My mom bought me Stitch'n Bitch the Happy Hooker... and I L-O-V-E it! Before you get your panties in a bunch, it's a crocheting book not a career change. I figure with a name like that, I have no choice but to love it. It's taken me a week to learn how to crochet a single line... now I'm working on adding a second ... it could take weeks, but would you expect anything less from the Anti-Martha? I think the important thing is that I love it. It's challenging and mindless at the same time... and doesn't it entice me away from my family at all hours of the day and night. Although I'm pretty certain these gnarly, man hands won't be making any think dainty or fancy like a doily or a skirt... I'll probably just end up with a 100 feet of singled stitched yarn:)



My point is not to just replace one idle task with another... I don't want my family to feel snubbed by my kick arse crocheting ability anymore than I want them to resent my time on the computer. I do know I need something just for me though, and honestly I'm hoping this sassy little craft book will be like "the patch" for facebook. It might be wishful thinking, but until they come out with the real thing, I need to get through the urge to check my mail and facebook newsfeed 700 times an hour....  one step at a time. And if being a "happy hooker" can help with that... I'm game!

    Occasionally I get a chance to browse through other blogs.  I love the ones that either make me laugh,  pull on my heart strings, or even the ones that teach me something all Martha-ish (that I will never do of course!).  But the one feeling I almost always walk away with, is one of complete and utter inadequacy.

     It is hard for me to write in this blog.  I am not a writer, I am not overly wise, funny or experienced in all areas of life.  Most of the time, what I really want to write is something that will make you all cry with laughter, and of course we know that rarely happens.  So, I try to be real.  Today I have been struggling with writing this post.  Once again, I have fallen into the trap of wanting to make you all laugh.  I thought about sharing how my daughter and I rode our new scooter cars down the hill outside of our house and hit about 20!  We did it over and over, and had some great laughs!  I put together a few "life lessons" to share about taking time with your kids, laughing and enjoying life; I thought about some wise marriage advice since we are celebrating our 8 year anniversary tomorrow...(like I have any of that) but somehow, none of it feels right...



     When I was in high school, there were two separate times that a student was killed in a drunk driving accident.  These were obviously tragic times!!  If there was anything good that came out of these horrible incidents, it was that the rest of us students snapped into reality and realized that none of us were immune to this kind of tragedy.  I think for about a month, everything changed.  Ya, a month.  That is about the amount of time that it took for us to forget and start drinking and driving again...Shame!!  Funny thing is, that as adults, I'm not convicted that we are much different.  Soldiers die in wars, and we are moved; yet we still argue with our husbands that are alive and well.  New Orleans has a massive flood, people die, homes are lost; and still we complain about laundry and the traffic on the way to work.  Japan has an earthquake that has potentially killed tens of thousands; and yet we spent the day frustrated because our car broke down, the kids broke a vase, and we were late for church.

     I'm sure I lost a "friend" this last week when on my FB wall someone had said something like "I had a really bad day";  I had just gotten off the phone with my sister in law who's family currently lives in Japan; and I just couldn't handle that remark.  So call me a mean girl, but I commented "unless you are living in Japan, it probably was not THAT bad of a day".  My "overly-sensible" husband made a good point that something very bad could have happened to her, but I guess that was just a "straw moment" for me.  (that is what I call those moment where you just snap).  I'm just over us overly spoiled Americans sitting around complaining about our bosses, our kids, our sinks full of dishes, and everything else that is only complicated because we overfill our plates (literally a figuratively).  Can I just say just so you don't all think I'm a raging !$%&#...I know life can be challenging on a daily basis.  I am a work from home mom of  two, I have a part time job as well, and I do not have someone that shows up to cook my dinner or do my laundry...I know it's frustrating...and I do complain sometimes...(I think I just heard Linz say "thats for sure!!!")...but it's our attitudes I'm talking about here.

     I am hoping and praying that we will be able to watch this tragedy that is going on right now, even as you read this post, and remember it.  In a month, a year, a decade...and let it change us all.  If you are reading this, you are most likely sitting in a warm house or office, or even reading it on some  fancy schmancy phone...so really, really REALLY...what do we have to complain or gripe about!!!

     I have recently committed to changing my attitude...big time!!!  I am sticking to it...big time!!!  It is changing my home, my kids, and my marriage.  I have NOTHING to complain about.  Oh, I could believe me, my life is not perfectly smooth sailing.  And just turn on the news if you are not convinced that you could make a list a mile long of all of the great things in your life too!

