Behavior Bands

At home we have tried pins, stars, and just about everything else...
But short of the infuriated whisper of consequences to come, discipline in public is always a touchy subject in our pitiful society.
I can't stand the mom that you see getting screamed at by her own child!
I'm the mom who old men walk up to and say "they were soooo well behaved that whole time!"

Enforcing the rules is Especially important when the outing is an EXTREMELY BORING one!

How behavior bands began was during one such outing.
I have seriously long hair, so I always carry an extra elastic hairband on my wrist. One afternoon Sweet P asked if she could wear my hairband on her wrist... no problem! She likes "being like mommy".
At one point she was snapping it and twisting it, so I asked her "do you want me to take your band away?"
She immediately gave me a quiet pitiful look like I had just threatened to blow up her favorite doll or something...
Losing a band was worse punishment than scolding her... ACCIDENTAL GENIOUS! And Behavior Bands were born!

I've now been using this method for about a year, and my already well behaved kids are now even MORE behaved! God is Great!!!

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.
…………………………………………………………………

How it works:
It is basically a portable behavior chart.

~ Before we leave the house TBone & SweetP each pick out 3 bands for the day (they don’t have to match because once the kids figure out that losing bands = consequences… they WONT share their bands with Anyone!)
~ For simple things I'll be nice enough to give ONE warning, "Next time, I'm going to take a band away!" (Be diligent, no more than one warning EVER! They will take advantage of you if they think they can!)
~ For misbehaviors that I believe they should know better, I immediately take a band away! "You know you are not allowed to _____!"

Rewards & Punishments:

@ "Playtime" Events: Quite simple- If ANYONE loses all three bands, then their fun day is over, and I get to go home and relax for the rest of the day. (Yes, their siblings will be mad at them. This will encourage the bad kid be behave better next time!)

@ "Business" Outings: (Errands, Appointments, Classes, Practices, Shopping, etc.)
      ~ All 3 bands remain = a simple reward I designate OR a token in their jar (their choice)
      ~ Each band removed = take a token away from their jar
      ~ No bands left = Punishment when we get home (if they decide to cry about the fact that they have no bands left, the punishment will be increased and they know it!)
(They could gain 1 token or lose 3 tokens- unfair? yes! - - - It's also unfair to Daddy & Mommy that they were misbehaving in Public!)


The reason it works so well is because there is no reminding, no counting, no repeating…
They know exactly what is going to happen because they can actually SEE where they are behaviorally for the day. They also know exactly what will happen because it doesn't ever change!
0 = reward; 1 = lose a token; 2 = lose two tokens; 3 = lose three tokens & You're in trouble buddy…
Every time! No Exceptions!
If they even think about asking for some back… how about, no.

One cool thing about all this is that they have a clean slate tomorrow!

Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

I love my family much more than anything in the whole world! I have expectations for them; expectations to prosper them and not to harm them; expectations to give them hope and a future.
The day they despair is the same day my heart will be unbearably broken!
So if being a bit strict will keep them on a good path… I'll be the tedious mom for their sake!

The BEST part is… I don’t have to be… 98% of the time they are soo well behaved that I can just sit back and enjoy being "I love you Mom."

perseverance

backbone, constancy, continuance, dedication, determination, drive, endurance, grit, guts, immovability, moxie, perseverance, persistence, pertinacity, pursuance, resolution, sedulity, spunk, stamina, steadfastness, tenacity,

OR

idleness, laziness, lethargy,

....................................................................................

When you are teaching a kid to ride a bike for the first time, they will fall off...
You dont tell them that they suck. You dont tell them to give up.
You dont tell them to get back up tomorrow.
You tell them:
Go on, get back up! Try again! Dont quit, you can do it! Not tomorrow, now!

What kind of hypocrite are you?
You tell them to perservere... then you tell yourself 'tomorrow' or whine about how much you suck at 'this'.

If you fall off the bike, get back on... now!

