Y3W: Mother of 2

I am late on getting my Mother's Day post up due to a pretty sick Teagan!  She got the stomach bug - bad.  35 hours of not being able to keep any fluids down, after some anti-nausea medicine she is on the mend thankfully.  So scary!!  

So here it is.  My Mother's Day celebration with my 2 kiddos and wonderful hubby took place on the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend.  We went to breakfast and Cracker Barrel - a tradition now.  And then headed to the Denver Zoo.  We had a great time as a family!  I love being a Mommy of 2!  I am pretty lucky!

Me and my loves.  Rocking away. 

Teagan and Mommy! 

A Teagan size rocker!  Adorable!  We have a similar picture of Jude too!

Daddy and Jude playing checkers.  I think Jude won.  

CardStore.com Review and Giveaway

This is a sponsored post all about Cardstore.com

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Cardstore.com and they offered to let me create 2 cards for Mother's Day.  I decided this was a perfect idea for the 2 Grandmas in our family.  Here are the cards I created just for both of our mother's for Jude and Teagan to give them.

I think the best thing about these personalized cards is that it becomes more than just a card.  It is a picture.  It is something that will be cherished for years to come and it didn't come from the store shelf.  

The cards were so easy to create and the choices made it super hard to decide which ones were perfect for Grandma. 

Cardstore.com makes it easy.  You can decide to have the cards shipped to you, the creator, OR you can even have it shipped directly to the home of your loved one.  Hello easy!!  I decided to have these shipped to our home just so we could have Jude "sign" them.  

I was really surprised that we receieved these cards just 2 days after I created them.  So for even those last minute shoppers this option will work for you!!

The quality of the prints were great.  The pictures turned out perfect and the card design was exactly as shown on the website.  These cards are printed on high quality card stock as well.  Something that you would expect at a store.  Not online!!  

I cannot wait to make the Grandpas a couple of cards for Father's Day too!!  I think I found my newest treat for holidays!  

Guess what?  The lovely people at Cardstore.com are giving you the opportunity to treat the Father, Grandfather, Uncle, Brother, or what ever Father you have in your life with the gift of a personalized card for Father's Day!

All you have to do is follow these simple entry rules and you too can get to create some original and special!

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this review.  I was given 2 codes for 2 free cards.  These are my opinions and they are not swayed by any gifts.  

Giveaway Form: 

5 WINNERS!!

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Wednesday on the WW: I'm back!!

I'm Back and I am recommitted to me, to my family and to you!

This blog hop is all about Weight Watchers.

Let's help each other on this journey by linking up recipes, successes, tips, photos and WW stories! Rules: Well the rules are easy. Just link! Link your blog posts that are all about Weight Watchers. Easy as pie! There are other ways to follow blogs such as Google+, Networked Blogs, facebook and various other options. I want everyone to link up! Grab the "Wednesday on the WW" button and put it in your blog post! I cannot wait to read all of your stories!!

A long over due update!

I told you my pants were getting tight a week ago.  I went to my meeting that day (Last Tuesday) and saw the damage of stress, no motivation, vacation and putting down a pet.  I gained +5.2 pounds in April!!  Wow!  Amazing how fast those pounds creep back.  No good!

So this past week I was careful - I tracked most days and knew the days I wasn't making good choices.  I walked back into my meeting last night and thankfully I was back on the "losing train"!!

Last week I lost -1.6 of those 5.2 pounds.  
Not bad.  I am determined to back on track and stay on track.  Summer is here and I do not want to be that FAT mom again.  I want to be that healthy mom that can do things with her kiddos and not feel gross or tired.  

So here I am - committing to you all again!  My readers and my support team!!

<a href="http://buildingourstory.com/"><img src="http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c91/zippinviolet/scale-1.jpg" /></a>

I would love to see how you have been doing for the past month too!
Link up!! 

Pizza Biscuit Muffins - Toddler Approved Recipe

Time to share another recipe with you.  When I read about this one on Pinterest I knew that I had to try it.  Seemed like the perfect Toddler Approved meal.  I knew it wasn’t exactly Weight Watchers approved but I am actually very impressed with the Points Plus Values for one of these goodies! 

