Update

Well, I am happy to report that the mouse stench is waining.  THANK YOU, LORD!  I can now do laundry in the basement minus the mask and without dry heaves.  The bad news is, the little critter is still down there.  Somewhere.  Decaying.  

ew.

When we actually GET to cleaning the basement and rearranging it the way we want it to be{which may be a VERY long time from now}, I'll let you know the total body count.
Moving on...

Check out this essential oil diffuser that I ordered from a friend a while ago.  She sells Young Living{which I love}, and it works amazing!  God's timing was sure perfect on this purchase!  He knew that I would need it sooner than later.  lol  I would LOVE to get the larger diffuser,  but I have to save up for it.  Until then, this travel diffuser works great!  It comes with little pads that you drop the oil of your choice on, slide it into the diffuser, and push the button.

Voila!  

Instant lavender fields.
Anywhere I want.  :-) 

Yummy.

Lavender happens to be one of my favorite scents/herbs, so that is what I am using now.  I can't wait to try more, though!  I really love citrus smells, so that's next on my list to order.  So fresh and clean!

Another thing that I really like about oils{the major thing}, is that diffusing them is completely safe for my family.  I have always been a 'yummy scent loving' kind of girl, but the fragrance in most candles, air fresheners, and perfumes have always bothered me and given me headaches.  Now I know why.  Anything with fragrance{ie perfume, cleaners, laundry products, air fresheners, etc, etc, etc}, contain pthalates, acetone, alpha-pinene, alpha terpineol, benzyl acetate, benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, camphor, ethanol ...VERY dangerous chemicals linked to nervous system damage, depression,  headaches, birth defects, cancer, and kidney and liver damage.  To name a FEW.   

Thankfully, we have Shaklee-ized our home and gotten rid of all dangerous chemicals.  I even raided my husbands deoderant, shaving creams, hair gels, toothpaste, etc.  {He was not happy at first, but the more we studied and researched, the answer was easy.}  They all had harmful, unwanted, dangerous ingredients.  Check for yourself!  You will be shocked!!!   Who knew?  Eliminating these from your life will keep you healthier today, and more importantly, for many years to come.  We are all going to be exposed to some chemicals because we can't live in a bubble, but why make matters worse by making our homes breeding grounds for these terrible side effects?  Consider our dear children.  Babies and young ones breathe in faster and more rapidly than adults thus resulting in MORE toxins absorbed.   You can change your habits pretty simply and cost effectively , too!

BE A LABEL READER!

HERE is a great article explaining things in more detail. 

I also use essential oils to my favorite cleaner, Basic H.  It gives an amazing smell to my cleaning, safely!!!  :-) 

Ok, ok...I'm sorry that got so long, but it's so important for me to let you all know this stuff.  Just in case you didn't already! ;)   I'm excited to show you some projects in the works over here.  I was a MAD woman cleaning freak yesterday!  I actually managed to get quite a bit of laundry done{part of the plan, but plans don't always go as expected, right?}!  I also vacuumed like crazy, dusted, rearranged furniture, cleaned floors, and spray painted some clay pots with....chalkboard paint!  I absolutely LOVE how they turned out!

*clearly I write like a 7 year old on chalkboards*
forgive me.

I simply took old clay pots and spray painted them with three light coats of spray chalkboard paint, letting each coat dry in between.  Then, once I got the coverage I wanted, I took a piece of chalk and rubbed it over the entire surface to 'season' it so it wouldn't absorb the writing forever!  You can completely clean the surface for a shinier look or leave the surface chalky for a vintage look{like on the mint herb}.  I also added some moss inside to cover the dirt.  I happened to have some on hand and I thought it finished it off nicely.
My kind of project.
CHEAP.
FAST.
FUN.
:-)

Here is a sneak peek of the garage sale chair that my daughter is helping me redo.
We are having lots of fun together!

Here are some pictures I took of our yard today.  I am in love with the flowering crab tree!  We picked up the old school swing set on Craigslist last year for $200!!!  YAY!  Finally, our ducks are settling in nicely.  They think that Eleanor is their mother, and they follow her around faithfully.  It's so cute!  They were chillin' next to my basket when I came home this afternoon so I snuck around and took a pic.
I'm going to have a brag book of these babies pretty soon  if I don't knock it off!  So...if they think Elly is their mother, that would make me....ummmm....nevermind.

Now. Check out the view from the other side of our house...

It's a work in progress.

Just.

Like.

Me.

:-) 

Have a wonderful day.


"But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand."  Isaiah 64:8

My FUN weekend!

Hey, friends!  

