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randomness.

November 11, 2011 Filed in charity,me me me,random,things i love

there were 13 cars waiting to get into the mcdonalds drive thru this morning? 
not even in the drive thru part yet….
who waits that long for a mcdonalds breakfast?

i counted that when i was out running.
ran 4 miles straight today!
WHOOP WHOOP!
loving this healthy running thing so much!!!

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basketball has begun.
i like it.
i like it A LOT.       

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i am going to take my kids to see jack & jill today.
i am not looking forward to it.
there are only so many bathroom jokes i can take….

but who wants to bet $20 that i still cry at that movie?!!

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i am behind (like ALWAYS!) so i don't have photos but i wanted to remind you about Operation Christmas Child.

i am going with my kids to pick out some goodies and we are going to pack our boxes this weekend.

check out the website HERE to find a drop off location near you.
they are everywhere!

you only have another week or so.
it's worth it!!!
make it happen!

this is my post about it from last year…….SO MUCH FUN!
 

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did you do the happy day projects?

Happydayrainbowsquare

all of them?

some of them?

it was FUN wasn't it?!
i loved it.
it feels good to focus on others.
to try and see what God sees when He looks at people around us.
to show His love to those around us.
🙂

it's super cool.

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well…..
i jumped on the erin condren bandwagon.
what a happy place to be! 
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i can't stop smiling about it…..

happy day to YOU.

i am off to jack & jill.

geesh.

  

add a comment

Nike Free Run - I think you probably live close to where I lived. My daughter played basketball every summer in Hesston. We moved from Kansas to Indiana Dec. 2009 and I miss it. I enjoy your blog! blessings

Elizabeth - Meg, I would just like to say thank you for your Christ centered blog…My family and I have been able to really reach out and have become a giving family because of all your ideas of giving. The 7 of us shopped this past weekend and packed our shoe boxes for OCC. It was such a blessing reading the letters my kids included in their boxes. Thank you for helping me raise caring children.

Kacey - I love my Erin Condren planner! It makes me so happy to look at all the rainbow colors.

Debbie - I think you probably live close to where I lived. My daughter played basketball every summer in Hesston. We moved from Kansas to Indiana Dec. 2009 and I miss it. I enjoy your blog! blessings

jimaie - It seems like everyone has an Erin Condren planner these days! I must admit, they’re awfully pretty!
I don’t think I have ever seen you & your husband’s names next to each other before- Meg & Craig, that’s kind of adorable 🙂

erin - We are doing the Operation Christmas Child for my daughters brownie troop. Such a great project! Also LOVING that planner. I’m addicted to planners and organizers.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - I am sooo with you on the bandwagon. I got my planner today. I am so, so, so excited! Now, i Have to use it – lol.

Ashlyn@Pinecone - I’m with you on Jack and Jill…I don’t want to see those movies, but if I do, I will cry easily as some random sweet moment. My kids will look at me – “mom are you crying??!” they can’t believe what a sap I am.
I love your planner – apparently I am the last to know about them. 😉

Lori Austin - I love your random posts – they are the best! 🙂
OCC is such a terrific organization. I wish we could afford to
participate in every worthwhile organization – not possible. We have decided to take toy/craft donations to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital each time our daughter has an appt. She has been a patient there many times and has benefited from toy/craft donations every time. I love knowing that our donations might bring a smile to a child’s face that could be facing tough medical issues. Makes my heart smile. I pray one day we will be able to donate to more than one source though. Eventually….

Kimberlee Jost - Yay for Erin Condren in your mailbox!!!!!
Now you can write all of Scott’s games down in it.
😉

amber - Thanks to you, we’ve done OCC for the past 2 years. It has become an amazing kick off to Christmas tradition for our family. And, it’s about others. My 4 year old is super into it this year & it makes me so happy. So, thank you for posting about it again & again.

Southern Gal - Four miles? Woohoo! I haven’t run in a month because of a stupid cough/cold that won’t let me go. I’m getting back out there though.
OCC is so near and dear to our hearts. We volunteer at the warehouse and my daughter gave out boxes while serving in Botswana her summer before her senior year in high school. It’s a lovely way to share God’s word with children and their families.

Melissa - How funny, we’re doing our Operation Christmas Child boxes tomorrow too! Have a great time!

Jan - So happy that you mentioned OCC shoeboxes! They are one of my favorite parts about Christmas.. I go each year to Boone, NC and help process the boxes. My brother has worked for Samaritan’s Purse for 30 years, so we have been packing shoeboxes for a long time… Would love to go overseas one year to help distribute them. So glad that you and your family support such a great cause! Thanks for the shout-out!

Michelle Gallimore - I saw a commercial where MCdonalds is giving away free coffee for the whole month of November, could be why? Anyway, I love your blog, your honesty, your real, we could be friends. congratulations on the 4 miles it’s kindof a big deal I’ve done it only twice Iam new to running but never thought in my whole life I would actually “like” it. Now, I crave it, sick isn’t it? Scales not moving but I also like to eat…I blog about food, I cook…a lot, it’s okay, my heart will be healthy 🙂 thanks for all the inspiration.

lisa - I love my Erin Condren planner, too! Happy weekend! 🙂

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Okay, gotta say, I want to see Jack and Jill….love potty humor. Just being honest 🙂

Andrea T - jumped on the e condren bandwagon myself. i almost hugged the fed ex man. i smile everytime i look at it!!!

Jenna@CallHerHappy - We are excited for bball over here too. Right now we are watching the MSU/N. Carolina game. Go green!
Jenna
callherhappy.com

Liesl - Are you finding that running has helped you lose some weight? I think I’m similar to you in size and am hoping to see some results from the running I started this week, along with some better eating habits.

Julie L. - YES!! My Erin Condren planner came in the mail today too and I’m seriously scared to start writing in it because I love it so much.

jackie grandy - Love that calendar! I am definitely putting that on my Christmas wish list 🙂

Leah - I just got my Erin Condren planner the other day and I can’t stop staring at it. I love it and wonder where it’s been my entire life.

Kelly - McDonald’s breakfast grosses me out. I remember eating there once when I was little and it was horrible.
I have the same Erin Condren planner. I love it! That it’s so cute is a bonus! 🙂

Heather - I often think, when I see the line at McD’s “Wouldn’t it have been faster to have breakfast at home?”

Elizabeth - I just told my sons that you couldn’t pay me to see that movie. How about a million dollars? they asked. I said, well maybe then.
Have fun! 🙂

Jennifer - your run = awesome!! 🙂
I’m always amazed at the long lines for McD’s too!
Happy Friday!

tiffany gardner - wow…four miles…you go! my calendar is on its way? wonder if my life will get more organized?? have a fun weekend!

TinaM. - I’m going to McDonalds on my way to a Penn State game tomorrow. I hope people don’t judge me because I still like, actually love Penn State. Anyway.. to brighter subjects, I can’t wait to see the Muppets !!

Katy @ Live Laugh Love Craft - Oh hey cutest planner EVER!

Mindy W - Yes, I did do the Happy Day Projects and I loved it!
Yes, we are doing the shoe boxes again. And I loved that you posted your fillings because my kids said I did a lame job last year and you are way cooler than I.
No, I’m not going to see Jack and Jill because I’m betting I saw all the “funny” parts in the commercials. But you have fun. 🙂

Jodi @ The Un-Soccermom Blog - I just got my Erin Condren Month-at-a-glance Notebook TODAY!! So much happy going on, I can barely contain myself.

Sabrina - I think McDonalds was doing something special for Veteran’s Day today??
I LOVE my erin condren planner!!! Aren’t they awesome!!!

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Yes, we’re doing the Happy Day projects but since Ive had a super crazy week we’re getting caught up on them today, since we have the day off.
We’ve always done the Operation Chrismtas Child boxes but again, with going back to teaching this year, I got behind. We are sending packages to a soldier as our project. The kids collected items all week in school and we’re sending the boxes out tomorrow.
And Erin Condren…I ordered the deal on PlumDistrict but havent heard anything yet. Hoping it comes soon. Love the one you chose.
Have a lovely weekend!

Nicole - I read your blog pretty much daily and I’m fairly certain you go to the same church as I do. I never comment…just not my thing but…I noticed in your basketball pictures that your son plays for the Swathers and that he plays with my first group of students I ever taught. (It’s been over 4 years ago…those kiddos were in 4th grade then!) I’m also one of the girl’s 7th and 8th grade coaches this year! I guess I didn’t realize your kids go there! It’s a great school district!

happygirl - I can’t wait to pack our shoeboxes. Such a fun and thoughtful Christmas project. Our family is packing a box as a Christmas gift to each of us. So, each of us pack 2 boxes. It’s fun to shop and pack and play Christmas music. 🙂

Seriously Sassy Mama - Have fun at the movies. I am taking the fam when The muppets come out.

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new clothes.

November 10, 2011 Filed in crafts & art,random,things i love

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annie got some new clothes from the Tea Collection.
 
i just looked and they have a 20% off sale going on through the 11th!

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the print on the dress is so pretty.

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adorable.
i love those laces…. and that sticthing!

her favorite is the SUPER soft sweater leggings.

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she wore them for 2 days straight!
even sleeping!
i don't blame her.

who doesn't like new clothes that really soft and comfy?

but….. do you do a little booty dance when you get a new dress?
annie does.
and usually adds a little "WOOAHH!" and a leap off a piece of furniture.

🙂
 

…………………………………………

yesterday i saw a mouse.
I SCREAMED!!!

i don't think i am really technically "afraid " of mice but apparently when i see one….
i scream and jump.
it all just came out of me.
then waffle got in on the action.
lauren & i chased it out from under the couch and he cornered it and caught in his paws….
put it in his mouth….
and just like a tom & jerry cartoon it came running back out!

right towards me!!!

i SCREAMED again and jumped up on the couch.

why? 
why do i do that?
i do it with spiders too.

so crazy.

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we set some traps and caught it.
waffle is sad.
it was the most excitement he'd had in a year.
he didn't sit down for over an hour after the mouse escaped.
he was sniffing under everything…hunting it down. 

someone said to me today "there is always something fun going on at your house!"  

ha ha ha

i don't know about the FUN but there is always SOMETHING going on.

add a comment

Joey Biber - Though the leggings are somehow boyish, her blue printed blouse and pink shoelaces make the whole look more feminine and playful. Those seem to be made of soft and comfy fabric, and that can certainly help during the hot summer season.

karen - annie is super cute in her new digs!
oh and i hate to tell ya…but where there is one there are many! set more traps just in case.

Breeanna @ a brilliant melody - I saw a mouse in out kitchen last week. I was in the living room and saw it out of the corner of my eye. I followed it to the cupboard and when I opened the door, it ran directly toward me, in between my feet. How could I not scream and jump! I didn’t want it crawling on me. I have two dogs and they chased it under the oven and kept sniffing around 🙂

Mel - Your Annie has the cutest haircut ever!! She reminds me of a story book little girl, you know the kind that many amazing & quirky adventures 🙂 Her new clothes are awesome ( ah little girls clothes, the only thing I despair over , having 3 sons – the clothes , the clothes!!!)