!!!STOP WAITING TIL TOMORROW!!!
If you woke up too late to hit the gym before work... do it after work!
If you spent more than you were supposed to...
      only take the cash you need, start leaving the rest at home!
If you feel guilty about eating that junk... make sure the next meal is super healthy!
If you get home late and your house is a mess... do one chore before bed!
Whatever your goal is... BE STRONG & DO IT!

YOU get back up! YOU try again! YOU dont quit! YOU can do it!
YOU do it today, not tomorrow!
Because perseverance doesnt mean doing it right every time...
It means you finish what you started, regardless of what obstacles stand in your way!

If you screw up- try again anyway!

Sacrifice is Worth it

I dont know about you... but My life is rarely "EASY"
... My life is rarely anything less than crazy... forget about "EASY"!

My husband is a US Marine-
He's deployed for 7 months out of the year, and the other 5 months are spent working 14-16 hour days or doing "workups" on the other side of the US! He barely squeezes time for us in on weekends, that is if he's not working or on a workup that weekend.

Two & a half kids-
Tbone obsessing about everything Dinosaurs (Hubby & I now hate dinos!)
Sweet P my little pink diva (the only girly thing in this house)
& Lil Tx {tex} giving me Braxton Contractions ever soo often... ow! (yay, here come birthing pains... that was sarcasm!)

My CoDependant Mom vs My Deadbeat Dad, Pets, Bills, Cooking, Cleaning, bedrest, nausea/morning sickness, gardening & grocery shopping,
... did I mention PreLabor Braxton Contractions- still hurting!

I'm an upbeat chipper kinda lady...
My mission in life is to make EVERYONE smile (and get as many hugs as possible while doing so!)
My moto in life is "All things are possible"

This attitude is not something anyone is born with.
It's an attitude you CHOOSE to have!

Soo... when I came across a quote that read:

"God never said it would be Easy,
    He just promised it would be Worth It!"
{origin unknown}

That just screamed for me to make a picture!

My life revolves around this very principle!!!

It's right! It's worth it!

Laying in bed at half past midnight, knowing I have to get up to put the kid on the bus in less than 6 hours, just talking to Hubby about the STUPIDEST random stuff... makes it worth it

TBone giving me the sweetest Hug n Kiss because I sucessfully survived sitting through another 2 hour Dinosaur Documentary... makes it worth it

Sweet P eyes closed, puckered lips, in a purple princess dress up, with blue cinderella shoes, a yellow belle tiara, green tiana necklace... and a pink tutu on top of her dress (remind you- I am not the girly type, so her fashion sense is, well, random), waiting for mommy to kiss her ... makes it worth it

Lil Tx- the doctors telling us for months that "he's going to die"- kickin my bladder, tryin to break my ribs, back/neck/pelvic/all-over-my-body pains- that means he's still alive... makes it worth it

All four of us holding eachothers hands {w tx in tummy} as we walk through the church parking lot on Sunday morning...

makes it worth it ♥
Dont bother trying to make your life "EASY"
      Just figure out what makes it Worth It!

Be their Angel

directly to IamPoopsie.com

Find more inspirational photos here

Beauty has Thorns

Find more inspirational photos here

Hard Work Pays Off

Photography Artist- Glenn Francis
Quote- King Solomon the wise (9th Century BC)

Find more inspirational photos here

Courage Wins Wars

Find more inspirational photos here

One Step at a time

Find more Inspirational Photos here

20 minutes to a Clean Front Cubbies

1) I spent most of the time sorting the massive clot in Cubby 1, using the recycling bucket (bottom right), and the Blue File Box

2) I put all the food into a bag and hung it on the door to remember to go donate it.

3) I rearranged all the shoe cubbies, brushed the beach sand out, and put the gloves (from the floor) into the correct person's cubby

1... 2... 3... to a neat Front Cubby!

And when the timer sounded, I went for lunch {literally} :D

Womb Trouble: The Back Story

The Back Story
About half way through my pregnancy we found out that little Tx was going to be a complicated birth...
After getting some fluid draws to run tests, Doc put me on bedrest.