Pizza Biscuit Muffins
Yields:  10 Muffins

Weight Watchers PP Value: 4 per muffin

Ingredients:
¼ cup Ragu Pizza Sauce
2 oz – Hormel Pepperoni, Minis
½ cup Market Pantry Shredded Cheese – Mozzarella

2 – canisters of Market Pantry Biscuits

Instructions:
1 – Take the biscuits and one biscuit into each muffin tin – makes 10. 

2 – In each biscuit spoon in some pizza sauce. About 1 TBSP in each.

3 -  Add mini pepperonis and cheese to each biscuit.
 

4 – Take another biscuit and make flat to cover your pizza toppings. 

 

5 – Top the muffins with a little cheese for color and crunch.

6 – Bake for 8 minutes.

7 – SERVE and EAT hot! 

 

I had 2 of these last night and it was only 8 points!!  They were so yummy!  A fun family night treat at home. 

 

 Toddler and Husband Approved! 

 

 

Journal 10 Upgrade Giveaway

Journal 10 Review and Giveaway

 

About a year ago I started using my own Journal 10 and fell in love. 

I have always tried to journal and I have always failed. When I was contacted by Journal 10+ and went to their website to read about their journal I got REALLY excited. I thought to myself - "now THIS journal I cannot fail!"

When I received it in the mail I opened it immediately and started filling in some past dates that I remembered what I did on those dates. It was so easy and really fun.

This journal is different because the space per day is just a couple lines so it isn't intimidating or overwhelming at all. And I think the best part about it is that each page is dedicated to 10 years of the same day. Talk about walking down memory lane! After a couple years it will be so fun to be able to see what I did or my family did on the same day years before! I cannot wait.

This journal is well made and looks like it will keep nice for many years past the 10 year mark. I am planning on buying more of these for family and friends for Christmas this year because I love this idea and think it would be great for teenagers, parents, and grandparents.

Some features:

 

ADDED UPGRADE FEATURE!  Great news.  Journal 10 now has a genuine leather bonded cover! 

~As you make each entry you see what was happening on that day in previous years.

~Re-reading triggers memories of people, places and events otherwise forgotten.

~Captures personal and family development and milestones.

~Takes just 5 minutes a day or less.

~No pressure to fill a blank page and you can start on any day of the year.

~Builds over time into a family memoir.

How to get your own:

For more information and to order online please visit the Journal 10 website. You can also connect with them on Facebook.

Giveaway:

The good people at Journal 10 have agreed to give away a journal to one lucky reader! Must be 18 or over. To enter please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck! Thank you Journal 10 for this opportunity!!

Disclosure:  I was not compenstated from Jounal 10 to do this giveaway or review.  These are my opinions and I use my journal every day! 

Rafflecopter form:

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Baking 2 Bless

These last 7 months have been a roller coaster.  I am not going to lie to you, there were days that I left work or went bed with tears streaming down my face.  Life really seemed to get worse daily for a while.  Hit after hit – medically, emotionally and financially.  I found myself asking God over and over again “Why? Why can’t we just be normal for a little while? Can we have a break?” 

 

Thankfully we found that break and I believe our almost new normal.  Having Jeremy have to make the decision (life or death) to live with an ostomy bag for the rest of his life was something I cannot quite explain.  July 2009 he was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and we knew that the only CURE was to have his colon removed but at that time we both said HELL no!  Funny what 3 years will do to your thoughts on what is really more important in life?  Life without a bag = hospital stays, pain, possible death.  Life with a bag = REAL LIFE.  A husband that is present.  A father that plays with his kiddos.  

I talked about the financial burden that this disease ultimately left us with months ago.  Even with Jeremy and me sitting down and looking at our budget and bills we knew we would never overcome this enormous and growing debt.  We cut out the extras and made a huge goal of cutting out eating out and committed to meal planning! And by the way we are ROCKING that! We started asking for gift cards for any sort of holiday/birthday so that we could treat ourselves when needed.  Love us some gift cards! We take advantage of specials at places Jude loves to go so we can still live a life of fun with our children.  Like we have stated before, Jeremy never wanted to have this bag attached to him forever but he certainly did want to live a life of fun and experiences with his family.   We were happy with what we drew up and how we were living but with Jeremy going to the doctor EVERY day still – it added up to $250.00 worth of copays every week.  That’s $1000.00 a month!!  We felt so defeated but continued with our budget and goals.  Just doesn’t seem fair.  We are doing it “right” we have health insurance, good health insurance at that!  So frustrating!