Elizabeth - Do you have ANY IDEA how much those of us out here in
blog-follower land ADORE that dog of yours??? I am a total “Waffle follower.” LOVE LOVE LOVE THAT DOG OF YOURS.
OH, AND ALSO YOUR BLOG. ;o)

merlin - There is a trivia fact that goes something like: for every mouse you see there are 100, yes, 100 that you can’t see…

Tracy - Ha! We caught a mouse in our house yesterday, too!

Jodi @ The Un-Soccermom Blog - we have field mice that love to set up for the winter in our garage. we also have spiders… both make me jump about 5ft in the air and scream like a little girl!
Annie’s new dress and shoes are SO CUTE!!
in my house, my dogs LOVE to capture flies. And since they go in and out, a lot! there’s always at least one fly for them to capture and (yuck) eat!

Michelle - God’s honest truth – fingers crossed – as I read this post I saw a mouse run from the fridge to the stove – bleghhhhhh!
I have spotted him twice (this being the 3rd time (hope it’s only 1 mouse)). Traps are set – he’s not falling for it. I was using sticky traps – today I reinforced with old fashioned wood snap traps (with Nutella as bait – this mouse should be a victim soon)!
I NEED to get a better camera and learn to shoot – you truly have great pictures of your kids & life. My camera is old and yucky and takes like 8 seconds to get the next shot. I never get the shot!
Thanks as always for your blog – it makes me smile 🙂

beth - Awesome picture of Waffle! I don’t mind mice–unless they’re IN MY HOUSE! we lived in an apartment that had it’s fair share and I definitely pulled the girlie card one night when I called my husband away from studying to catch a mouse. You are not alone, my friend, in your screamidge. 🙂

Lori Austin - This post made me laugh. I even read it to my hubby and he laughed at the pic of waffle. We needed a laugh – it’s been a rough week. Thanks Meg! 😉

Jennifer - Too funny!

Tanya H - I scream at mice too. Spider I more like yell at becuaes I’m annoyed that its in my house, but mice are intolerable!!! blaaaahhhh!!!!
On another note, I love Annie’s shoes, and her book too! 🙂 That’s my fav book from when I was little.

Kimberly Dial - I loved this post … I got a visual and it literally made me laugh out loud … thank you Meg! 🙂

Trisha - Screaming at the sight of a mouse is not only appropriate, I think it is just in our DNA. We had a mouse this summer and I am still traumatized. I have tried to talk my husband into letting the exterminator move in with us and buying ten cats. So far, he isn’t going for it.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - That was a happy post. Made me smile! I hate mice too and I’m a screamer when I see one….yuck!

kristine cline - Ok, I just have to say that I clicked on your blog today and saw those cute pics of your daughter and immediately thought “Ramona Quimby”….I loved those books as a kids and Annie just seems to have that same spunkiness….
sorry about the mouse! yikes!

Brooke - Oh yes, I’m with you. I’d be screaming too. Probably while peeing my pants a little bit!

tiffany gardner - ewwww….I have a Major fear of mice. and I live in a 100 year old home…some sometimes…we get mice too! I would have done the same thing. (except i usually call my husband and beg him to come home. lame… i know).

amy jupin - EEEEEEKKK!
and
annie looks so cute in her new duds.
(by the way, and i can’t even make this stuff up, i promise you…
but just as i typed ‘eek’, i saw something crawling on my leg and it was a cricket!!
josh just fed our frogs and one cricket must have escaped!
talk about scream?!!?!?!
eeeeekkkkk!!)

emily anderson - love that dress! super cute 🙂

Holly - Annie is cute! DO you think they might have sweater leggings in my size?! 😉 As for the mouse you should let that sweet kitty cat in for a bit!

marcy bradford - hi meg! love your blog! where did you get your big pom-pom fringe on your pillows? I m looking for jumbo pom pom fringe in lavendar for some pillows in my litte girl’s room 🙂 thanks!
-marcy

happygirl - I don’t like seeing a mouse scurry across the floor, either. but, when you live in the woods, you gets mice. dang it. Spiders totally freak me out. LOVE the sweater leggings. A-DOR-A-BLE. 🙂

Kerry - oh she looks adorable!! love that 2nd picture… oh im the same with the mice – yuk!!!!

Heather - I have always jumped and screamed at the sight of mice too.
Last night I saw one in the garage and I just stood there and watched it run away. It was the strangest thing. I thought to myself…I must be getting old. I don’t have the energy to be scared anymore! LOL

sue - Not happy about the trap but I guess you got to do what you have to do.!

Laura - Sooooo funny, I have a goldendoodle too, only ours is Bailey. For three days she was in the EXACT same position with her nose under the coach and crying. I kept looking and looking – nothing. Then I became convinced it was a mouse INSIDE the couch = ughhhh! Hubby was out of town so I figured I would wait for him to check it out – last night while at a meeting my 11 year old texted me – turns our Bailey had managed to shove her beloved ball INSIDE the couch and that is what she was crying for. Next time I will know to look harder!

jackie grandy - I meant to say there not their. Sorry for the grammatical error in my above post!

Laura Phelps - i want to move in with you
you live life in color
does that make sense?
i just washed dishes for over an hour (broken dish washer) and it is grey and starting to rain and i was thinking about my recent life and my blog and how i need to post something COLORFUL because i am sick of the struggle and sadness
anyway
i love you
your life is in color
🙂

jackie grandy - We all scream when their is something in our house that is unexpected, even an itsy bitsy cute little mouse. We know that it can’t really hurt us but it just unexpectedly strikes up that fear response.
We had a garden snake in our house last spring and it freaked me out. I was waking out of the laundry room and saw this bright green snake slithering on my kitchen floor. I dropped all of my laundry and screamed and screamed. I know garden snakes don’t hurt us, but I did not sleep knowing it was in my house slithering around somewhere. I sat on the dining room table with my cleaning gloves and a bag waiting for it to slither out so I could grab it. I also put towels underneath our bedroom doors so it would not get in our bedrooms. Luckily we never saw the snake again and it most likely went out as quickly as it came in. I really think I scared it away with my screams 🙂

Ashlyn@Pinecone - Man, you have got some great pictures of Annie – so cute!!
We have cats and whenever there is a spider or fly around they are after it (well…they are after it if they are not sleeping, which covers about 19 hours of every day!) I think they might even wake up for a mouse 🙂
If it happens again (god forbid) Waffle will be ready!!

Seriously Sassy Mama - I hate mice. We used to live by a field, and they were always finding their way into our house.

Rachel J - We had a mouse in the house over the summer.And let me tell you, this city girl almost died! IT was horrible! And my sweet little beagle Charlie was oblivious! I posted about it on my blog…… http://faithfulcitymouse.blogspot.com/2011/07/mouse-in-house.html
Have a great day!

TinaM. - I wish I was cool enough to wear those cozy tights. I’ve always loved them ever since I was a little kid.
p.s. I scream at mice too!

Terrie G - I scream too!! Loved the pic of Waffle with his nose under the couch!

shannon - I would scream if I saw a mouse in my house too! I had one run across my toe a few weeks back but it was outside my backdoor and that was scary enough.
Love Annie’s new outfit and I LOL when I read about the bootie dance, my 4 year old always does that little dance after she puts her panties on, crazy kids 🙂

Kim - oh. my. goodness.
mylie does similar things with bugs and flies.
a mouse would be too big for her.
but she definitely would go for it.
until the mouse moved.
waffle is my dog hero of the day.
brave little guy. haha!

April M - love that second picture of Annie 🙂

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Bounce.

November 9, 2011 Filed in Uncategorized

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i have laundry problems.
i do.
with seven people in the house we have a lot of dirty laundry!

so here is my NEW system…. their names on the wall… their dirty clothes in hampers under their name.
they aren't allowed more than one basket in the laundry room and the most important rule to me is
NO CLOTHES ON THE FLOOR.

everyone gets a day of the week to wash their own clothes… even my 7 year old.
it goes oldest to youngest and then dad & mom.

IF they get it in the washer before school i told them i would help them by moving it to the dryer for them
if i have time and if they have been behaving well i will even fold it for them.
they are highly motivated to get their laundry started before school now.
BUT they have to take it to their rooms and put it away.

(thank you to the blog reader who gave me that suggestion!)

the other change in our laundry room is the addition of the Bounce Dryer Bar.

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it has been so helpful for us especially with so many different people using the same laundry room.
this is one step that is already done.
with the Bounce Dryer Bar, it's automatic.

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it does just what the box says it does.
"Stick it and forget it!" for up to 3 months!!

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it looks kind of like a bar of soap when it's out of the packaging.
it's attached to the Bounce Dryer Bar cradle, which has an adhesive backing on it.
peel off the paper and stick it to the inside of your dryer.
like this:

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it works the same as dryer sheets but i don't have to remember to put the dryer sheet in!
i was always forgetting and we had so much static in our clothes.

it's made from the same stuff as dryer sheets but just molded into a bar.
the clothes bounce around and the dryer heats up and it gets your clothes fresh and controls the static.
and no more worries about dryer sheets stuck to your clothes in embarrassing situations…..

it's great to have one less thing to think about when it comes to the laundry.
i get freshness, softness and static control for months…awesome!

i even LIKED their facebook page!
it has a bunch of videos with an awesome orange dryer that i fell in love with.
go check it out for yourself.

to win your own Bounce Dryer Bar and a $50 Visa gift card from BlogHer and Bounce, leave me a comment below. do you have any other laundry tips i can try?

Rules: No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. The Official Rules are available here.
Good Luck Everybody!

For more opportunities to win, visit the Bounce round-up page on BlogHer.com to read other bloggers' reviews!

add a comment

Lynn Downs - I have a five-year old daughter who now knows the laundry. It is her task every weekend to separate the clothes before we put those in the machine. At her young age, she knows this task already and that makes me the proudest.

Sarah T - I think the location of the laundry directly correlates to how much I dread doing the laundry. In our current apartment, it is in a shared basement and I HATE going down there! We are moving to a house this week that has a second floor laundry which was the total selling point of the house! I think my biggest tip is to not get behind and try to do a load a day rather than a full laundry day on Saturday!

Eugenie - I always turn off the water at the intake valve afterwards to avoid possible dripping or flooding.

Lee - I use an old toothbrush to clean the lint filter.

Jammie - Only tip I have is wash as soon as needed because once it gets backed up it isnt easy getting caught back up. sweepmorey at gmail dot com

Sarah L - Fresh out of tips. I like your system.
Thanks for the contest.

angie lilly - My laundry tip is that MOST laundry detergents work just as well in cold water as in hot, so using cold water will save you money by not using your water heater as much!!

nanjhall - The best laundry I have is to get someone else to do it:) If that doesn’t work, I try to always stay caught up so it doesn’t seem like there is mountains of laundry to do.