At first I thought it was great, I get to take 3 weeks off... no chores, no slavin... just chill as much as possible.
I HATE chores! A couple of weeks wont make my house fall apart, and hubby can endure a bit of a mess for a few weeks.

So I went back to the office, and I ask "So am I clear for my next 5k?"
Lady looked at me like I had just said that Tree Trunks are Pink... Doc goes on to tell me that I'm on bedrest for the REST OF MY PREGNANCY and 6 weeks after. At this point I have no more questions, and leave the office in shock.

I tell my husband, and the week passes. At next weeks apointment we have plenty of questions:
What do you mean by Bedrest for the next few MONTHS? - - - Bed or Couch, Rest up, it will help the placenta do it's job
{Now it's my turn to give her the crazy lady look}
Ummm, I'm the military homemaker: cook, clean, etc, that's ALL me! - - - Ok ok, but no more than 20 minutes at a time every couple hours
20 Minutes? If I dont make meals, this family will not eat! - - - ok, you can extend to no more than 30 minutes FOR COOKING ONLY! And do a lot of simple meals: mac 'n cheese, cereal, etc
{Now I'm really lookin at her like she's nuts} But my wonderful husband tells me to shut up and do it {I still get mad about it from time to time, and so does hubby, but he just uses his charm against me til I'm smiling and sitting back down}

And then, FINALLY, a month later there was improvement... not enough to make the doc happy... but a tiny bit of improvement is better than none.
Well Junk... now that means I actually have to follow through with this Bedrest Junk...

MY BODY starts falling apart! Aches, pains, and weight gain... Hubby being a champ, tries his hardest to make me feel good. My only upside is that my health is deteriorating for the sake of my baby... so my health will have to be put on hold!

And worse, this house is falling apart, and hubby hates comming home to a mess after a 14-16 hour military day. He tries to hide it for my sake, but I can tell! I'm his wife, I know when his smile is fake!

But I cant get this house clean by sitting on my butt all day with an occational 20 minutes to spare!
... or can I? :D

Maybe I can clean in under 20 Minutes at a time...
All things are possible...

Homemade Hair Care

I know you've heard a million and one homemade hair care things. I've tried and liked quite a few myself.

This morning I found some recipies with the same basic ingredients but interesting combinations, and more detailed for picking out the correct recipe for YOUR hair.

As a test I will be trying each of these for the next few months... please be patient, I want my hair to dry out in between tests so you can see the REAL results! If you have one that you want me to make priority for my next test, just say so!

Veronica Howard Posted:

Veronica's facebook

OK LADIES, LISTEN UP.
Look to your kitchen for the BEST conditioners to moisturize and revitalize your hair!
Four different masks for each type of hair that you can easily make in minutes using all-natural ingredients you probably have sitting in your refrigerator or cupboard right now!

DRY hair –Olive Oil and Egg
In need of some major TLC?? Combine three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with two eggs and apply the mixture to your hair and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes before rinsing in the shower.
The olive oil will help hydrate brittle locks, while the protein in the eggs will promote healthy hair growth.

ALL HAIR TYPES — Avocado and Honey
Mask a ripened avocado and mix in a tablespoon of organic honey and allow it to sit for 20 minutes before rinsing it off in the shower.
Avocados are rich in a variety of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamin E and protein, both of which your hair needs to remain soft and healthy. Meanwhile, honey is a natural antibacterial agent.

OILY hair — Apple Cider Vinegar and Lemon
Combine 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar with the grated peel of an entire lemon and allow it to set for 15 minutes to absorb the excess oil from your scalp, and then rinse in the shower.
Apple cider vinegar will remove build up from styling products and conditioners and strengthen the hair shaft, leaving you with soft, shiny strands. It will also balance hair’s pH level, kill bacteria, and is a cure for dandruff.