     I am sorry to be on such a rampage.  No, actually I am not.  If you don't need to change your thinking, or your attitude in any way, I am sorry that I waisted your time.   But if you do, I am asking you to put on your big girl panties and be brave...Please comment below and share an area that you have been wasting time on being negative about, then tell us how you are going to change it.   If you "follow" us, and comment, one brave person will win an Earth Monkey bib!!

     And please, take a moment to lift up the people of Japan, Haiti (we seam to have forgotten about them already) and our brave soldiers who risk their lives daily for us.  Thanks for letting me be honest with you....



...And one quick side note.  We all need a friend that gets us; that gets that we love our lives (for the most part) but that we can be honest with.  It is ok to share frustrations, hurts, and just a bit of complaining with.  Oh and when you see us do it here or on our FB page try not to judge; because we are real...OK, now I'm done, for real. .

  



  

Jami... is a mom to teenaged quadruplets and wife to her best friend, her knight in dented armor. Her "almost 15" year old crew consists of one girly tomboy and 3 strapping young men, one who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 7th grade. With kids now in high school [the same school she and her hubby shared a locker in!], keeping up with everyone keeps her busy as a stay at home mom. Being "on call" for the lanky, bright, and fiesty son has kept her from rejoining the paid work force as of yet. Her passion for God/teens/sports is a perfect combination for her position as a Fellowship of Christian Athletes weekly Huddle Leader. 





I've been thinking about Dick Hoyt again lately. He and his son, as Team Hoyt, are among my favorite heroes on this earth. I had the great blessing of hearing Mr. Hoyt speak in Denver a couple of years ago. This is a man, who at the age of 37, began his journey as an athlete, along with Rick. Rick has experienced countless miles at the hands (and legs) of his father...all because after completing their first race together, he told his father “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” That was the start of something that is gut wrenchingly beautiful to me. To give his son that feeling over and over, Dick began to train with the fervor of an Olympic athlete, to prepare to enter more races, including multiple Ironman Triathlons (2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run). Just counting their number of triathlons alone: 238! I am awed by this and by what they have done together with the lives they have been given...no whining, no excuses, and no quitting. The video footage of Dick swimming through ocean waves, pulling Rick behind him, just reaches into my soul and grips me like a vice. Is there anything more powerful and life changing than this kind of love?!

I am relatively new to the whole "green" scene. I have recycled for years, but honestly that's only because the garbage company brings big recycle bins right to my door and it saves on our trash bill. It hasn't been until we started developing our eco-friendly line at Earth Monkeys that I started to be aware of just how UN-GREEN I really am. I had three in diapers for years... so cloth diapers were out... don't you roll your eyes and judge me, I know I'm not alone in this! And the whole "greeny", "eco-friendly","recycley" lifestyle always seemed too expensive and too difficult. If I'm being really honest (brace your selves, I can't find my filter this morning) even now, when I visit environmentally friendly websites or blogs, many feel stuffy and judgmental and can almost carry an air of superiority.  Sometimes I feel like the new kid in church... like the guy up front is going to call me out because I'm not good enough to be in this crowd. (Consequently that is exactly how I felt when I became a pastors wife... and it's not a good feeling.) Anywhoo, I tend to be a bit of a rebel... I don't like to conform and snobby superiority makes me want to do just the opposite no matter what the cause is... immature?? Probably, but it's kind of what has kept me from making changes in my lifestyle until now... right wrong or otherwise.



Gena and I are both still a work in progress when it comes to being green and running an eco-friendly household.  I am passionate that taking baby steps is the key to making lasting, effective change, so that's what I'm doing. My life is chaos 98% of the time... my three boys  are exhaustingly high maintenance high energy,  and trying to run a successful business, blogging, cleaning, laundry, cooking... like all of you my list goes on... I don't want to add one more thing to my plate. If faced with the decision between eco-friendly and convenience my choice will vary on any given day... that's just how it is. What I have realized though, is that there are so many things that I can do that aren't hard and even save me money. The more I do them the easier it gets and the less I have to think about making the right choice.



So.... here are 8 THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO "Greenify" your family and probably even save you money in the process...