Robin @ Our Semi Organic Life - this looks great! I’d love to win one!

lala r - i use a laundry zipper bags. each one has their own for socks and underwear. this way i dont need to sort them out and goes directlyto the closet after drying.
amramazon280 at yahoo dot com

Georgia - Tweeted here too
https://twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/143768219436584960
gmissycat at yahoo dot com

Georgia - I really don’t have any tips but I am going to read everyone else’s for sure.
gmissycat at yahoo dot com

Fujiko Matsui - I’m trying to reduce the amount of clothing in our household. (Maybe less clothing means less laundry?) The kids have all gotten so many hand me downs from neighbors and friends and well meaning relatives that they wear something and throw it on the floor. Their drawers are overflowing and the pile on the floor keeps growing. I’ve put two bins (The large storage totes) one for each kid in the hall. After I do the laundry I put each kids clothing in their bin. They have to take out what they want to keep and put it away in their drawers and then I take whats left in the bins at the end of the week and take it out to donate. ^_^ Its starting to make a dent.

Christina Tong - I am trying to think of any laundry tip for you, but I can see you have been doing very well and your kids are already highly motivated to do their laundry. To me It’s perfect. Keep doing this way!
ctong2[AT]gmail[DOT]com

nan - i fold laundry and put it in baskets based on upstairs/downstairs for easier putting away
nannypanpan at gmail.com

Lynn - My laundry tip is to NEVER dry clothes that have undergone color bleeding. Wash them again with regular detergent and color-safe bleach.

Cori Westphal - I use Rit Dye Color Remover to get my white whiter than ever! it’s cheap and works great!
coriwestphal at msn dot com

Donna B. - I installed a tension rod in the laundry room so I can hang up clothes out of the dryer, less wrinkling that way. That’s the only tip I can think of.

Tabathia B - We have a separated baskets for towels and wet clothing
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

cw - laundry tip….spray stains right away.

Ayed2016 - My laundry tip would be to teach a kid how to do laundry and make it their regular chore. My oldest does all of our laundry and I fold it when she is done and then they have to come pick it up. I fold it on my bed, that way it has to be put away before bed time. Haha.
ape2016(at)aol(dot)com

karen M - Before taking clothes out of the washer, run the washer for extra spin cycle. This will get more water out of the clothes and they will not take as long to dry in the dryer
karenmed409 at comcast dot net

Rosa - I do love the product and like the ideas in your blog.

Nicole - I like to separate the colors into different piles before I got to wash them. Then I can just throw the piles in as I go. It goes much more quickly this way.

Laura Martin - The only laundry tip I have is get a tall hamper so your dog doesn’t steal your dirty clothes and hide them! I heard a tip from the guy who came to fix my mom’s front load washer. Apparently you only truly need to use a few tablespoons of detergent in the new high efficiency washers as they don’t use much water…the detergent companies don’t want us to know that dirty little secret!

Val - I always forget the dryer sheet – so the Bounce Bar is the BEST~

Tina M - I have no tips. I ask my hubby or little one to help me
merleandtina@yahoo.com

Kelli Baker - I love the idea of trying the Bounce bar! I don’t have kids yet, so I should be taking tips from you! Wow!

rosemarie - i use these all the time

Dahbou - Doing laundry happens to be one of my most dreaded chores. This Bounce bar looks amazing, though. I do have one tip… turn anything that might get lint on it inside out. It’s a lot harder to get the lint off afterwards than it is to keep it off in the first place.

Lauren - I got my first Bounce Bar about a month ago. Now my clothes actually smell fresh! I used to never remember to put the dryer sheet in, but now I don’t have to.

Tammy EL - I don’t think I have any special tips, except to stay ahead of it or the piles overwhelm everyone.

Mandy - I only have to worry about my own laundry but I am a SNOB when it comes to how my clothes, towels, sheets, etc. smell when they come out of the dryer. I am excited to try the bounce bar.

Kate W. - I have no tips..I can’t even keep up with my own laundry, yikes!

Katelyn - The bounce bar would be great for my family, I will have to try it.

rebecca - Wow! What a great time saver!

Debra F - I have no tricks or suggestions….I don’t even separate my darks and lights.. oh the horror!

Jamie C - Put the kids to work – that’s all…lol. I, personally, wait until my kids are in bed…but they’re all very young and make laundry somewhat more difficult! 🙂
Thanks so much for the chance to win – love your site!!

Kerry - My only tip is to not get behind- I have done that before, and it takes way too much to get caught back up! I try to do a load every other day.

Anita B. - use less detergent it’s better for the environment. unless your clothes are filthy and covered in schmutz. i’d cut back atleast half of what you’re currently using. i use only half of the lil cuppy thing. all those chemicals can’t be that good for ya. imnotarunner at gmail dot com

Brandy - Use Oxy? Don’t let husbands sort clothes? I’m really hopeless. 😉

Holly - I have absolutely no tips… my hubby and I are expecting a baby in about 8 weeks (!!) and I can’t even keep up with our laundry!! I try to make a rule saying that as soon as a load comes out of the dryer I HAVE to immediately fold and put them away… but right now there are probably 5 baskets of CLEAN laundry sitting in the laundry room 🙁 Oh well, aren’t rules made for breaking?!

Laurie - Gotta love having one less step to keep up with! I have to try this out!!

Rachel - I’ve always wanted to try one of those!

Allie - At my house the laundry is all done by the hubby because he says I fold things wrong… My tip is therefore to fold poorly until someone else takes over (just kidding)

Miguelina Salvador - I don’t have any tips but we love bounce is the only brand we use
babitababita@hotmail.com

ANGEL JACKLYN - I HEARD CREAM SODA CLEANS UP STAINS BUT NEVER TRIED IT. OTHER THAN THAT, I’M TERRIBLE AT LAUNDRY (& YOU’D THINK IT WASN’T POSSIBLE, BUT IT IS… LOL)

Claire - Ah! I am a teacher and static cling has been my very worst enemy, along with those hard-to-find dryer sheets; so, I always count how many I put in and remove the same number when they come out! It sound like a process, but I swear–it’s made me think so much less about what’s sticking to what!

Melanie - Great ideas! I like the Bounce Bar.

kim - That’s a lot of dirty laundry…..Glad they are all pitching in!

Nichole Larson - Love the dryer bar!!!!! I’ve used it for awhile now, I dislike the dryer sheets everywhere and could not control those.

Mary Anne - I could definitely use one of these! I am a young newly married woman and I am trying to start off right, with a good budget. I make my own laundry detergent (and LOVE it) but it doesn’t leave that nice scent. Having those dryer sheets in one, would not only help take away the need of all those sheets all over! And it would help get a clean fresh smell on the clothes!

Sylwia - I don’t mind doing laundry but the folding part is the one I hate. Sometimes they are days before I fold them or I just simply forget that thay have been washed and I wash them again!:)

Lauren - I got the Bounce Dryer Bar for free off of their Facebook page over the summer. I haven’t used it yet, I was waiting until my drier sheets were used up… I might have to break it out, though!

Amanda - I have seen the Bounce dryer bar in the store, but I haven’t tried it yet…but…I have a coupon for one and now I’ve read your post I am going to go pick one up! (I use Bounce, just the sheets…dryer bar here we come!)

Brandi - I love the bar simply because the little dryer sheets that end up all over the floor bug me! 🙂 My only tip is that I throw in a scoop of Borax with every washer load…I’ve seen a huge difference in my clothes since I started that!

Carol B - i’ve been wanting to try this ever since I read your post on the dryer bar!

Austin - I (mostly) won a fight against fish oil by leaving a load of laundry in the sun/rain for a week.

Shannon Chambers - I love my Bounce Bar! Been using it for over a year now!! Oh…and my kids do their own laundry too! A lot of my friends gasp when I say this and then chime in with my kids would just die!! And believe it or not, they’re both still alive!!LOL!!

Elizabeth Ann - I recently started using the Bounce bar too and I like it! Would be cool to win another one!

Stephanie C. - I only have one basket that I use for toting clean and dirty clothes around. So if its full with one or the other I have to take care of them before I can do any more laundry. It just forces me to do it.

Jachel - I’ve started my 21 month old helping with laundry. He helps me put clothes in the washer and the dryer. He also helps me put clothes away. He loves it and even if it takes longer, so do I.

Carrie - Sorry if this posts twice…I typed my email incorrectly!
We are only a family of four, but laundry adds up quickly here! My husband prefers to do the laundry on Saturday and spend all day doing it. I prefer to do a load every day to stay caught up…I think it’s easier that way!

Carrie - We are only a family of four, but laundry adds up quickly here! My husband prefers to do the laundry on Saturday and spend all day doing it. I prefer to do a load every day to stay caught up…I think it’s easier that way!

Jessie C. - Never pile them up. Do them by schedule, say at least twice a week depends on each case.

Breeanna @ a brilliant melody - It’s only my husband and I living together, so I don’t think I could give you any tips for 7 people! But I’m amazed at how our two laundry hampers are full by the end of the week!

Rebecca - A dryer bar sounds like a great idea! I don’t have any suggestions for you, but I think I’ll be taking some of yours…especially regarding each member of the household taking responsibility for his or her own laundry.

steph - my only tip is to let most things air dry – less static and less electricity!

Whitney S - I hate doing laundry! And there’s only 2 of us! I have been eyeing the dryer bar for awhile now… glad to know you like it!

Ashley H. - I don’t have any more tips but it looks like you are doing just great.

Elizabeth C. - I definitely want to get one of these~ Sometimes I read a good book to the kids, and let them fold while I read. But it definitely doesn’t work on a regular basis! You sound like you have a good system going!

Susan Smith - My tip is to get the whole family to help with laundry.

FSB - With a family of 5, laundry is never finished. The Bounce Bar would be a welcome edition to our laundry room.

colleen - Laundry is not my favorite thing to do so saving a step sounds great to me! Sign me up!!

Franny - My tip is when the laundry situation gets overwhelming — declare laundry bankruptcy — get a roll (or 2) of quarters, load it all up and go to the laundry mat — gets it done in less time than you could at home doing one load at a time because you can use as many washer/dryers as necessary.

Andrea R. - We don’t have as many kids in our house – just 2 – so our laundry isn’t as much of a mountain as yours! But it is still quite the mountain to climb! We have started having the kids be in charge of all towels in sheets in the house. Fridays after school they start those. They are in charge of folding and delivering it as well. They also fold and put away all their own clothes. I had to give up control over the neatness of their drawers, but it has been a big help.

Melanie - I’ve seen the Bounce dryer bar ads in magazines but have never tried it. There’s “only” 3 of us in my household, but I do a ton of laundry, as I wash our towels and washcloths after each use (yeah, I’m a bit neurotic w/that)…and my hubby wears a uniform to work, then changes into regular clothes, and we both have workout clothes!
Nice to see that your kids pretty much do their own laundry. I trained mine to do that when they were young, too.

Emily - I love the idea for the bounce bar, but with a baby coming I have to think about the sensitive skin thing.. but once he gets older we’ll be switching back! It’s kinda a pain to stick it and then have to take it out to do baby clothes!