DRY, flaky scalp hair — Banana, Honey and Almond
Mash together 1/2 a ripe banana and add two tablespoons of honey and a few drops of almond oil and allow it to set with a shower cap on for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Bananas can increase the moisture of your hair, smooth frizz and soothe your itchy scalp.

Choose the one that fits you better and bring your hair back to life!! There is no need to buy the priciest conditioners on the market to moisturize and revitalize your hair.

For more healthy tips please visit www.facebook.com/groups/loosingtogether

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

to save my post and results

Why God?

Not everything goes well in life, and sometime you & I find ourselves asking God "Why?"

here's something I read on Facebook to help out next time we feel that way...

From Positive Living on Facebook
Direct Pin


Me: God, can I ask You a question?
God: Sure
Me: Promise You won't get mad
God: I promise
Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God: What do u mean?
Me: Well, I woke up late
God: Yes
Me: My car took forever to start
God: Okay
Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait
God: Huummm
Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call
God: All right
Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one
of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that
Me (humbled): OH

GOD: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.
Me: (ashamed)

God: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work.
Me (embarrassed):Okay

God: Your phone went dead bcuz the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me (softly): I see God

God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark.
Me: I'm Sorry God

God: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All things , the Good & the bad.
Me: I will trust You.
God: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.
Me: I won't God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for Everything today.

God: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I Love looking after My Children...

SHARE on Facebook, or   if you Believe in God ♥

The MAN Muffin

I'm sure you've heard of the Muffin Man.... but let me introduce you to the MAN MUFFIN!



Problem 1: My husband is 6'3" and easily fits 3 muffins in his monstrous hand.
Problem 2: I love spoiling him, so sending a bunch of 'regular' size muffins... just isn't epic enough!
Problem 3: Occasionally some of the young NIEVE single guys at Hubby's work have commented that "having a wife must be a drag"...

So... Here's my Remedy for all 3 problems:


Basically the trick is to cook a 1/2c of mix in a GLASS Measure cup for 1.5x the regular time!

Let it cool completely and it fits perfectly in a 1cup Ziploc! ... Ready to make single guys at work want a wife!

To Get all Detailed:
1) Make any muffin mix you like
2) Put 1/2 cup of mix into a 2 cup GLASS Measure cup (Plastic will melt, common sense.)
3) Put the rest of your mix into your regular muffin pans
4) Cook both the pan & the Cup (not touching) at regular temp & regular time
5) Take the Pan out when the timer dings, but leave the cup in for another 1/2 the regular time
6) Put the Glass cup on a cloth to cool (to prevent weak glass cups from cracking)

Every Married Woman's Mission is that
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good!

Some other things I do to make Hubby feel extra special is:
~ First off I get up 2 hours early to pack his work-lunch EVERY Day! And it's my Mission to make every lunch EPIC!
      - Make Sandwiches that are 3 layers of his favorite veggies, 4 layers of
      MEAT, and of course cheese & condiments (I have to use a deep square
      tupperware because his sandwiches don't fit in Sandwich bags/boxes)
      - Cook an AWESOME (cheap) extra dinner tonight, to pack for tomorrow
~ Leave Girly-Usshy-Gushy Love notes on post-it notes hidden in his lunch box (or care-pack when he's deployed)
~ DEMAND that he have a fun night Without me & kids atleast once a month (which by HIS choice usually does involve me anyway)
~ Put "Jeff's money" in EVERY months budget (even though it's usually only $20-$50/mo, it's money he can use for stupid stuff)
~ Scratch/Rub his back at bedtime until either my shoulder is falling off, or he falls asleep (which ever comes first)
~ Do his dishes... yeah, that one sucks for me, but it makes him happy :p
~ Enforce that any child from my womb "had better respect My Husband at all times" (he was my Hub, BEFORE he became their dad!)
~ Raise SweetP & TBone to be well behaved, well loved, and well loving kids, to make him proud to be THEIR dad.
~ ASK him what makes him happy, and mental-note whatever I did every time he get's the "love this woman" face (sometimes I even make a post-it note in my "locker" (desk cabnet) so I dont forget)

~ Above all else, just do my best in everything I do, and keep my mouth shut about Harmless grievances
(oh you bet your bottom I speak up if he's about to do something consequential! but I refrain from nagging or whining as much as possible)
I'm not A perfect woman, but I'm HIS perfect woman! <3 ... goal accomplished!