1. Stop using paper towels/plates... Gena shamed me into "encouraged" me to just buy a costco pack of those white towels and use them instead ... and I decided to just start washing dishes instead of using paper plates for breakfast and lunch... I made the swtich about 9 months ago and it's not that bad:)


2. Turn your lights off and unplugged the stuff you're not using... my mom will laugh that I wrote this because I am still really working on this one... it's extra hard when you're the only person in the house who doesn't think every single light needs to be on 24/7.


3. Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones... they're a little more spendy upfront but save on the electric bill big time!


4. Check out A Simple Switch by Philips on Facebook... they have great tips and challenges on making small changes.


5. Stop Using Plastic Bags... Either bring your own or  use paper bags ( I shred the paper bags and use them as filling for Earth Monkeys gift bags... so don't give me that finger wave:) Gena's the pro at this... I've got the grocery store down but I always forget my bags at like Target or other stores... I then have to do the "walk of shame" hoping Gena's not lurking around the corner waiting to bust me:) hehe


6. Put on some socks... My house is old and drafty... we're talking all original 1958... I can feel breeze through my windows... it's bad. And while I should replace them with new energy efficient ones, I don't have $20K to fork out right now. Sooo instead of cranking up the heat to 85 to make-up for the cold, we just bundle up 1) Because a $500 power bill isn't fun to pay and 2) Because it's an easy energy saver!


7. Join the Reuse Revolution on our Earth Monkeys website!  Make the pledge not to buy disposable bibs and changing pads... you don't have to use our stuff... but choosing to use washable reusable products does make a difference. CLICK HERE to join!


8. Find a favorite Green Moms Blog to follow... My personal favorite is Secret Mommy... she's a real mom with crazy monkeys who does her best to live a green lifestyle. I have never felt judged or less than by anything she's written... only encouraged and inspired!! 

 I wish I could end with the title... (hey don't agree with me here!!!)  but I must explain...



My daughter loves to draw.  She loves to paint, to trace, to color and anything that can be turned into artwork will be.  She is 5.  We all know that a five year old has limits in this area and that her artwork would probably not be admired by strangers, but it is admired by me.  When she makes a drawing, I have two choices...

One, I could say "oh honey, that's a good try, but that looks nothing like a dinosaur, and the colors are really not quite correct, and why would you put hearts in the sky??  There are not hearts in the sky ever.

Or option 2 would go something more like this...Oh honey, that is beautiful!  That looks like the happiest dinosaur in the world, and he is so lucky to be pink and purple!!  And he is so full of love, that he puts hearts in the sky!!!  I LOVE IT!!!!

Now, the first would be a better description of what is really going on, but what would that do to her desire to create if I said those words???



Let me give you another example...

My two year old boy LOVES to sing and "play the guitar".  He does a great job, but it goes without saying that he is not always in tune, and his guitar playing resembles that of a donkey stuck in a barbed wire fence. (not that I have heard that personally, but I can't imagine it would sound very good..) Once again, I have two options...

I could say, Baby, you don't sound quite like the people singing the song,  they said "mama called the doctor and the doctor said...NOT mama doll the dada nadad dad daid....and when you play the guitar, it hurts my ears.

OR I could say, Baby, mama looooooves it when you sing (and break into a crazy dance) it blesses my heart!  You sound like an angel!  And your guitar sounds just like daddies!  Good job pumpkin!!!

Once again, the first would be more true...



But what would it do to my kids spirits if I pointed out every fault, or everything they could do better???  It would deflate them.  They would give up!  My sweet girl would stop drawing, and my baby boy would stop singing!!! (oh that breaks my heart!)

We have soooo much control of how inspired or broken our kids become!!!!



Here is another way to put it...

If I talk over and over about how "shy" my child is, she will be shy!

If I tell my boy all day long what a "bad boy" he is, he will be bad!

And seriously, If I ever hear any parent call their child "stupid" I will go ape all over them!!!

Oh and just a side note...you that are married, If you tell your husband what a lazy, selfish, unloving  jerk he is, guess what he will be???(just saying!!!)

If we say you're NOT good at math, or soccer, or driving, or talking....guess what they will NOT be good at???



In contrast to that..

If I tell my daughter that she is the best big sissy in the world, she hugs her brother when he cries, helps him when he falls down, and "teaches" him how to read! (this often happens in my house!)

When my son hears over and over that it is important to be gentle to girls and be respectful to them...imagine the type of man he will be.