Courtney M - As far as tips go, you are a family of 7 and I have a family of 4, so your tips are probably worth more weight than mine.

nora - no tips since i have a two year old and a 6 month old and our laundry is made up of mostly bibs and tiny socks. the 2 year old really likes to help, so hopefully i can get him doing his own laundry in a couple of years 🙂

Bailey C - My kids are too young to do their own laundry…I would love to pay someone to come and fold and put away my laundry…that’s the part I HATE the most!

Nici - I find it best to separate the laundry and wash it per person as well, then I take the dried clothes into the room of the person and fold it in there…this way it gets put away right away!

Kari - I don’t really have any laundry tips but I am a huge fan of Bounce. Their dryer sheets are great for cleaning soap scum out of the bathtub.

Georgia - Tweeted too
https://twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/134969968080064512
gmissycat at yahoo dot com

Georgia - No big laundry tips here. Not my favorite job but I am going to try this bar out for sure.
gmissycat at yahoo dot com

Missy - Great invention…….would like to try it.

Naomi Williams - Um…this looks amazing! My dear husband is always begging me to use triple the amount of fabric softener in his dress clothes b/c he HATES static, so this would make things super easy! Love this idea!

brenna - I want to try it! I just started using dryer sheets and this sounds even better!

Robin - So love that you are doing this with your kids! Such great life lessons you are instilling with them! Mine are grown and I wish I would have had them do this! Instead, I was very hard on myself and felt like it was MY job (even tho I worked full time) so therefore, there was always dirty laundry and always a stressed Momma trying to deal with it! Looking back…I WOULD have done that differently!! YOU GO GIRL! I would LOVE to try a Bounce bar too!!!

Lisa - I love this idea! I like the bounce bar too – who knew?!

donna - Lori Austin – YES it does come in free and clear.

donna - i love that bounce bar i just bought one and my clothes smell so fresh. i have 6 kids so i know what you mean about the laundry – however, you have trained your kids well and i have not 🙁

Lisa - Would love to try the Bounce dryer bar!

Christina Self - I stink at the dryer sheets too! This would be perfect.

sandee prince - good idea Bounce! I will def have to pick one up next time I go to Wally.
Thanks for the info!

jenn - I’m all about sticking it and forgetting it. Okay…I have to add in that about a year ago we “redid” our laundry room – translation: we replaced the single light bulb with a pretty chandelier (thrift store find + spray paint), hung some cabinets our friends were chunking during their kitchen redo – painted those and put glass knobs on them, and I repainted the laundry room. And now…I LOVE that room and it sounds ridiculous, but I promise it’s made me so much more motivated to tackle the never ending piles. In conclusion: making it pretty goes a long way towards motivation! After all, we do spend a lot of time in there!

christi @ burlap and basil - have you tried color catcher? never ever ever sort your laundry again. wash your whites with brights with blacks with stripes. toss n a color catcher. wash on cold. dry like you normally would. the color catcher catches excess dye – no bleeding. they have saved so many shirts and pants and sweatshirts in our house! buy them on amazon – they are cheapest there for a box of 12 boxes.

Christine - I just started using the bar this week and I LOVE it!! We have 5 in our household with three animals who shed like crazy so there is ALWAYS laundry to be done. But in order to keep my sanity, laundry days are Mondays and Wednesdays. Don’t get your clothes in the dirty piles by then, no clean outfits for you. Then after its all washed and dried, everyone has their own laundry basket that they all get sorted into and they are responsible for folding and putting it away. So far its working for us!

Maria - Sorry, no tips. That is a lot of laundry.

Stacy - We keep wooden, spring-style clothespins on the hampers in each bedroom. If you get a stain on your clothing, attach a clothespin to that item before tossing it into the hamper. Later, when laundry is sorted in our basement, items that have clothespins get stain treatment before being sorted into the appropriate pile. No more set-in stains…at least not because I didn’t know that the stain existed.

lacey poag - oh laundry! what works best for our family is to HANG everything that gets hung straight out the dryer…less ironing. win. win.

Allison - I like to throw in a handful of baking soda with a load of clothes when the washer starts to smell musty. My front load washer can get icky pretty fast if we don’t leave the door open between cycles!

Brandie - I have been very curious about these bars. I always forget to buy the sheets when I run out!

Diana - Wow! I am constantly behind on laundry and I only have 2 kiddos! I used to have a laundry “day” but now I’m realizing I need to do some every single day. My 3 year old “helps”, but it looks like you’re doing a great job actually having your kids do it themselves. They WILL thank you someday when they’re in college and they’re the only one of their friends who knows how to work a washer and dryer!

Michelle Whitlow - I used to use that dryer bar but now that I have cloth diapers for the littlest one I can’t…can’t use fabric softener on diapers 🙁

Elizabeth Ann - there is nothing like the smell of fresh laundry! and warm towels just our of the dryer! i like your ideas!

52scrap - I absolutely LOVE the bounce dryer bar. I have my three children bring their dirty clothes to the laundry room, they sort and I wash and dry. They then have to fold and put away their own laundry. Works very well for us. Then I only have to fold my own and I do that while catching up on my favorite tv shows. 🙂

Brooke Guevara - Just wanted to note that you have to remember to change it! I bought one and loved it, until it became so convenient that I forgot to change it. It ended up getting pretty worn down after 5-6 months and I finally changed it when I noticed some of my cloths were catching on it and tearing. love this product; I just need to remember that its there. hehe

angela - Don’t hate me…I love to do laundry! Your kids would love me! Just sayin….:)

Allison Muhlbauer - I really want to try the Bounce Dryer bar. One less thing to remember to do!!

Tracy - That’s a great idea! I’d love to forget about dryer sheets for 3 months at a time. Eco-friendly, too!

Jayne - I use dryer sheets and am excited to try this bar. I hope I win!

Jody H - I love the bounce bar. I’ve used it and it works great. I’m not sure I have any tips for you. I do all my laundry (for a family of 7) on Monday. I usually save all the folding til the end and watch a movie while I fold clothes and sort them into the kid’s baskets. The kids then get their baskets and take them to their rooms to put away. I think the way you have your kids involved is better, but this works for me. hickenfam at hotmail dot com

Leah - No tips here, but I am loving yours!

the domestic fringe - I use these bounce bars and I like them too. You’ve got a great system going on!
~FringeGirl

Kristin Hayne - The only MUST have item I have with laundry are laundry bags… they are fantastic for jeans or sweaters…. I always have the problem of all the legs intertwining and making a wonderful “jean bow” when it goes into the the dryer. Have you ever tried ironing those creases out? They seem like they are permanant!!! I swear!!
Sweet bar…. will have to try that one of these days… didn’t even know it existed!!!!

jodi - I’m glad I’m not alone.I have three girls. (two of which change outfits at least 3 times a day) Laundry is never ending at our house. These dryer bars look awesome. Would love to try.

Lisa Anibal - i LOVE the Bounce Dryer Bar!!!! No more dryer sheets found in pant legs during meetings 🙂

andrea - I would love to try the bar! I wash and dry my 2 kids stuff, but their job is to put it away…they’re not very good at that!! any pointers?? they are 10 and 7

Christy - Good lord you need your own laundry mat. I use the dryer bars and love them.

Stephanie Z. - family of 6 here too and I simply cant keep up, so your ideas might just be my best ideas too…beats the clothes on my bedroom floor waiting to get folded for a week!

Lori Austin - Only 2 kiddos in this house. I try to do a load a day to stay caught up and I always fold right away (except this week – been sick, sick, sick…) I also only own one laundry basket for the clean clothes (refuse to use same basket for dirty/clean clothes). This works for me – probably not everyone.
Wonder if the bounce bar comes in free and clear??

Lisa - We are a family of six and anything that will make doing laundry easier is a plus for me. I’m going to give the dryer bar a shot. 🙂

Kari - I don’t have any tips for you, since I am the laundry machine in my house. Everyone says I’m insane, but I actually LIKE doing laundry, AND folding it, so I don’t mind doing everyone’s laundry. I think your systems sounds like it will work great. Given the opportunity for you to finish it for them seems like it will keep them motivated to get it started before school. And I really like the idea of assigned days. I think I’ll start using that when i start making other people do their own laundry. Oh, and I wanted to say, I LOVE the dryer bar. The previous tenant had left one in an apartment I lived in, and I have been buying them ever since. :]

Kacy - I do a load a day, at least, to avoid a huge mountain of laundry. But, I only have 3 kids so this method probably wouldn’t work for you 🙂 My oldest is 11- I need to follow your lead and have her start doing her own laundry!!

Shawna - We have been using the dryer bar for a year now and love it. No tips but I make my 3 kids sort their own clothes in the color piles. I do all the laundry on weekends and then I put the laundry in their baskets and they take it to their room and put it away. If I have time I fold it for them, otherwise they have to do that also.

Wendy B. - No tips, but I do like that the kiddos are helping out…that might cut down on the multiple outfit changes. I like the Bounce bar because you don’t have to pick up and toss all the dryer sheets when you are folding – I have never gotten mine to last the 3 mos. though, I think that is for people who do a couple loads a week! 🙂

Nicole - Oh girl…no tips here. I generally do the laundry in one fell swoop, but we only have three people here. I love it that your kiddoes do their own laundry!

Dena - Am I the only one that hates the smell of Bounce? I’m a Downy girl, but this is a good idea.

Ruth H. - Ummmm…..I think you just answered my prayers! I’ve been hating our laundry situation. It has been no fun lately. Clothes everywhere. I’m starting to forget which baskets are clean and which are dirty. I’m totally going to try this! Thank you, Meg!

Laura - I also have five kids and was excited to try the bounce bar, but I was SO disappointed. It didn’t work at all for us. Everything came out of the dryer snapping and crackling with static. Went right back to dryer sheets.
Right now, it doesn’t matter though. We moved about three months ago, and haven’t had a dryer since! I just do a load or two a day, and it all gets done. 🙂

Elizabeth Jorgensen - I have not tried the bounce bar yet..I still use the sheets. My children now 18, 14 and 12 have been doing their own laundry for about 7 yrs now, it’s been heaven. The problem I have is they usually don’t get their clothes back in their dressers. Walked in the other morning to find my oldest sleeping on his bedroom floor because all his clean clothes were on his bed! REALLY…So now only to get them to put away their clothes!

Amy Smith - I tweeted here about the giveaway. Thanks!
http://twitter.com/#!/proverbs3116/status/134407368820793344

Amy Smith - This sounds great! I even have trouble remembering the dryer sheet sometimes!

Amanda - I have used the dryer bars before with good out come. For some reason I forgot about ’em so I may be buying some more in the future. My laundry is also never ending, but I’m the biggest offender of changing my clothes often and saying they are ‘dirty’.

Melissa - Sounds easy! Great job getting your kids to do their laundry…mine are 3 and 5, so not sure when we can start that!

Heather R. - Thank you for spoiling us! I’ll have to give the Bounce bar a go. I have hangers at the ready and don’t fold clothes. Everything gets hung and it is FASTER. Undies and socks get tossed in their drawers. 😉

Diana Yarborough - I need the tall laundry baskets. We seem to do a load of laundry a day – we don’t have enough clothes to go too long without doing a load?
Folding is the problem!

