Come And Enter My First Giveaway Contest!

I am super excited to offer my readers a giveaway with CSN.  CSN is a network of over 200 online stores, selling everything from designer shoes to dining room chairs.  CSN is offering one of my lovely readers a $35.00 gift certificate to use on any of their shopping sites.

Stop by and check out their website:  CSNstores.com

This contest is open to residents of the USA and Canada.  (Please note:  extra International shipping fees MAY apply on Canadian orders.)

The contest ends on Wednesday, November 3rd at 12 noon CST.  I will select the winner via random.org.  I will post the winner towards the end of next week.

It Is Easy To Enter:

All you have to do is become a follower of A Mom Having Fun, and post a comment saying "hello!"  Oh, and don't forget to leave your email address and/or website so I know where to contact you to tell you  "YOU WIN"!  :-)

CONTEST IS NOW OVER - THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE END OF THE WEEK!

Happy Birthday Anna & Ethan!!!

Three years ago today our lives were blessed with Anna and Ethan when they were born...8 weeks earlier then expected.

I had just been to a Halloween party with our oldest daughter Megan, who was 4 at the time. My husband was working a 24 hour shift at the fire department. Whenever my husband works nights Megan would (and still does) snuggle with me and sleeps in our bed. About 4 am on October 28th, 2007 I awoke to a great deal of wetness. And thought, "oh my gosh I just peed myself!". I ran into the bath and, low and behold, is was definitely more then pee! At first I was very excited and then all of a sudden it occurred to me...8 weeks early. I called my mom, I called my husband, and then I called the doctor - who, of course said go to the hospital.

My labor and delivery was actually quit easy. I was already about 3 cm dilated and about 60% effaced. Within a couple hours I was 7 cm dilated and 75% effaced...by 12:10 pm Anna was born and at 12:21 pm Ethan arrived. It was a very ease delivery - both weighed 4.1 lbs and both were 17" long. They only went on a nasal canal for the first day and that was all that was needed for the oxygen. Anna and Ethan spend 3 weeks in the NICU and then came home.

Our world has never been the same since! We are so blessed as a family!

Hugs and kisses! xoxoxoxo

Keepin' Company Thursday Blog Hop!

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Can I Cry??

I just accidentally erased ALL the blogs I follow!!!  :(  I wanted to delete the gadget because it was only saying I followed 30 blogs and then update...somehow it deleted the entire list.

I'm not sure if it actually deleted me from peoples follow list or not.  Ugh...I don't know how I'll find all these blogs again...definitely will go through all following me too, but please let me know if I need to add you again. 

Okay - WEIRD it was empty and now I checked and everyone is back!!!  Yay, thank you God for knowing I already have too much on my plate.  :-)
Jodi

Wednesday Blog Hop

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Words Of Encouragement For Monday

It has been been a little while since I wrote a post, I actually have been somewhat at a lose for words.  Do you ever have that, when ideas come in to your head but then they don't sound very interesting or you can't even think of enough to say on it.  Well, that has been me lately.

I have been reading and looking in to a lot of Motivational types of material now for a while and recently I've read a few things which really made a lot of sense...they were actually from some devotionals that I get via email, but I felt that whether you are spiritual or not they could be applied to life for everyone.

One, in particular, caught my attention.  You know how you make a commitment to yourself, you know, start a diet program, start an exercise program, or even make a commitment to work your business consistently...but then it's time to "start" that program and we come up with an excuse ~ e.g. "I'm tired, I'll start tomorrow", "It's a special night", "I'm not motivated, tomorrow with be better", ... etc.  We then get caught in that vicious cycle of making excuses for not doing what we've committed ourselves to.

We were all made to be better then that ~ to make ourselves accountable to our decisions.  When you make a commitment to do something and find yourself making an excuse to move away from that commitment,  rewrite what is playing in your head.  Instead of the excuse, say "I am made for more".  You were made for more with each choice you make.

SeamsMod Bags

I entered to win a very cute "Reversible Tote With Super Graphic Image".  These adorable bags are handmade & super cute! I am in need of something very modern & cute to carry.

Here are some samples of their diaper clutches:

Go enter in the contest yourself over at Bouffe e Bambini here.

Good Luck to you!

House Of Ill

You can tell kids are back in school and the weather has changed - we are all, well most of us, sick. You know that runny nose, cough thing that likes to linger. I have, for all intense purposes, no voice at this point. Although - that does not prevent kids from fighting, arguing, screeching and calling for "mom" on a consistent basis! Tonight was early bedtime, not only did they need it, but mom needed it too.

My business is booming right now too - which is awesome, and so much fun...but not much rest for the throat.