It's Tuesday already!!!  I'm feeling totally unoriginal today, so I thought I'd share my weekend with you!  I spent ALL day yesterday cleaning, and organizing EVERY kitchen cupboard, my linen closet, and my 'junk' cupboard.  It literally took ALL day!

How was your weekend?  I had the opportunity to spend ALL day Saturday with my mom and sister.  We don't all get together very much because of our crazy lives, so it was SO MUCH FUN to spend the day together shopping, antiquing, EATING, and giggling.  

Here we are! Of course I forgot to bring my camera on Saturday(GAHHHH!), so this older photo will have to do!

Our first stop was at the antique show up in LaCrosse at Logan High School.  I LOVE ANTIQUES.  I love the history behind such simple objects and the stories that come with them.  I love the utilitarian pieces that were necessary for everyday life that I can treasure and still use again today.  I love the hunt, the friends I've made, and I love, love, love a bargain!  This show wasn't huge(which was a good thing), but I managed to come out with a treasure...

Isn't it fun?  I can think of LOTS of things to do with this beauty!  It's just what I needed(hahaha) for my spring decorating to take FULL swing!  :-) 

Our next stop was at a Spring gift and craft show(which is totally not my thing), but we had some good laughs there.  My sweet sister also bought me a new purse.  I love it!  

Then we headed to Holmen to check out some local shops there where I scored a SUPER COOL find!  A vintage stool for $10!!!!!  These babies sell at antique shows and shops for LOTS OF MONEY! SO, in typical Mary fashion, I snagged it quickly and loaded it into the back of my mom's smallish SUV.  I cannot WAIT to clean it up and poly it so I can bring it in.  It is still in the back of my car, so I'll post a pic of what it looks like until I can show you the before and afters.

This actually looks exactly like mine...I LOVE IT!  I love to mix industrial antiques with country pieces and of course modern, too.  I can't wait to glue, clean and finish it all up!

After an amazing lunch at Panera Bread(YUMMMMY!), we headed off to MY FAVORITE STORE OF ALL TIME(retail, that is).

TJ MAXX!!!

Whoever came up with this store is BRILLIANT!

We spent HOURS meandering through all of the aisles and thousands of items that suit hundreds of individual tastes and personalities.  This is THE perfect store for us.  My mom, sister and I have pretty different taste when it comes to decorating and clothing.  This store fits us all!  My sister scored a pair of sweet ORANGEY/CORAL shoes(her LOVE), haha! She got several other things too, but I think the shoes took the cake!  NEVER attempt to open her shoe closet...we may never find you!  :-) 

My mom found a super cool garden planter...I wish I had a pic because it is SO cool!   She also found a VERY COOL cast iron tray with birds on it, and a BEAUTIFUL floral picture for her bathroom that my hubby just remodeled for them.  I am going to post pictures about that project later!  If you need a fantastic remodel, he's your man!  

I had some birthday money to burn from my sweet husband, so I dove into the day and spent every last penny of my birthday inheritance!  I have been totally inspired lately by so many creative people and ideas.  My mind just goes crazy with never ending visions and possibilities.  Having vision is not always a good thing.  lol  Seeing potential in things can be good, but when you see potential in almost everything, your garage can start looking like a storage unit(hence my HUGE garage sale this summer).  I have gotten pretty good(ok, that's a stretch) at buying things that have potential that I only absolutely LOVE and will use in my house.  I just don't have much time to 'redo' things right now and sell them like I used to.

Here are a few pics of my treasures from the day...

This European inspired metal basket with super cute fabric by my back entrance!  My mom bought me the 

dragonfly wind chime!  You can't see the dragonfly though...OOPS!  lol

Cute picture board that I haven't decided where to put yet!  I found the same one online for $15 MORE than TJ MAXX!  Love it!  Oh, yes, and my ALL TIME fave...ticking stripe towels on CLEARANCE for $2!!!

A cuuuute pillow for my bed made out of a gauzy/burlappy material!  I LOVE burlap!

Clearance fabric tablecloths that are going to make SUPER cute curtains for my bathroom(potential!)...

Ginger Brew for the road...EW!  is all I can say!!!  I love a lot of this company's soda, but this one won't make the cut, so it's fair game for any of you.  :-) 

Our favorite preserves...can't leave there without it!

And on Sunday, a dear friend brought me this HUGE ball jar full of pussy willows!  She sure knows me!

I am so blessed to have such great friends!

Notice the daffodils have opened!  

This was a totally unusual weekend for me, because I hardly ever go retail shopping!  My husband was so sweet to keep all of the kids while I went out and played for my birthday.  It was a truly special weekend!  All of the things that I was fortunate to get are just MAJOR added bonuses to how God provides for us everyday.  Not essentials, just extras. 