Danielle - We tried this bar about a month ago and have never turned back! With 2 little boys, we go through a lot of laundry, so we have definitely put it to the test. It’s performed beautifully and it’s so cool that is says “replace” when it’s all used up – which is where ours is right now! Perfect timing for this giveaway (:

Sarah - I am bad about not grabbing the dryer sheets out before grabbing all the laundry so I always end up finding dryer sheets strewn through out the house! Such a great idea that dryer bar!

Diana - Can’t wait to try this!! I use the sheets and I forget to add them sometimes as well! This just makes sense and takes one more thing off a busy mothers mind!

Jane - I have noticed several blogs that are encouraging the dryer bar. I will have to try that. I also like the idea you have used for a clothes basket for each member of the family. I will have to pass that idea on to my oldest daughter. Unfortunately, she has recently become a single mom of 3 young children and she has a huge laundry problem. I think this would help her and give the children some responsibility and also encourage them to know that they are helping out. Thanks!!

Carrie - I want to try one of those! I only have two daughters, but I do laundry every single day…

Juli - That sounds amazing and less waste in the waste basket!

Talia - Wow! I love your laundry solution. Honestly, it never dawned on me to have everyone do their own laundry. What a great system you have put into play! I am going to start doing the same. Thanks for sharing!

Michelle - You could get the kids names in vinyl and put them on the wall more permanently. You wouldn’t have to worry about the paper getting wrecked or torn off the wall and ending up in the machine with the laundry. Heck I would even offer to make their names for you if you wanted all you’d have to do is put them on the wall since I live in Canada! Let me know! Great system, by the way! (If you go to my blog there is a link at the top to my scrapjazz gallery, you can see some of my vinyl there)
Have a great day!

Christy - I also have a family of 7 with tons of laundry! That bar looks quite convenient, I’ll have to try it!!

Amy - I love this idea! Must try it!!

Jennie - My only tip is one that you are already doing. I make sure that our laundry never gets to be more than one hamper full for my husband and I and a separate one for our little girl. When either gets full, that means I MUST do laundry. As a general rule, though, I do a load of laundry every day. It keeps things from getting to overwhelming amounts and makes sure that people get to wear their favorite clothes when they “need” them. 😉

Penny - My girls are mostly grown, just the 17 year old at home now. I started them on their own laundry by the time they were about 12. So good for you getting the little girls going early! It always felt like we had tons of laundry when all three girls were living at home. We were constantly losing socks! Where do they go? That has always baffled me. I have been meaning to try this Bounce Bar. I would love to win one!

Deanna - Unless everyone in the family is naked when all the laundry is done there will ALWAYS be dirty laundry. That’s my depressing tip!

Chantel - Even for a family of four, laundry can be a nightmare. I tried the Bounce bar and liked the idea, but not the scents (I know, I’m an oddball). Then I saw that they just came out with one in Gain scent and I was hooked!

Kasey - I cannot imagine the amount laundry for 7 people!

Holly - I hear ya on the clothes, as I have 5 kids also. I do two loads a day, one dark and one light and have to immediately fold it or hang it as soon as the dryer finishes. And, according to facebook comments I am one of the last few who irons. I think I am OCD in the laundry department.

Katie Holeman - To save money on laundry detergent I make mine! It’s super easy, cheap and lasts a long time! I use a dove bar, borax and washing soda.

Jenn - Great product and blog!

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I love that you have your kids doing their own laundry and you’re a good mom telling them you will help them fold it 🙂

Lari - There are 6 @ our house and I’m the only girl so lots of smelly laundry here! LOL! My tip is to keep a stain stick in the boys’ bathroom and have them treat any stains when they get undressed. Since they sort the laundry too, it helps me not miss as many stains. Also teach them YOUNG to sort clothes! As soon as they know their colors…they can sort! I like to think my DILs will be grateful one day! 😉

Kris Timson-Bates - I have been meaning to pick up a Bounce Bar to try. I absolutely HATE picking up the dryer sheets that inevitably end up all over the floors, which become slipping hazards on tile. I am pleased to see that you have had success with the bar and can’t wait to get one to see how it works out for me. I have 3 kids (4 if you count my husband).
My husband and I like to fold laundry while watching a movie, so we can share the responsibility and spend time together. It works great catching up on shows we have on the DVR as well. The chore goes by quicker and on commercial breaks we distribute the clothes where they belong.
I also tweeted about this promotion here: http://twitter.com/#!/krisinterrupted

Amanda - oh goodness the Bounce bar certainly looks like a time saver … one that my static clinged family could use. My laundry problems stem from having two little boys who think the floor is their hamper :/

Tanya H - no laundry tips for you…other than next year I am going to have my son use the washing machine and dryer for the family laundry. However, I am very interested in the dryer bar becuase this last time Walmart only had boxes of dryer sheets that were half as many as before, and for the same price. SO not cool!

Rosemary - I tweeted about the contest:
http://twitter.com/#!/Lupakitty

Rosemary - Me oh my this post came on an appropriate day. I swear I did about 8 loads of laundry today(none folding. doh!). I ran out of dryer sheets third load in. (double doh!)

Kate H - I was nervous to stick something into my dryer, but I got one about 6 months ago and I just replaced it. I am in love. No more dryer sheets all over! I don’t have any tips. I don’t have kids yet, but I was one of 5 kids. I started doing laundry at an early age because I got sick of not having my clothes when I wanted them or having them end up in someone elses room! And I am pretty sure my husband has more laundry than I do! I love the dryer bar! And my husband 🙂

Michelle - I have a small basket for each person in our family (6 of us) that I have sitting on top of the washer and dryer. As I pull socks and underwear out of the dryer, it automatically goes into each persons basket. They always know where to go for socks and underwear.

alphabetmomma - What a great idea! My tip: I give my little people their own stain sticks. With 6 kiddos there is a lot of laundry in this house too! Love your blog!

Kim York - Love the idea of sticking a bounce bar in and forgetting about it. I “try” to remember the bounce sheets 😉

Holly - I loved everything about the bounce bar but one small detail. I accidentally put a tennis shoe in the dryer and it knocked my bar plum off! Other than that I love it!

mollie b. - no tips…but i might steal yours! i’ve never tried the bar, but i usually use 2 or 3 dryers sheets because i want my clothes to smell really good 🙂

Marie - maybe getting some hampers with wheels on them to roll around instead of dragging baskets? i’ve always wanted to get some but they’re kinda pricey. 🙂

Karen - Yay for more effecient laundry!

Arlene - Definitely seems like a money saver not to have to go through all those dryer sheets!

Carla - Looks like a great product – thanks for the chance to win.

Amy N - Wow, I wish my kids were doing their own laundry! Soon I hope. I don’t think I have any tips for you!

Adrienne S - I love the idea of the kids doing their own. But, I am not there yet. I do have three different colored baskets in the hallway. One for darks, one for lights and one for underwear/socks. When they are full..I do laundry. It works for me. If the teenagers decide to not put their laundry in the baskets then it does not get done.

Tara Gallinger - I don’t have any tips for you but I sure am envious of the size of your laundry room!!! Mine is a glorified box…talk about needing some organization:)

Joy Kinard - We are learning to get landrydone around a new schedule and it has been so hectic! And… I ran out of dryer sheets today- for real. That Bounce bar would have come in handy!

Linda B - I also do laundry “by person”. The only other “tip” I would have is that I turn my jeans inside out so that they don’t fade as fast. I tried putting the kids socks in a lingerie bag to keep them together, but it didn’t work for me.

Katie @ explanationrequired - A few months back I was trying to find alternative to dryer sheets – they just seem so wasteful. This might be just the right thing!

Kimberly - I wish my kids did their own laundry. With one only being 3, it seems unfair to make the 8 year old do his separately from everyone else’s. Well, he puts his own clothes away.
The biggest thing that helps with laundry here is re-wearing. My husband and I both have sets of hooks one which we hang our favorites. The kids’ clothes get re-used less often, but if they are clean enough, they get hung up for another use.
I’d love the give the dryer bar a try. I use liquid and would be glad to change to something less messy.

Lynda M. - Don’t hate, but I like doing laundry 🙂 I’m only doing it for a family of 3 though – I’m sure I would feel differently if I had a family of 7!

Nichole - I’m intrigued. I’d never seen such a thing. I don’t have kids, so our laundry is simple: a load a day. But static is always an issue. My fiance and I have to touch before we kiss because, wow, it hurts otherwise. Bzzt!

Bethany - i love the dryer bar!! i have been using them for about a year and i will probably never go back to dryer sheets. it sounds like you have a great system set up for laundry. i just taught my 12 year old how to do her laundry. i realized that she was way too old to NOT know how to do her own laundry. if only my 1 year old could be trained…

sara @ it's good to be queen - wow, you’re kids are going to be set up for life! so…my ginormo laundry issue is the fact that my boys have mounds of clothes on the floor of their bedroom…it never even makes it to their laundry basket in the bathroom without me nagging them….sigh…it’s exhausting. and socks…everywhere. okay now i’m just complaining. 😉 i’ve tried the dryer bar and i like it. one less step is a definite bonus. now i’m thinking it’s time for them to put their own clothes away…however i don’t know if i can handle it since i know they will just stuff them in the drawers, willy nilly.

Flower Patch Farmgirl - Pure magic! I’m intrigued.

Tori - I keep a bottle of stain remover in my daughter’s changing table. At the end of the day, I just spray down the evidence of her fun day and throw the clothes in the hamper. Everything then washes clean when I get around to doing that load!

Anna Marie - These are so great! I have been using them for a bit and then went back to sheets but I really do like them and need to get a refill.

Beth Ann - No tips, I am trying figure out how to get laundry done for myself, my husband and a 5, yr old, a 4 yr old and 6 month old….

Jen - my laundry tip is like an anti-tip, don’t let your clothes pile up for a month and a half…it takes forever to wash them all. learn from my mistakes!

Christy K - I’m not sure how it happens, but somehow the laundry in our house seems to pile up faster than we can wear the clothes! I too have experienced the ‘dryer sheet stuck to clothing and appearing at the most inopportune time’ situation… would love to give it a try… anything to make doing laundry in a household with 5 people more efficient sounds good to me!

Joleen - I hate doing laudry, this would be a great help!

April M - I have those same tall, narrow baskets 🙂
yeah for clean laundry that doesn’t shock you when you pull it out of the dryer!

Meghan - For stains I like the Dreft stain spray. It works miracles on my infant’s clothes so I’ve started using it on mine and my husband’s clothes too.

Jolene (Homespun Heritage) - Our laundry system is pretty simple. I do mom/dad laundry, then the boys, then the girls….(then towels or sheets) and its done. I’m seriously OCD about laundry!

Ana Hogan - I would love to try the bounce bar! I hate using dryer sheets anymore. I am always finding them on my kitchen floor, usually after I’ve almost slipped and busted my tail from stepping on one. I cannot do laundry without Resolve Spray and Wash. There is nothing that resolve cannot get out. With three small kids, and lots of clothes to manage, it’s a blessing to have.