My ~3 year old daughter is the source of the cold. Poor baby though, her little nose is soooo runny and she coughs her little head of with all that drainage. So, we've had to pull out the "snot sucker" again, ya know that bulb syringe. She loves it...not. Yesterday, I tried really hard to teach her how to blow her nose - but every time she would "blow" she would actually blow out through her mouth! It was hysterical trying to show her how to keep her mouth closed while she blew air out her nose. Even her twin brother was started trying to help her. "Anna, not out of your mouth!", "You need to do this ...". We never did get Anna to blow her nose, so "snot sucker" it was.

My husband, we think may have a cold, hard to tell though between his allergies and just being worn out from working so many nights in a row. Knock on wood, Megan and Ethan have been able to resist the "cold" so far.

Thank goodness for disinfectant - I actually use an awesome disinfectant that is just as effective as Clorox wipes but is completely natural. Actually is is the only EPA approved disinfective that has been scientifically proven to be effective against Staph, E-coli, H1N1, and other bad bugs. I, actually, am a strong proponent against using chemicals in our homes, especially with cancer rates rising and cheaper and cheaper (and more toxic) ingredients going in to every day household consumable items (including kids products). Eeeek, I digressed there!

I am going to go take some cough medicine, and grab a cough drop and go to bed and read for a bit. I love the Hunger Games series and I am on the final book of this trilogy - Mockingjay!

Thursday Ramblings

Not sure what else to call this post other than that...I have things to say, but they are all over the place!

I'm now on my second week of regular exercise. Don't get me wrong I've always exercised, but I just haven't been consistent for the last few years. So anyway, this is my second week of building up my running. Last week I was walking 4 minutes and running for 2 minutes - do that 5x's. This week is walk 3 minutes and run 3 minutes - 5x's. I started that Tuesday and can now barely walk! The inside of my knees are killing me. I'm hoping it's just because I'm doing something my body is not used to, but I feel like I'm 90 years old! I'm supposed to go again tomorrow, but I think I will just do Pilates. I really don't want to aggravate it anymore or do any damage.

My little Anna has been quite a pain about taking her nap! She fights it, refuses to take one and then is miserable all evening long. The problem is that she shares a room with Ethan - so his sleep ends up being disrupted too. We've now taken out the Pack n' Play again so we have a place for Anna to go when she won't cooperate. She still won't go to sleep though. Little bugger!

I had a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting this evening. It was so much fun. I love the ladies in MOPS. I've actually started attending the church where this MOPS group is held. Hmmm, I was raised Catholic, but have honestly never felt a true connection spiritually. The Co-leader of MOPS - her husband is Pastor at this church. It is a Christian church, young and contemporary. I love the pastor and his wife. The are awesome speakers and I instantly felt such a connection to them and what they said. I walk out of church now feeling such an incredible connection - and so much stronger. The community at this church is great too, everyone is so friendly and welcoming.

Okay, lastly, some tough news came to me yesterday. A friend of mine, who has 2 sons - one is 7 and the other 2 1/2. The 2 1/2 year old has had bouts of cancer - they just found a reoccurence yesterday. Just incredibly devastating news. This friend and her son are the two strongest most positive people I have ever met. Just incredible. My heart is just breaking though. Like I said I was raised Catholic and we have a "prayer" for everything. Non-demonation Christian does not have that though - you just speak from your heart. This is very unique for me because I want to find the perfect words to say. But, if you can, can you all just think of him and his mom and pray that the Lord will give them strength and courage through all of this and that He will show mercy. I'm not really used to speaking from the heart in prayer ... some people are so good and expressing themselves, but I think you know where I'm going with this, right?

On that note, I will end for today! Thank you for giving me your time. :-)

Totally Tuesday Blog Hop

Eight Years, 3 Children, A House, Three Cats and One Dog

Today, my husband and I celebrate 8 years of marriage.  It's amazing how fast these years have gone by.  In all honesty, we've never really had an opportunity to take time to celebrate!

By our 1st year anniversary we already a 3 month old.  Yes, I got pregnant the night of our wedding.  I was 36 years old when we got married and I assumed it would take us a while to get pregnant.  I thought my husband was going to faint 3 weeks later when I announced we were already expecting.  Our first anniversary was spent with our oldest daughter Megan, who at the time was collicky.  :-)  And we moved into our first home two weeks after our 1 year anniversary.

Since then, we added two more children to our household - Anna and Ethan - who will be 3 at the end of this month.  We also have had one dog, who actually was very overwhelmed when Anna and Ethan came home from the hospital...and even more so when they started crawling.  We didn't feel it was very healthy environment for her anymore and didn't feel very confident about the safety of the twins so we did give her back to her former owner who loved her dearly and was in contact with us still.  We also have had 2 cats pass away but still have one cat from when we were dating.  Maew, a seal point siamese.

These past 8 years have been an amazing journey.  It's so hard to believe how much our lives have changed (for the better) in those years.  I'm so excited to see what the future years bring us.

Happy Anniversary!