If we say your an amazing singer, a beautiful dancer, such a great communicator, and I love how you are respectful to everyone you are around...they will rise to the standards that we set for them! 



I think it goes without saying that we want our kids to be successful adults (and I'm not talking money here) so treat them like successful children.  Does criticism or brutal honesty motivate any of us?  I think not.  I want to use my words and attitude to build up my children!!!



So here is a little challenge for all of us today.  Lets be mindful of every word that we say to our kids today...I am committed to only use my words to encourage, lift them up and bring joy!



Glad you're here today, and hoping you will "share" us with your friends!!!

     I always walk through stores like Pier1 or even Target and all the cute pillows are like 20-30 dollars!!!  Who can afford that when you know they are gonna get ruined by the kids or the dog or my husband, plus you need at least 2 and $40 is an investment!!. Recently I have converted my house into a Shabby chic kindof style. The best part of this is, it can be shabby!!!  As in not perfect, a little lopsided, mix and matched!!!

     Which means I can sew and my lines don't have to be totally straight and it wont matter!!! How great is that.  I'm a fast sewer (because I have no time or patience to take my time), I don't have time to cut straight lines or use those annoying pins.. I just wing it! I'm not kidding!! If you look really close at the lines on the pillow they are not straight. and it doesnt matter. yay! But recently after walking through Pier1 I found these napkins for $2.97 each and a bag of Polly-fill for $3.00 so for a total of about $7.00 I made this fabulous shabby white pillow.  So for that price if it only lasts a few months, I'm fine with that!!            

                                                       And here is how you can do it!

Step 2: Lay out the napkins good side out on both sides. 

I wanted the cute trim on the outside to show, 

so I sewed them on the good sides out 

instead of the conventional inside out

Step 3: Sew the entire 3 edges of the napkin fabric, 

leaving about an inch for the trim to not be sewn

*Leave about 6 inches unsewn so you can stuff your pillow

We are so jazzed that Mindy is giving away this adorable pillow that she showed us how to make!  Simply "like" her Pretty in Paint FB page and of course Earth Monkeys too then come back and "comment" below...a winner will be chosen at random!  Oh Oh Pick me!!!!



And one last thing...please take a quick second and click the "about 2011" link to the right and vote for Earth Monkeys...it's easy and we need every vote!  Thanks friends!!!!

{Here's my "Oldie but Goodie" pick... it's the very first post I wrote for EMM and it's still painfully true today! Hope you likey:)}

I only paint the toes that show on any given day. From a distance it looks like I have a decent pedi going … and I do mean a distance. But if you look up close you would see about 17 layers of gunky, chipped “You don’t know Jacques” OPI nail polish on my toes. My big toe on my left foot is still swollen and throbbing from an unfortunate forking (which is why forks don’t belong on the floor FYI) and the calluses on my heals…well it’s just not proper to talk about them in mixed company.



Anyway, why am I going on about my disgusting man feet??? Because I think they kind of represent who I am in life…(stay with me now girls.) So much of what I do and how I portray myself is so others will think that I have it together…not ALL together because that would be annoying…but just together. What I want you to see is that I have three crazy boys … two with special needs… and although we have been faced with many challenges… I am strong and I am easy going and I know what I’m doing. That’s what I want you to see, and that’s probably what it looks like from a distance. But when you get even remotely close enough you will see that many days I am just broken…that I use humor to put myself down to guard against your judgement… and that I have no clue what I’m doing most of the time or how to be a good mom to such complex boys.



I’m sick of pretending to be someone I’m not. Guess what I’m a horrible house keeper…not just because my kids destroy everything…but because I hate to clean. If you come to my house without any notice, my house WILL NOT be clean…EVER. I will never be a gentle soft spoken mom who plays games and does crafts all day with my kids…that’s just not me. But what I am trying to come to grips with is that who God made me … is enough. I am enough… and you are too.



So today, before we post on facebook that we just ran 5 miles, cleaned our houses and listened to our 3-year-old recite the encyclopedia…tI think we need to ask ourselves if we're being real or someone we've created in our heads. Because until we are ready to be real and sometimes even vulnerable…we can never be in true community with other moms. How can we be there for each other if we don’t really know each other?





Want to Win an Earth Monkeys Eco-Friendly Bib? Post a comment under this link on the Earth Monkeys Facebook Page about an area in your life where you have trouble being real or want people to think you have it more together than you actually do... the first step is admitting it... I just bared all... you can too:)