Kimmie - I love that you are getting your kids involved with their own laundry! I will have to remember this in a few years when they are old enough to see the top of the washer 🙂 I will admit I was surprised you didn’t make the name labels in rainbow colors 😉

Alma - I have been wanting to try the bar for a while now, but I keep forgetting to buy it when doing my shopping; just like forget to put the dryer sheets in dryer.

Kendra - Our 6 yr old son will soon become responsible for running laundry through – towels, socks, and underwear. Then 5 yr old sister and 4 yr old brother will help match/fold. My laundry tip – wear things more than once!!! If I find clothes laying around my kids’ floors and it’s not smelly or stained, back in the drawer it goes!

bread and jam - I’m a laundry slave. I don’t think a bar would help. Except maybe I’d get something out of the laundry smelling better.

Dawn - I would love to try the Bounce Dryer bar. Does it leave any grease spots on your clothes? I was using another product that shall remain nameless and it was super convenient, but suddenly grease spots were showing up on our clothes…NOT good. But my laundry tip for you is how to rid yourselves of these grease spots. Believe it or not…a little Dawn dish soap rubbed into the grease spot stain should do the trick. Just rub it in with your finger and throw it into the regular laundry. Even grease spots that have existed for awhile will come out. Truly, Dawn “cuts the grease”. 🙂

Eva Scott - I just had baby #2 and it’s unreal how much more laundry there is. While my kids aren’t nearly old enough to do their own laundry, I’ll have to tuck these ideas away to use in the future!

Amber B - I’ve used the Bounce Dryer Bar and LOVE IT!

Terri Peters - I have tons of laundry for my family of 6 and try to do at least 1 load a day to help me keep it manageable. Also keeping darks seperated from lights helps with the time it takes in sorting. I love the smell bounce dryer sheets gives the laundry too, nothing like fresh smelling sheets and towels!

Jenna - I’m also big on the spiky dryer balls! They are noisy but worth it.

kimmie - I just got a new washer & dryer and decided to try the bounce bar. I am totally loving it!
kimmie

Heather - I’ve been meaning to try that Bounce Bar! But force of habit I guess I mindlessly pick up the sheets everytime. Duh!

holly kurtzer - Family of 6 here, I always say if we would become nudists it would save a lot of hassle. My tip would be: hide the folded laundry baskets from the toddler or she will fling them all over. Or I guess you could just put them away?!?
and I tweeted about it too…
http://twitter.com/#!/fromhighway59
I have used dryer bars for almost a year and loooove them. Anything I can do to minimize my list with this A.D.D personality!!

Heather - I love that your kids are doing their own laundry. My girls have been responsible for folding and putting away their own laundry since they were 5 and 6. It’s a beautiful thing!

Ellen J - Hmm…being a single woman living by myself, I throw things in the washer as they become dirty. That way I just start it once it’s full.
I know that’s not a tip for you, but I unfortunately don’t have much wisdom in this department yet!! I do want to try the Bounce bar though!!

TinaM. - I like to do towels after everyone gets their shower at night. We’re a family of 5 so towels and washcloths add up quickly. I like to do this laundry at night because if I run out of time to fold them it doesn’t matter if they get wrinkles from staying in the dryer over night. Ironing is the last thing that I want to do!!

Terrie - You can have one of your moms come and live with you and have her do the laundry like the Duggars do…of course, then you would need to have 15 more kids!

Tracy - I’m wondering if the dryer bar stains clothing. I’ve had that problem with dryer sheets. Anyhoo, I center laundry day around tv programs or movies I want to watch so I have something to look forward to while I fold clothes.

Southern Gal - No better ideas for you. Looks like you’re doing well. I still do everyone’s laundry.

shara - oooh… these sound awesome!
i have 3 little kiddos and we always have some crazy stains happening. i’ve found that making a mixture of zout and oxi-clean on any stain gets it out. like ANY stain. so great.

Lori - I like the idea of the dryer bar. Hope it comes in unscented? My only laundry tip is to do one load every day, but I have a feeling that might not work for you!

Megan B - My goodness, I have no tips for you, but I wish I did! I have one child and he’s 3, so I do all of the laundry around here. The weird thing, though? I kind of like it.

Mary Susan McConnell - Love this idea! I’m always out of dryer sheets and NEVER remember to pick up more… I love the “Stick it and forget it” method.

nancy c. - I use the Bounce dryer bar too & I love it. I only have 4 kids…all girls & I also have laundry issues! But we’re getting there. Once I said no TV or computer until homework is done & rooms are picked up (including laundry being under control) things started getting done!

jackie grandy - Wow! I thought I did ton’s of laundry, but I take that back! I love that your kids participate in doing their own laundry. I have to start mine on that chore 🙂
I use those dryer balls in my dryer. They cut down on drying time and fluff up your clothes. You should try them.

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another big birthday.

November 8, 2011 Filed in birthdays,special

my goofy little annie girl is growing up too darn fast.
 
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for her birthday she got a new coat, sparkly boots, mexican train, sunglasses, a baby doll and a new KU tee.

for her classroom treat she wanted chocolate cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles.
as i walked through the grocery store with only 1.5 hours left to make those cupcakes i saw in the bakery….
chocolate cupcakes with pink icing and sprinkles.
i was very torn.
i stood there a good five minutes trying to decide if i should just buy them or go home and bake my own.

agony.

i went home and baked my own.
only because i hadn't asked annie what she wanted and
i didn't want to make any mistakes on the treats at the new school.
she said "mom…you can't send them with me…THE MOM comes in and brings the treats at this school!!"   
oh my.

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 i think i did ok….as the new mom with the treats IN the room!!

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for annie's party…

her art teacher from her old school came and led CRAFT time.  
it was SO good.

Ms. Beth had their complete attention.
she brought Sculpey in lots of colors for each one of the kids.
and showed them how to make a couple of different projects.

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they were so quiet.
it was awesome.

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it was the best party we have ever had.
no joke.
it was so calm and quiet and fun.
they were mesmerized!

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while we had dessert and opened presents Ms. Beth baked the projects so they were finished.
she put them in goodie bags with the kids names on it.
 
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i HIGHLY recommend Beth for your party!
🙂

annie does too.

you can email Ms. Beth at:

byhwdy1 @ sbcglobal . net     (without the spaces of course…..)

you can get in touch with her about all the fun parties at your house!!

you will LOVE it.

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annie decided on parfaits instead of cake and ice cream.
we layered chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, mini marshmallows, whipped cream and mini chocolate chips.

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and topped it of with an oreo.

Y U M M M M M M M M M M M M M.

and it was easy for them to bring home what they couldn't finish too.

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her friends gave her craft kits and a set of legos.
she was PUMPED.

Happy Birthday to my 7 year old sweet pea.

wait….how can my BABY be 7???

this means that it's been seven years since i have had a newborn in my house?
7 years since i have nursed a baby!?
7 years since i fed a baby in the dark while watching informercials on low volume??
7 years since i have searched for a paci under a crib?
7 years since i held a bottle with my right hand into the back seat while driving with my left hand in the front??
so long ago.

seven years old is pretty great too.

………………………………………… 

have you heard of the Bounce Dryer Bar?  
i reviewed one over here…come read about it and enter to win $50  VISA gift card!

AND go check out the posts about our craft weekend sponsors on the CW blog….HERE.

 

add a comment

honeybeemama - oh my goodness, i love this post! and i love your blog. i wanted to let you know i included your blog and this post in my mama monday mom blog highlights today: http://www.honeybeemama.com/2011/11/mama-monday-mom-blog-highlights.html
i hope you’ll stop by, and have a great day!

se7en - It can’t be Annie’s birthday already, again… I tell you it is impossible!!! What a fabulous party!!! And I love her desert!!! Pinned it!!! Have a fab year young lady!!!

Kat - Oh my heart just feels for you right now, because I have gone through this exact thing yesterday for my youngests b’day. She is my baby, #4 and turned three yesterday!!(sob)
I am really grieving the end of all of this, so much so I am almost contemplating taking the plunge for just.one.more. However I just don’t know if I can do one more and I am going to be 40 in April, so maybe I will just be sad with you and also celebrate this new stage.
I also think you are awesome to have gone home and baked those cupcakes. Girl after my own hear.
I have been so busy baking lately -4 b’days within 6 weeks and I am all baked out. Cakes for school, cakes for home, cakes for the party.Yikes!!
Well done to you and happy b’day to little Miss Annie, who will always be your baby, just like my three year old Ruby 🙂

Annika - Happy Birthday to Annie!!!

Sonia - Awesome birthday party! Do you always have the bunting up? Or was it just for the party?

4FabFranklins - What a great party! …and those parfaits, yummy!

Kerry - oh I am LOVING the idea of this quiet party…. Looks awesome-o.
Happy Birthday Sweet Annie :)) xxx

Londen - Happy Birthday to your adorable Annie! She looks so big with her adult teeth coming in. My one and only baby will be six this spring. I see moms with babies and I think…I used to have one of those…where did she go? It’s kind of cruel.:)

the whyte house - 7?!?! happy birthday, annie!! cute party!
(blasted…that means mine is 6 in a month. sigh. well, fine. :))
i picked up that polka dot outfit, too. i was checking out and i thought, “10 bucks says meg’s found this, too.” ha. i wish i’d actually said that outloud so someone would pay me $10 now….

Laura Phelps - 7 IS a great year
I think I peaked at 7
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE!!!!!
impossible to see a craft, rainbow, or pink cupcake with sprinkles and NOT think of YOU
aren’t I the lucky one…I got to meet you and sleep in your home and wake up to cute you and have breakfast!
love from all of us h ere in CT!

Lindsay - So funny when I read that you made the cupcakes. Here in Seattle about 99% of schools won’t let you bring in homemade treats, they have to be store-bought. Made me nostalgic for my Midwest roots again. 🙂
LOVE the craft party! Amazing.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Happy Birthday little Miss Annie….7 years is great and I had to laugh at feeding the baby watching infomercials. That’s how I started watching QVC…in the dark, with low voluming while nursing and now I watch it in the light with volume up while feeding myself 🙂

jacqui anderson - wow! happy birthday annie!!! i feel like I know your sweet annie and she has grown so incredibly much since i first started reading your blog. maybe i will get to meet her if i am chosen for craft weekend (hint hint!!!!)

julie - Happy 7 to Annie! My youngest turned 7 over the summer… so hard to believe! Your parfaits look so good!

Jolene (Homespun Heritage) - Aww! Happy Birthday Annie! My youngest little guy will be 7 in just 10 days. Fun times!

karen - very nice! happy birthday sweet annie.

Valerie - Wow, LOTS of party inspiration here!!! Happy Birthday to your baby!

Alice H - Happy 7th birthday! Those parfaits look yummy. I am going to make them, tomorrow!!
I am so jealous you guys get to take homemade treats to her school. We aren’t allowed to take them to the public schools my children attend.

TinaM. - Isn’t funny how you have to learn birthday etiquette,lol. Love the birthday party idea.

Jenn - Happy birthday sweet Annie! And good call on the parfaits… They look awesome. 🙂

tiffany gardner - Happy Birthday sweet little one! Thanks for sharing with us!