Our church found this request for help and jumped on it.  They created an event for us and wow, we are overwhelmed by the love we have received.  The Board of Christian Care at church had a Bake Sale for us.  This wasn’t a normal Bake Sale – it was a Bake Sale on steroids!!  HA! 

There were nine 8 foot tables in the gym of the school/church this weekend full of sweets, handmade items, savory items and gift cards all for sale. 

All the proceeds went to our medical bills.  The board was hoping for a profit of $1000.00 in order to get a matching fund with Thrivent Financial Funds that would put us at $2000.00 off our bills.  They surpassed that goal and the final number was $3500.00 raised with the additional $1000.00!! 

 

$4,500.00

$4500.00 off of our growing debt!  Amazing.  The Christian love was shining bright at this Steroid Powered Bake Sale!!  We cannot thank our Church family enough.  I don’t think they will ever understand the overwhelming feeling we both had when we heard what was done for us.

I often refer to Ulcerative Colitis as a silent disease.  It is one that no one thinks of.  It is one that no one jumps at when you say you have it.  It is one that people shrug off.  Some people even belittle the major life changing surgery that is the ONLY cure for UC.  I have had cancer run through my family – it is devastating and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.  But I have to ask – why do some people jump to offer help, money, vacations, ect to those with Cancer but question our finances after Jeremy also went through a life changing and life threatening disease? 

Right now I have found peace with what people think.  There is only one person whose Judgment matters.   God has shown his love through those that have been there for us emotional, spiritually and financially.  The support that we have been given through most of our family and friends is just plain amazing.  I think this journey, even though it has been extremely hard, has shown Jeremy and me a new outlook on life.  Life is short; Life is a challenge but every day we live to see love, that challenge is worth it. 

Live life with no judgment friends - It isn’t worth your time because life is too short. 

The Fourth Trimester by Susan Brink - Book Review and Giveaway

The Fourth Trimester By Susan Brink – Book review

 

Bringing a newborn into this world is hard work but the hardest time period has to be those first 3 months of that baby’s life.  It is a huge adjustment for everyone involved. 

You get advice everywhere you turn as a new mom or dad.  You hear all sorts of comments about what you are doing and how you are doing it.  The baby was used to just hanging out in the warm and cozy womb and BOOM hello world!  So yeah talk about adjustment!!

This time period is generally called The Forth Trimester.  Makes sense right?  This child (and parent group) is still learning, developing and growing.  Maybe the Fourth Trimester is the most important one in the long run?  Think about the changes that occur.

Susan keeps it real.  She is a science woman and you can tell when you read this book.  Just like getting pregnant is a science so is a baby learning to be a baby!  The first three months of a baby’s life is an outside-the-uterus period of intense development, a biological bridge from fetal life to preparation for the real world. The fourth trimester has more in common with the nine months that came before than with the lifetime that follows.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  For me it helped me see that my baby is Normal!  HA!  It was normal to have a fussy baby or a baby that just needed a cuddle for another hour after a nap.  Susan explains why that cuddle and touch is so important in the physical and biological upbringing of your child.

I would recommend this book to any expecting parents.  Even those who are second or third or fourth time parents, it is a really good refresher on how newborns grow and develop during that Fourth Trimester.

The Fourth Trimester by SusanBrink on Facebook

The Fourth Trimester by SusanBrink on Amazon

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Susan’s publishing company has offered 3 books to giveaway to my readers!  Wow!  Thank you!! 

To enter please follow these entries rules – leave a comment on the blog post for every entry to get your “points”!

Mandatory entry: 
Leave a comment and tell me what part of the 4^th Trimester was the hardest OR that you feel like will be the hardest for you as a new parent?

Additional entries:
1 – Follow Building Our Story on BlogLovin
2 – Follow Building Our Story on Facebook
3 – Follow The Forth Trimester on Facebook
4 – Share Giveaway on Twitter using @censiej and #bookreview in your tweet.  Leave your Tweet link here in the comments.
5 – Pin giveaway on Pinterest – leave link to pin in comment.

Giveaway will run May 7, 2013 – May 15, 2013 at 8am MST.  Winners will be chosen via Random.org.

*Disclosure:  I was provided with 1 free book for my reading and review.  I was not compensated with any monetary gifts.  My thoughts and reviews are my own and are not swayed in any way.