A Worthy Cause

My local friends and followers have most likely heard about the tragic house fire that claimed the lives of 6 children between the ages of 1 and 12 this last weekend. Now I have learned that the Mother, Samantha is in critical condition and has recently developed a fever and possibly an infection. Friends of the family are organizing a benefit and silent auction to help this family in anyway they can. Imagine not only losing your most precious possessions (your children) but your material possessions as well. This family has suffered more devestation than any of us can ever imagine.

I have been putting feelers out to my wonderful Etsy contacts hoping to rally some donations for the silent auction they are holding in a few weeks. I myself am donating a gift certificate and have already received a donation from fellow Sneak Attacker Beadsoul (www.beadsoul.etsy.com) and my new EtsyMom teammate Mimi Marie Designs (www.mimimarie573.etsy.com). Please show these shops some love for helping out this family.

If you would like to donate towards this silent auction you can either email me at bbauer612@gmail.com or the host of the benefit Robin Beagle-Renaud via the benefit page on facebook (see links below).

http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=12718340

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119113571466298&ref=mf

Reflections

Andy and Cecilia -A Girl and her Daddy
Collin's Park June 2010

I love to work. I like getting out of the house, doing something productive and I love my profession, teaching. It is what I do, and I am good at it. I have always said that while I admire stay-at-home mom's I could never do it, that I would go crazy with bordem.

Becoming unexpectedly unemployed has been a huge stress on my family and especially me personally, but it has also been an unexpected pleasure too. It has allowed me to slow down and really enjoy mommy-hood which is something I have never really been able to do.

When I was working full time I would jump out of bed at 5:30, shower, get ready, get Celie ready, pack our bags, jump in the car to be to work by 6:45-7, give Celie breakfast at work while I prepared my room, worked till 5:30, home by 6, quick dinner, clean up, bath for Celie, some TV, bed for Celie and then pretty much bed for me not long after. Weekends were lost doing all the things there was no time for during the week, chores, visiting, housework, homework. GO, GO, GO, MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!!

Now-a-days while Celie still gets up at 6 (would you expect anything less from a 5 year old), we cuddle in bed till we feel like getting up, or till Charlie starts screaming for food. We do things WE want to do. If we want to stop by the park, we stop at the park. We stay at home in our pajamas if the mood strikes us. We have re-discovered arts and crafts, quality time and each other. I became a teacher because I love working with kids, now I have the time to work with my own.

I am not going to say that I don't miss working. I do, I like the challenges and changes of work and I enjoy being productive in that way. I'm also not saying that I won't be going back to work because we could never afford that. What I am saying is that when I do go back, I will make sure that I don't lose what I have learned about myself and my family this summer. I won't run through life rushed and flustered, I will continue to take the time to enjoy these precious years with my babies. I will make sure the memories they have are not of nothing but work and school
but quality time with us.

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. [Inspired by SouleMama]

How Does My Garden Grow

Purple and Regular Basil


Sage, Pineapple Sage and Thyme


Green Peppers


Yellow Squash


Green and Yellow Beans

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. [Inspired by SouleMama]

Etsy Sneak Attack Team

Last week I had the pleasure of having my new little project featured by a extra special group on Etsy. The Sneak Attack team is a group of handcrafter's on Etsy that pick a few shops on Monday's and Thursdays and bombard them with sales and hearts (the equivalent of FB like's for my non-etsians). On Thursday I received an email from one of these wonderful ladies explaining to me that my shop was going to be featured in an extra large sneak attack that was happening that night. When I went on my shop page to check I had doubled the amount of views my items had received, gotten numerous hearts on my items and even made my first sale. It was overwhelming and wonderful, I had always known and said that there were some of the nicest people in the Etsy community and this proved it.

Today, while hanging out in the Sneak Attack thread waiting for the next attack to begin I read that one of these wonderful ladies had blogged about last weeks attack and included all the shops featured on her blog. Again, overwhelming and wonderful news for all of us "novice" shops.

If your already an Etsian please take the time to check out this group of fantastic people and support their movement to give novice shops some exposure. If you are not an Etsian already WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

The Handmade Movement - Brains behind Sneak Attack, check it out at
http://www.handmademovement.com/ or their shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/sneakteam



The T-shirt Lady - Thanks for the feature, check out her blog and become a follower at
http://www.sandists.com/Wordpress/2010/06/did-you-see-all-the-shops-from-the-special-sneak-attack/

Make sure to give these special people some love!

Newborn Quirks

There are so many things I forgot about newborns. This quite shocks me because it's not like I didn't work with them all the time at the daycare. I mean I spend tons of time with babies but it isn't the same as living and breathing one 24/7.

Things I forgot about newborns:

-They have an uncanny ability to spit up on the only inch of your body and/or theirs not covered by a burp cloth or bib

-Their need to poop minutes after you have just changed their diaper

-The wonderfully fun experience of how the bath relaxes them tooooo much, and then your stuck re-bathing them....experienced Mom's do not need me to go farther into detail than that.

-How after said bath they only stay clean for about 10 minutes because something is always coming out of some orifice

-How after YOUR bath/shower YOU only stay clean for about 10 minutes because something is always coming out of their orifices

-Their smile can make you beam with joy and cry with amazement at the same time

-That adorable little stretch thing they do where they stick their neck out as far as they can while clenching those fists tight

-They can sleep all day, anywhere EXCEPT for those times when you have to make a really important phone call or are in a crowded store

-No toy will ever be as totally engrossing as a ceiling fan

-you find that you have lost an hour or sometimes more because you couldn't stop staring at them


Leave your "newborn quirk" in the comments box for all to share in.