Kristen - Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove the parfaits. Love.

ivy - Hey, it’s probably only been 6 years since you did all that stuff since you probably did it for about a year! 🙂 My youngest of 5 is 5! I can’t believe it either.
Love your blog. It’s beautiful.

Jodi @ The Un-Soccermom Blog - happy, happy birthday annie!!! 🙂

Casey - Seriously….cutest party idea ever.

Wendy - HaPpY bIrThDaY aNnIe … God Bless!

Lori Austin - Looks like Miss Annie had a super birthday.
My 6 year old keeps asking when she will be 7 (not until April).
Why is she in such a hurry?!
Love a quiet/calm party…never experienced one of those.
Btw, the cupcakes look so pretty and the party dessert – yum!!

Gabriela - Oh lovely!! Feliz cumpleaños Annie!

Lisa - Hoppy Birdy Two Ewe, Annie!!!!!!

Katy - Joyeux anniversaire Annie !

Nicole B. - What a GREAT idea for a birthday party! And I LOVE Annie’s “7” shirt. I may have to make those for my kids! Happy Birthday Annie! 🙂

karen gerstenberger - Happy Birthday to Annie!

Leah - Wow, 7 years old! I know how you feel. My baby is turning 4 tomorrow. As excited as I am for her, I’m also sad that’s getting old! She’s not a baby anymore. It’s crazy! And tomorrow, I too will be the mom bringing in the treats to her class.

Alicia @ La Famille - happy day, annie! what a sweet party! ms. beth seems like a great trade-off for a creepy clown 🙂

Polderkolder - Happy birthday, Annie!

Mindy Harris - awwww, 7 years old!! how precious. i just started working with that sculpey stuff making pretty rose pendants. it’s very fun and they look like those cabochon flowers that are all the rage.
the oreos look divine!!!
i used to drive and bottle feed simultaneously,too.
we have 2 babies. as a mom of 5, do you think we should have one more? i go back/forth..

andrea - Sigh. Can so relate. My baby boy turns 7 next week. Seven.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Happy, happy birthday dear Annie!

Ashlyn@Pinecone - What a great party…love the sculpey crafts!! She looks so cute in the top pic looking at her cake.
Since we are listing…13 years since I searched for a nuk in the dark sigh! xo

Rach - Oh yeah, and it’s nice to hear that I’m not the only one who still does all the things you listed from 7 years ago with my 6 month old. Thank you for reminding me that despite how exhausted I am right now that I will miss all of that when he is older.

Rach - OK, my daughter JUST insisted on chocolate cupcakes with pink icing… and when grandma came to visit this week, they made them. Yum. 🙂

Heather - “””7 years since i fed a baby in the dark while watching informercials on low volume??”””
This has been my most common reflection on those early months of young motherhood! It’s surprising I never actually bought a magic bullet!

Sarah Wolfe - Wow! My baby just turned 3 and I’m already feeling it… feeling that he is going to grow up way too fast…

Seriously Sassy Mama - I love those ideas! What a fun birthday party!

Mary Susan McConnell - Great photos! That party looks amazing!!

Kerstie - A quiet birthday party…… who new! 😉

Holly - wow! 7! She is getting so big!

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jam packed.

November 7, 2011 Filed in photography

my weekend was redonk.
i am feeling a little zombie-ish.

it was busy busy busy with lots of fun stuff. 

look who i hung out with for 1 hour on sunday morning reeeeeeallly early…..

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Tyler from Blue Lily photography was driving cross country from Ohio to New Mexico and stopped in Kansas
for a family photo session with me and my crazy tribe.

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i wore my new sparkly pink cons.
🙂

i found out tuesday night that we would get to take our pictures on sunday.
that is short notice for picking outfits for five kids and you & your man.
but i LOVE a challenge.
and shopping.

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old navy, target, justice, Rue 21 and good ol' walmart took good care of me.
i got everyone all matchy-but-not-too-matchy-matchy…and we met Tyler at 7 AM for our pictures.

seriously.

it's GREAT light at sunrise.
if i hadn't seen it for myself for Kimberlee's shoot i wouldn't have believed it….but sunrise is gorgeous.

he said we were the earliest shoot he's ever done.
RAD.

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and my kids weren't perfect.
some of them acted up a bit.
some of them were a little too goofy.
one of them threw herself on the ground and not so sweetly declared to be done !
but….

they are kids and tyler knows that.

so i just try to put it out of my mind….
they did their best.
no kids like to get up at dawn and get their pictures taken at a cruddy old barn.
right?

and then we hugged goodbye and tyler took off to New Mexico.
it was waaaaay too short.

way.

and i didn't even get to see wendy.  :(   waaah.  

but there will always be more photo fun to be had with the blue lilys.

it's a guarantee.

remember this?  ….yeah more fun in the future…for sure.

THANK YOU TYLER!!!!!

 

 

add a comment

michelle - Thanks for sharing the kids getting a little crazy. I feel so much better, mine are not the only ones!!!!

liz - hi meg! i’ve been reading your blog for a while, and i must say, i love it! i saw this video today and it make me think of you, and your love of colors! it’s so sweet – i totally cried. i think you’ll love it! have a great night =) http://vimeo.com/jamesveluya/forjulie

Jill - Do we get to see the pics!?! If YOU are ever MY neighborhood I welcome you to stop by and use my family as Guinna pigs! I have to warn you tho, if you think yours acted up…
=)

Cecilia Madden - Aw, I love this sneak peak. I’ve seen Blue Lily featured a few places recently- their work is so well-done!

elz - Tyler took my family’s pictures earlier this year. LOVE. Wendy is such a sweetheart too. I know your pictures will be wonderful & colorful!

Monica - So jealous! Trying to get our pictures together as well! The shopping is the second worst part to getting everyone to cooperate! Please tell me where you got Annie’s coat so I don’t have to go to all the stores you listed! 🙂
Thanks so much!

Maya Catching Butterflies - I tried to take pictures of my girls at a beautiful park over the weekend. I had a problem with random kids jumping into the photos and then my kids weren’t interested in standing still. I took what I could get. HA! i agree with you, Meg. They’re kids, whaddya gonna do. LOL!!

Ashlyn@Pinecone - We were just discussing how someone always has to turn into a pill whenever we are getting pictures taken over here…but what are you gonna do 🙂 7AM is definitely rough!!
Everbody looks great!! xo

Kerry - oh awesomeness! cant wait to see the pics! those shoes… oh meg… those perfect, pink, sparkly shoes….

Life with Kaishon - How exciting for you. I don’t know who Tyler is, but I am terribly turned on…by that lens. WOWZA!

Kimberlee Jost - Love Sean’s sweater…LOVE.
All the kids look fab.
Way to go mama.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Guess what, guess what, guess what?! We are having our pictures with them on Wednesday. I cannot wait! We have never had family pictures done! Squeal! (so, so, so nervous about what to wear)

sumi - wow…Meg you did a greatjob dressing the kids up for the photoshoot.I am in love with your shoes..need to have them, if only you wouldn’t mind telling me where I can find them.

Tracey - where’ you get the sparkly con’s? Gotta get me some to add to my pink, brown, and purple pairs!

Cheryl E. - What a nice surprise! Can’t wait to see the photos!!

TinaM. - looks like a very cool location !!

Selina - I can’t wait to see them!

Tiffini - i never comment but I just wanted to say you always make me smile..thankyou:)
happy Monday and hope your zomb’ish’ness is gone;)
xo

kathy eller - I keep telling myself, “they are kids. They are kids” Thanks for confessing yours are too:)

Tanya H - That is awesome. seriously. Plus I love Annie’s outfit!

shauna - yah momma!
you rock!
i want see the pictures!

Talysa - Can’t wait to see the outcome. And since you used the word Redonk and get away with it… you are officially the coolest person I know. 😉

Nichole - I laughed at “matchy-but-not-too-matchy-matchy”. How silly, but so true.

happygirl - Thank GOODNESS for that extra hour of sleep saturday night. You look MAHVALOUS.

Jenn - you are so lucky! i live in new mexico and LOVE their photography but they don’t offer any sessions here. 🙁 oh, well…a girl can dream.

Holly - awesome! I need to have our family photos done soon. Its been way too long!

This Farm Family's Life - Wow!! I couldn’t imagine getting my family ready for a photo shoot at 7am! You are amazing!!! Where did you get your shoes? Love them!!!!

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friday stuff.

November 4, 2011 Filed in food,funny videos,photography,random

today is my last day of scheduled photo shoots for the year. (other than the newborn sessions…they go all year)

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it feels good.
a great PACKED photo season that i am proud of.
very proud….i felt confirmed in this gift from God gave me so many times this year.
He wants me to use my gifts for HIM.

it's an honor. 

——————————————————-

are you joining the Happy Day project??

Happydayrainbowsquare

i definitely am.

i don't know what it will be but i am totally on board with anything jeannett and julie pull together.
they have amazingly big hearts.

and… it has rainbow colors… it's a no brainer.

it IS fun to use your blog for good.
i am really excited about it.

🙂  

——————————————————-

shauna shared this on her blog last week-ish.
it has stuck with me.
i love it.
i want a grateful heart.
i do.
sometimes i don't have one….. 

it's a work in progress right?

——————————————————-

i want to make THIS for dinner.
530_IMG_7602_lasagna-soup
doesn't it look amazing??

i googled Lasagna Soup and this was one of the links.  
yum.
i will let you know how it goes.

——————————————————-

come read about our sponsors on the craft weekend blog.
i love all the sponsors we had for the first craft weekend.

by the way….

the first emails have gone out inviting you to craft weekend.
so fun to hear back from some of you!

dying to get busy on the next CW! 

 

add a comment

Courtney Walsh - Really, really love that photo of the four kids!! Love. Big love. And not the polygamist kind either. 🙂

stephen6780 - Hello,
The fast and convenient online store offering your favorite British Food right here in the USA.http://www.britishfooddepot.com/

Talysa - I am participating in The Happy Day Project too! Love a good challenge. And I hate to admit it but boy is it ever for me. :-/
If you haven’t read “1000 gifts” yet it’s pretty much all kinds of fabulous. Not to mention completely life changing.
We just made Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana soup tonight. Think potatoes, broth, italian sausage, and kale. It was fabulous. I can give you the recipe if you ever want to try it.
Your photos are fabulous!

Tracy Fisher - I can’t wait to follow the “happy” crusade! And I can’t wait to hear all about “craft weekend”. Your blog made me smile today… babies, kids, crafts, recipes, and happy stuff… all good! Tracy Fisher

shauna - ps. blogger isn’t letting me reply to you on my blog so i have to tell you that i have been trying to take more pictures with my real camera.
the freckles one was with my cannon rebel.
not as “biggirlish” as yours, but still a couple steps up from the iphone 🙂
i seriously take a LOT of pics with my phone though.
why does it have to be so easy!?

shauna - come over.
right now.
i dont know how to make coffee.
but you can teach me.
or we can just drink two frappaccinos each.

