Shopping for Boys is Always SO Hard!

Seriously?! Must ALL men's screen print tees have skulls on them?

I don't know what it is, but recently when hubby and I were looking for new apparel [for him] anything that caught our eye had a skull in/on it. Seriously. It may not have been super obvious, but it was there.

We may just end up ordering from here.

Cheers!
~Andrea~

God's Cake

I got this in my email box this morning and thought it was too good NOT to share...

Sometimes we wonder, 'What did I do to deserve this?' or 'Why did God have to do this to me?' Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong: she's failing algebra; her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, 'Absolutely, Mom, I love your cake.'

'Here, have some cooking oil,' her Mother offers. 'Yuck,' says her daughter.

'How about a couple raw eggs?'

'Gross, Mom!'

'Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?'

'Mom, those are all yucky!'

To which the mother replies: 'Yes, all those things seem bad by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But He knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

Spring Break Project #3

Today's project has been a learning process. Yes, it's another knitted project. I completed it, but don't know if I'll send it to the intended recipient. I'm not 100% happy with the finished result.

It's a hat knitted in the round called Skater Baby. The pattern is written by Emily Vanek @ Coffeebra. It's a well written pattern, I just think I did a poor job executing it. It's suppose to have a slight brim to it - by adding a cardboard insert. I did this, however it doesn't appear large enough. To me, you can hardly tell it's there.

Then I made a mistake; this is where the learning process comes in. I decided that when adding the cream stripes I would carry the yarn across. This is something I've never done before, so I ended up winging it. At first glance it's not a huge deal, except I must have kept the tension too tight because there isn't enough "give" to the hat any more.

When and if I make another I will A) make the brim wider/larger and B) jog the 2nd color up the seam instead of carrying it across.

In the end I'm glad I did it. It's not perfect, but I learned from it. Now I know what to expect the next time and quite possibly will make two: one for baby and one for papa - especially knowing that I can complete this project in a day.

Happy Spring!
~Andrea

Spring Break Project #2

Today's project, although a new pattern, was an easy one. It's your basic dish/washcloth. The pattern is called Waffle Knit Dishcloth from Homespun Living. I originally found the pattern on Ravelry.

It knit up very quickly. Also, even in this variegated yarn, the pattern and texture pop out nicely.

I haven't decided who the recipient will be yet. However, as usual with dishcloths, I'll wrap it up with a nice bar of soap and some ribbon. It will be a fun surprise to send to one unsuspecting family member. My cousin, Lydia, and I were talking about how nice it is to receive packages in the mail - how much better is it when it's out of the blue and a surprise?

I can't wait to get it out!

Love, Andrea

A Steal of a Deal

Lately, I've been introduced to several ladies who are bargain shoppers. I'm not just talk good deals here - I'm talking about getting a whole mess of things for virtually nothing. They have helped me realize there are bargains out there to stretch our dollar a little farther in this economic crisis we are all currently living through. It's an exhilarating experience.

Today, I took the advice of Frugal Chic Living and stocked up on Ronzoni pasta products. I got 10 boxes for $2.50! Safeway is currently running a Mix'n'Match promotion where if you buy 10 products then you get them all at a reduced price. With the Mix'n'Match promo they were already a bargain at .75 cents a box. However, Safeway currently has a coupon dispenser for the Ronzoni products. The coupon was for .50 cents off. That brought the cost of each box down to .25 cents per box!! Too good to pass up.

I should add that when I went to "my" Safeway they were out of coupons. So, I had to stop at a store while out in the valley this morning. I'm glad I did though. Now, if my kids had a little more patience I might have got double that. It takes a little time for the coupon dispenser to dish out all 10 coupons. Maybe this evening one my hubbo is home I'll try another Safeway store.

Lots of love,
Andrea

Spring Break Project #1

This is my first year, since having kids, that I get to officially say I'm on Spring Break. With Tyler in school now and me working at the school we are joyful that we are able to have a week to spend together without running around crazy. I've decided that if I'm going to finally have quality time at home I'm going to get some things done.

Today I finished up two knit bibs, one that I started last week and one that I started this weekend. It's a cute pattern that I found on Ravelry called: Modern Cable Baby Bib. The pattern is written by Andrea Pomerantz @ www.string-theory.blogspot.com. It was a super easy and totally cute project.

Here's what my final product looks like:

They've been packaged up and sent across the state. My cousin & her little peanut should receive them in the next couple of day. So much fun!

Day 13: Unplugged

Do you find yourself distracted? I know I do.

Computer.
Blog.
Facebook.
Websites.
TV.
DVR.
Cell Phone.

Those are only a few of my daily distractions. What are yours? We're talking about the things here (that generally plug-in) that distract you from participating in the life that is standing right in front of you. Is you breathing starting to increase anticipating what is going to be asked of you?

Slow down. Breath. We will get through this challenge together.

Unplug. For 24 hours. Invest time in the life you are in. Online will always be there. Offline won't.

I'm following along with Kimba at A Soft Place to Land. 03-27-09 is being declared as a day to unplug. See? You're not being asked to this today - regain your breath. This is a week from now. You have time to prepare.

By unplugging, you are simply eliminating your distractions. It's a change to practice everything we've been working on for a full 24 hours. It's a chance to love on your husband 100%; with all that you have. It's a chance to do those things with your family "if you only had more time." Make time. Unplug.