On Sunday, I taught my Kindergarten Sunday School Class on God's provision and how He cares for us(I hope they got something out of it, because I had some pretty peppy little fellas in there!).  lol  It was such a simple story, yet SO relevant to our lives everyday.  His promises are SURE. They are TRUE.  We can count on them!  It really encouraged me that no matter where we are in life, or how tricky things seem to get, God cares, and He has PROMISED to take care of us. 

Here are the verses we talked about...

"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

Matthew 6:26

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Luke 12:27

God WILL take care of you!

I hope that you had a great weekend, too!

Thursday Lovelies

Hey, friends!

I just wanted to share with you some of the wonderful things that were part of my lovely day.  :-)  I hope yours was lovely, too.

A few of my favorite things....

Fresh flowers...they seem to brighten almost any day with their spring charm...I found these at my favorite local FLOWER SHOP.    They always put me in a better mood!  

I can't wait to see these daffodils smiling at me tomorrow.

Decorating...I absolutely LOVE to decorate my home with primitive antiques, vintage finds, and other people's 'junk'. lol   There is something so much fun about rescuing something and transforming it into something beautiful for yourself.  I LOVE projects!!!  I can't wait to post some pics of my latest thrift store finds that I rescued for $1!  They are going to be some pretty cute Easter decorations when they are recycled into my decor!  

Here is some rosemary(YUMMY!) that I potted into one of my pewter pitchers.

This is a succulent Zebra plant that Henry picked out for himself today as we meandered through the beautiful 

greenhouses...all the babies were growing so beautifully!

Live plants just seem to make the house seem more cheery, don't they?

This is at the end of our hallway.  I LOVE ferns!!! 

One of the GREATEST lovelies of my day was getting to devour some of my mother-in-laws AMAZING homemade glazed donuts(FAVORITE THING).   I had impeccable timing today(UNUSUAL)...she was frying up a huge batch when I stopped by.  I told her that I must have smelled them from my house.  :-)  I definitely don't take that for granted...not everyone gets fresh, homemade donuts!  They were divine...hmmmmmmm...comfort food.

Thanks, Sharon!

Last, but not least,  I was reminded(and excited) that garage saling season is almost here(FAVORITE THING)!!!  Guess what???  I saw a sign for a garage sale and I ACTUALLY didn't stop!  SHOCKING!  It was a great reminder that summer is right around the corner and so is some fun junking!  Even though there was snow predicted for tonight(EEEEK!), it can't last long....the seasons ARE changing!  Ahhhh....I love spring!

teehee!

Thank you so much to everyone who placed their Shaklee orders and are going to receive the Free Cinch 

Starter Kit!!    Let me know if I can help you in any way!!!  :-) 

“In the coming decades, the most important determinants of health and longevity will be the personal choices made by each individual.”

Signs of Spring

Today I am not able to post what I had originally planned,  because life has a way of changing your plans! 

Isn't it beautiful outside today???  Too bad I have a sick little fella who just wants to lay around!  The kids missed their weekly Saturday library run because of poor Henry's bug, but I have already promised to make it up to them on Tuesday when the library reopens.  :-) 

BUT...the sun is shining!  YAY! That means the snow is melting AND  my basement is filling up with water!  lol

Here are a few pictures of the Signs of Spring that I am seeing around my house.  My daughter, Eleanor, took them for me.  :-) 

Aren't they beautiful???  This is the tree RIGHT outside my bedroom window!  We have a pair of lovebird cardinals that we named Ruby(male pictured) and Rose(not pictured because she blends in SO well!).   We are so blessed!  We haven't named the robin yet, because he is the newcomer, so we'll have to come up with something that appropriately suits him.  He is obsessed with our windows!!!  He keeps trying to fly in them...even now as I type he is scraping and flying at the window!  Weird, right?  Maybe we'll name him, Crash!  :-) 

I am always reminded of God's promises to us when I am admiring His beautiful Creation.

One of His great reminders......

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Luke 12:6-7

Yes, I prone to fret, worry, and doubt, but God's promises always soothe my doubting soul.    I am truly thankful for His promises.

Another thing I am truly thankful for is natural antibiotics!   Poor Henry is sick like I mentioned earlier, and THIS is what I am using to boost his immune system and heal his body.  Since switching brands to Shaklee, we only use natural antibiotics and they totally work!!!  My kids haven't been to the doctor ALL winter and we have been blessed to be able to heal them naturally and safely.    I am totally convinced that God has given us everything we need in His Creation to heal ourselves!   He is definitely the BEST BIO-CHEMIST!    

Time for me to go cuddle with my  little man...I hope you are enjoying the beautiful sunshine!

Happy Spring!

Mary :-)