$100 a month

Wanted to point out this blog I've been reading:
Mavis feeds herself, her husband, and her two teenagers with only $100 per month so that they can go on expensive worldwide vacations!

I'm reading a lot of it! She doesnt have much information, but she provides tons of inspiration... it's all worth reading!
And she's always willing to answer any questions you throw at her!

Read for yourself here:


Some of the things I like are:
Getting free food
Save too ripe bananas & stop paying for frozen smoothie mixes
Tons of Recipies for potential future meals
Installing a Gutter Garden
... and more

to pin this post

Plant Tower

I am NOT paying my husband's hard earned cash for this when I can make it for MUCH cheaper!  

PreNote: only use soluble firtilizer in water, OR time release firtilizer premixed into the soil, (NOT BOTH!) according to the firtilizers instructions!

1) xs inner pipe w 1/8" holes, 3-4 holes per 1" row on bottom half, 1/2" apart on top half (so top half gets water too)...

pre2 Opt) if you want to paint it, only paint the big outter pipe, BEFORE you drill the holes! You dont want paint to get inside w the plants!

2) 5-6" exterior pipe w 1.5" holes 2.5" apart alternating up pipe {no holes on bottom 1 ft (minimum) - this will go in the ground so it doesnt fall over like these cheesy expensive planters will}...

3) wrap small pipe in weed cloth and secure w 2-3 rubberbands to prevent cloging...

4) temporarily cover end of sm pipe and place it inside the large pipe...

5) fill lg pipe up to 4th hole w WET soil, and plant 1st 4 plants....
6) fill lg pipe up to next 4 holes w WET soil, and plant next 4 plants...
7) repeat until full...

8) fill the small pipe with water (using a funnel helps), and enjoy!

I hate Apple Scab!

Last year... my poor tree...
I lost ALL of my apple buds to apple scab! They didnt even make it to 1/8th inch fuit before they all fell off, dead...

So this year I definately took some time to research "Apple Scab" (Venturia inaequalis)
Here's some good tips I found:

Preventing Apple Scab
 

1 In the FALL, Burn all of the apple tree leaves to destroy any of last years fungus! Composting will not kill the spores.

2 Start Spraying during the "Pink" (right before the buds open), or when buds appear in wet weather. Continue weekly for 1st month, biweekly in 2nd month, or until all the flower pedals drop.

3 Spray again after Heavy Rains (wet for 6 hrs or more)

4 Lime-Sulfur is a good Chemical spray.

5 CHIVE TEA Chemical-Free Scab Spray- cut a bunch of chives and pour boiling water over them. Let steep until slightly cool, then strain. Spray a couple of times a week as a preventative measure.



You should also check out Gabrielle's Blog Page for Homemade Garden Spray Recipies- Treatments for: Apple Scab, Blossom Rot, Downy Mildew, Fungicides, Insects, Pests/Pets/&Animals, etc...
Pin Her Recipies here:



Resourse Origins:
1 home-orchard-apple-trees.com
2&3 mda.state.mn.us
3&4 oldandsold.com
5 davesgarden.com- Gabrielle's Blog Page (other remedies available!!!)

FREE School Resources

One thing I love is resources to help me prepare my little ones for school (because daddy doesnt like homeschool, and as head of my household I respect his decision!)

One thing I love More is FREE rescourses!

One of my favorites is Hubbard's Cupboard

For fellow pinners, here are a few DIRECT pins that goes strait to the websites (skips over my blog!)

For the Home Page
Visit Here:


For the Christian PreK Curriculum
Visit here:




You can also kindly pin this post here: