want. It gives me more control and encourages me to be wiser in how I "spend" my calories each day. Chicken Bryan was a high points value food, but I decided the splurge was worth it.

Taking the time to look up food nutritional values and calculating the Weight Watchers Points ahead of time Works for Me in my diet plan!

Works For Me Wednesday: Backwards

Today's theme is supposed to be backwards, where I ask you all for help with something. Hmmm.... only one thing? LoL. I would love help on so many things! Maybe I'll just start asking and you can answer the ones you want to? Like any stay at home momma blogger, I LOVE reader responses and knowing I'm not just talking to myself. Talking to myself is ok, some of the time, but it'd be nice to know I'm not alone! :)

1. I want to have some guest posts on my blog in this year to increase the variety and quality of my blog. I have a confession... I don't know everything. *Gasp* Yes, I can admit it. But out there, in the big wide bloggy world, there's lots of someones who know a little bit about everything. I would love to tap into all the experience ad information, but I don't know how or where to start. Any suggestions? How do I ask people to guest post?

2. I'm trying desperately to bring more order, organization and structure to my house, my day and my children. I love the ideas for Home Management Binders, having kids on a schedule, ect but I need some ideas. I would love to see any links you have about how you do it. I love getting inspiration from others and then adapting it to our own needs. Do you have any suggestions?

Well, I guess I'll leave it at two for today, so as to not overwhelm you! Thanks so much ahead of time for your help! You help others with their questions today too, over at Works For Me Wednesday.

Works for me Wednesday: Grease Stains

I have ruined many a shirt with grease/oil... I SHOULD be wearing my apron I asked for and got for Christmas. But it never fails that I'm halfway through baking something fantastic and *splash.* Err.... I think grease stains just make me look even more like a frumpy mom. :)

After writing off many shirts (and some pairs of pants too!) as house clothes due to grease stains I heard the most amazing, fantastic way to get rid of them (most of them, anyway). Ready for it? It's soooo hard! :)

Dish Soap

Yep. The grease fighting power of Dawn really does have some merit to it. Whenever I notice that I got grease on my shirt I stop immediately (silently kick myself for not wearing my apron AGAIN) and pull out a little bottle of normal, concentrated liquid dish soap (like Dawn, Joy, etc) and squirt some directly on the grease spot. DON'T GET THE SPOT WET FIRST! Water and oil really don't like each other. Then I let it sit for a while, sometimes I scrub the soap into the stain and I throw it in the washer. It's been a while since I've done this, but I think I remember that this Works for Me... I guess I'll find out here soon because guess what? Yep, I didn't put my apron on when I was making brownies today! :)

Works for Me Wednesday

Soo... I was on track today for weight loss. After all the fun events surrounding my birthday (Olive with the in-laws, home cooking from my mom, cake, etc) I decided I needed to get back on the weight loss bandwagon. I denied myself at the 3 PM sugar crash (besides my snack I accounted for) and managed to make it all the way to the kids' bedtime without a night time snack. Then, sure enough, as soon as they're both snug in their beds, my husband asks if I want to eat some pizza rolls as we watch the movie rental I got for free for my birthday. Is that a serious question? Of course I want them, but should I eat them?

I won't tell you what I actually did, but the works for me tip I'm going to share is: Say no to your husband! I actually heard a study that said women gain weight when they get married because they start to eat like their husbands, but still have the metabolism of a woman. Yep, I have that problem. So if you're on a weight loss journey (and much stronger willed than I), just say NO!

Works for Me Wednesday

If you have a toddler, have you ever wondered what to do with all those scribbles? I turn them into wrapping paper, cards and sometimes even presents! Grandparents and other relatives are thrilled to get personalized gifts from your little aspiring "Impressionist." :) For Mother's Day, I took a few of my daughter's drawings, had them laminated and gave them to the grandmothers. You could even add a magnet to the back for a great, frugal gift. At this time in their lives, our daughter's grandparents don't need much materially, but they really do appreciate a good piece of art! To see other people's great ideas this week, check out Works for Me Wednesday! Check out Life as Mom for other great Frugal Friday posts!

Works For Me Wednesday

This is my solution to all of my daughter's hair accessories that were taking up a bathroom drawer. I got this plastic craft/bead case at Walmart for around $2 and it fits perfectly in our bathroom drawer and keeps all the little pieces separated and easy to find. To see other cool ideas, check out We Are That Family.

Before Motherhood...

Before motherhood...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/randysonofrobert/ / CC BY 2.0

I never knew that simply putting ice cubes in my 2 year old's sippy cup would get her to drink plain water. (Check out Works for Me Wednesday for other cool ideas!)