Jenna@CallHerHappy - Love the Happy Day Project! Totally doing that. Thanks for spreading the word over here 🙂
Jenna
callherhappy.com

Kerry - Love that video!
I’ve signed up for the Happy Day project too… Thanks for inspiring me to get my butt in action 🙂 xx

julie - Love your gift of capturing people and moments.
Love your heart.
Love that video.
Love that recipe.
Happy weekend friend.

Beadinghippo - That soup is super yummy! (and I don’t even normally even like soup) Make sure you have the stuff for the top it really does add to it.

karen - have you seen the new saucony rainbow running shoe…hey have your name on it!!!

Tina I - Reading “1,000 Gifts” and trying to adopt an attitude of thankfulness so that I might live life more fully. WAY harder than it sounds. Glad to know you struggle with it, too. Hope the lasagna soup was as good as it looks!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - The soup lives up to the hype. That’s all I’m saying.

steph - Oh Meg….love the picture. You are using your many gifts to glorify Him. So thankful to have found your blog AND meet you in real life AND get pictures done with you. I think my son may have a bit of a crush too… 😉

Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - I am learning to slow down and be thankful, even for the smallest things we take for granted.To say no even when I feel pressure to say yes. To turn down things that might even sound super fun. Because the sanity of my family depends on it.
Even before I wrote my post about this gorgeous sunrise(http://www.handbagsnpigtails.com/2011/11/just-another-sunrise.html) I read this post over at Casey’s(http://www.thewiegands.com/2011/11/tragic.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thewiegands%2FZbOa+%28The+Wiegand%27s%29).
Whether you’re thankful for a sunrise or your next breath, we should all adopt an attitude of gratitude. Not just at Thanksgiving, but all through the year!

Terrie G - Looks like I have another soup to try!!
Isn’t it awesome when we feel we are doing what we should with our gifts?!!

Jessica at Me Sew Crazy - that soup looks AMAZING! thanks for the tip!

shannon - I just made Lasagna soup for dinner last night and it was sooooo good. My kids loved it and my husband said thank you atleast 10 times!!!

sara @ it's good to be queen - wow, so cool to see our good friends…the kaufman kids on your blog! your photos are so beautiful. that soup looks a-mazing. yes, i’m trying to figure out what i’m going to do for happy day project…

Holly - that soup does look good!

happygirl - This was such a fun post. I’m going to have to do something like this sometime. Being at work and having to do work certainly cuts into my blogging time. 🙂

4FabFranklins - mmmm…Num Yummy that soup looks good!

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a different halloween.

November 3, 2011 Filed in family fun,traditions

for the first time in 16 years craig was gone on halloween.
so…
for the first time in 16 years i had to take my kids trick or treating.
it was always Daddy's job.
i stayed home and passed out candy and kept warm. 

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i didn't really know how far to go….
where…
how long…..

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side note:  do you remember UnderRoos?

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i was wonder woman when i was in first grade too!  
i wore my UnderRoos over cable knit tights and a turtleneck!

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but we figured it out.
it was just me and the little girls.
scott and sean were with their friends.
lauren went up to take a nap after school and didn't wake up until 9:30.

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afterwards i grabbed a pizza for them for dinner and they ate candy for dessert.

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lots of candy.
and we all survived the halloween with out Dad.
barely.
we definitely missed him very much.

and i scavenged their bags for any York peppermint patties.
and butterfingers.
my two faves.

i miss the days of the little kids…baby costumes….toddlers trying to say trick or treat.

here are some halloween pics from the past…

2010    2009     2008   2007  

 

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come read about my experience on the Jenny Craig program and enter to win a $100 visa gift card.

 

i got to review Mary Kay products.  Come read about it and enter to win a Mary Kay gift basket.

 

 

add a comment

Christina - I don’t remember a whole lot about my growing up years, but one thing I do remember is my Wonder Woman underoos. I got them for my birthday, ran straight away to put them on, and came back out with them on AT MY PARTY. 🙂
Your girls are so cute…Annie looks so very big and Talby looks grown up!

Amy - I am new to the blogging world, and I had a friend tell me about your blog! I was shocked when I read the name for your blog because it is so brilliant!! And I love that you give all the glory to God!! He is a good God and deserves it, but not very many people give him the glory. And I love all your photos and really everything! I just really got into blogging a few months ago. I am still working on my style and stuff. But yours is very inspiring that is for sure!! God bless ya=)

Kiki Craig - I had Wonder Woman Under Roos. I wore them EVERY Sunday because as soon as we got home from church, Wonder Woman would be starting on tv. I would run into the house, and spin around just like Linda Carter and try to strip down to my Roos. Ahhh, the memories.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I know what you mean about Daddy taking them trick or treating…My hubby is a firefighter so there were times when mine were little that I’d be in charge. I wasn’t good at that so my sweet brother in law would usually come over and all the cousins would go together and that started a great Halloween tradition. Now they are too old to trick or treat…boo….but we all still get together. Your underroos are too funny!

christine - york peppermint patties is what we gave out this year. it was the first time my boys had them and now… they’re in LOVE ;o)
ps: love your blog!

Rach - OMG UnderRoos. I seriously got a flashback from seeing that picture of them.
We did our first trick or treating Halloween with our 2 1/2 year old and 6 month old. So much fun. I know I will love looking back over the years when my kids are the age your girls are now.
And BTW, 9:30?? Really?? Wow. Oh to be a teenager again.

Jill - Love the first picture of Annie…so cute!
My best friend and I wore our Wonder Woman Underoos all the time when we were little. I have a picture of us when we were 5 and 7 wearing them. She hates the picture, I love it. So I bring it out every chance I get to torture her with it. 🙂 I think I’ll go dig it out now…good times.

Janie Fox - I was so glad when my kids were too big to go trick or treating. We live in the country so everywhere we went was in and out of the car. Mostly strung out family members houses. That is the houses were strung out all over town, the family members were not strung out! haha.

crystal beutler - How in the world did you get out of trick-or-treating for 16 years? You lucky you. Love the pics. So darling. Funny, I was just talking about under-roos last weekend at a costume party. We were thinking we need to get a petition going around to bring them back. They were awesome. So were Granimals. I think they need to make those for men.
I love Peppermint Patties too. And Jr. Mints.

Lena K. - I loved my Wonder Woman Underoos. I would put foil on my wrists and deflect bullets left and right!
Daddy was gone on Halloween over here, too – it was exhausting!

Jennifer - Too cute!

Kacey @ Refreshed Decor - Ahhh…Underoos were so cool! They are so cute in their costumes.

Heather G. - Love their costumes!

Georgia - The 1st photo of Annie is by far the coolest photo ever.
Something im sure she will treasure when shes an adult!
xx

kathy - i have that ikea chandelier you showed in 2008 in the pink room. Just want to tell you something to watch out for:
Mine is in my loungeroom and actually what happened is it collapsed from the ceiling (and was left dangling by its cord) because the attachment that comes with it thats attaches it to the ceiling decomposed, its plastic and it breaks down or something?> Anyway ended up getting an electrician to fit a really good quality one. So its back up and all good now. I love that light so much.
So just watch that , because i went into a boutique around the same time and they had several of the same chandeliers hanging, and the same thing had happened to them too.

jennie w. - I wanted Underoos in the worst way but my mom thought they were too frivolous. So I was super thrilled that my daughter wanted to be Wonder Woman this year. I was too lame to buy a costume ahead of time so I was left to sew one the day before. When will I ever learn?
(Did you have tons of people think your daughter was Supergirl? We did. What a bunch of dummies!)

Kerry - good grief meg, I took a look at your previous year’s posts and cant BELIEVE that was a year ago that Annie had those precious little red shoes on!!!
I also dig for the sweets I love. Then I hide them. So mean 🙂
Happy Halloween to you and yours xx

Kit - That Talby. She is such a stunner. Love the look in her eyes in these pics!

Jenn - Totally remember UnderRoos! Were they not the coolest thing or what?! ~Jenn

Annette - Great pics!
I was wondering if you’d be interested in sharing your articles with other like-minded parent bloggers? If yes, please email me at info@atomicreach.com with Parents in the subject line.
Thanks,
Annette

Jen Brandt - Totally wore UnderRoos – had Wonder Woman, Daisy Duke, and maybe one other set. Loved them! That first picture of Annie is awesome!

Talysa - At first I was like, “I would not want to mess with that Wonderwoman.” {she looked very into the role} Then, she smiled and I was like, “She’s too cute to zap me.” 🙂
I dig for Baby Ruth and Snickers…which there is a shortage of if you ask me. 😉

beth - My friends and I just had the EXACT same conversation about wonder woman and under roos while we warmed the front porch and the daddies walked the kids around. I had WW’s under roos but I love Annie’s costume–where did you find it??? We saw lots of super girl’s this year, but no WW. Awesomness.

Karen Gerstenberger - Adorable costumes. And congratulations to Lauren and the team on the State Volleyball Championships!

Jenna@CallHerHappy - This was our gal’s very first Halloween, so my hubby and I both went. The weather was actually nice for the first time in my entire life. If it’s always like that, I might go. Otherwise, I’m with you. Staying warm!
Jenna
callherhappy.com

Jen - Underoos story.. My sister and I each had Wonder Woman Underoos well she thought with them on she could really fly, so off the couch she went, only she didn’t fly but instead landed on her head on the coffee table, stitches were needed and my mom threw our Underoos away…

4FabFranklins - oooomygosh! Yes! I remember underoos…and garanimals too. Big Daddy and I had the discussion on Halloween that it must be the dads job to take the kids trick or treating. A lot of them wanted to be home before kick-off. =)

Karen U. - I was alone for the first time this year too – hubby out of town! It was very different, but we survived. Glad you did too.

Jeanne - Underoos rocked!!! I was used to jump off the couch with my Wonder Woman Underoos on. We should try those on now:-)

Nancy - We are the opposite this year. I had to stay home and hand out candy. It was ok. Except for the Christmas commercial I saw on Halloween night. Really? Those pics are rad.Your girls are just darling. Underoos. I wanted those so bad and Days of The Week underwear. Someday maybe????

Seriously Sassy Mama - My 6 year old was a pink bat man this year. She was a superhero last year also. I love Halloween.

Leslie @topofthepage - i was totally wonder woman at that age too. my brother was superman that year of course. my mom made our costumes, but i’m certain i had the underoos too. gosh talby is getting so grown up. she has your very beautiful eyes. glad you got to experience the trick or treating. i love it. though i do miss having littles in fluffy animal costumes.

happygirl - I always used to steal the butterfingers. They were bigger back when my son trick or treated. 🙂

TinaM. - I didn’t know kids knew Wonder Woman these days. Good to know 🙂

Joanna W - Yikes Meg! It’s CRAZY to see how much your kids have changed over the last few years. They were and are so precious!

Nikki - Wonderwoman!! how cool! I used to love my Wonderwoman Underoo’s back in the day.

Gemma @ Musings of a gem - Hi Meg,
Halloween looks like so much fun in America. We only do it on a tiny scale here in the UK compared to you guys!
Gemma x

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