Jodi

3 Tips for Climbing Your Personal Mountains

Sir Edmund Hilary, the first man to climb Mount Everest, once said, “It is not the mountains we conquer, but ourselves.” Whether you are trying to climb physical mountains or the metaphysical mountains you encounter in your everyday life, here are some tips to keep in mind that might make your journey easier.

1) Carry as little as possible.
When climbing a mountain, you need to take as few items with you as possible. The less you take with you, the faster and longer you can climb. When you face life’s challenging mountains, stick to the same rule. The more you can simplify your life, the better. If your house is full of clutter, clean it out and throw things away. If you carry emotional baggage with you, deal with it so you can throw it off the side of the mountain and get rid of it. All the clutter in your life, physical and emotional, only serves to hold you back from reaching your goals.

2) Take your time.
If you try and rush to the summit of a mountain as fast as you can, you risk slipping, losing your grip, skipping safety precautions, and potentially falling to your demise. Did you know what climbers do when they get to the top of Mount Everest? Most of them take a picture and head back down as soon as possible. There’s a lesson in that: climbing mountains is not about reaching the summit but about the climb itself. When you face your personal mountains, think of them the same way. You may face challenges, but it is the way that you deal with those challenges that counts, not that they are finally over. So, slow down, deal with things properly and in an orderly fashion. If you try and hurry, you may miss something or make a mistake, causing you to back track and even start all over again from the beginning.

3) Pick the right climbing partners.
You never want to climb a mountain alone, and you always want to have people with you who have experience mountain climbing. The same goes for your life. Having friends and loved ones with you during your challenges and difficulties makes it easier. They can help you carry your load, lift you up, and use their strength to pull you to safety. What’s more, make sure that those with whom you surround yourself are the kind of people that will help you when things get difficult. Surround yourself with uplifting and supporting friends and family and you’ll make it to the summit of all of life challenges.

Gunter Jameson writes about several topics including travel, minimalism and online classes.

Trying to Find that Inner Peace

I used to think I was a pretty well-balanced, could handle anything type gal...and then I had twins.  I'm sure it does not effect everyone the same way, but I'm not one that really enjoys chaos.  When our twins were infants it was really tough.  My husband worked really crazy hours, and still does.  Having an older child, although she was 4 at the time just added another level of difficulty.  I started having panic attacks whenever my husband would start to leave for work and while he was gone.  Those completely stink.  I finally went to a doctor last year toward the end of the year and was put on meds for them.  I hate taking a medication, but I hate less not feeling in control of myself...especially with my children.  The anxiety and panic would first of all make me feel like I couldn't breath, but it also made me very short tempered.  I hated feeling always angry around my children, that is not a behavior I want them growing up remembering.

This year I've really strived for inner peace.  I needed to start doing some things for me...little things like start reading again.  I love reading but hadn't made the time for it in years.  I now have read about 12 books since the beginning of the year, ranging from self-improvement type books to just plain-old fun books.  Love, love, love the Hunger Games series! 

I've also strived to exercise regularly - that has helped hugely!  It makes me feel better about myself and, I think mentally just starts my day off on such a brighter note.

I had also joined a MOPS group so I do get to get out meet with other moms and have the twins in the daycare then at the church where the MOPS group meets.  Even though MOPS is not religion based, it does try to balance you personally and spiritually.  The church it is held at is a non-denominational Christian Church.  I have been surprised at how much an effect having that spiritual connection in my life has had on me.  In the last month we have started to attend that Church - the Pastor's wife is a co-leader of our MOPS group so I've heard them both speak at MOPS and have always loved listening to them.  I hadn't realized until recently how much I was lacking on the spiritual side of things!

Today was a rough day.  My husband was at work all day, and the twins didn't nap...it's been a few days now.  I think they are trying to give up that nap.  They stay in their room, but are so cranky from not napping.  Makes for a long day of them having tantrums, and really over-reacting to things that normally would not be a big deal.  Still trying to figure out how to keep well-grounded in the midst of the chaos, but I think I'm definitely on a better path then I was a year ago.

What A Great Day!

So today I woke up and began my 10 week training for a 5K.  I don't know if I will actually run in a 5K, but since I've never been a runner it will be nice to build up to that properly and then make a 5K my normal route.

I then started potty training our twin daughter.  I decided over the weekend we really need to get this done so I, mistakenly, tried a crash course in it which didn't go over so well.  I put both Anna and Ethan in new underwear with their favorite characters and then the both proceeded to have accidents and completely freaked.  Anna has been wanted to wear her underwear ever since, which is a good opportunity for us to "practice".  So now I set the timer.  I have her sit on the potty initially, then put her underwear on her.  I then keep setting the timer for 10 minutes until she goes in the potty.  Once she goes, I then do it in 30 minute increments until she goes.  No accidents today...but I'm still not sure she's really "getting" it.  Ethan has no desire to try again...so we'll wait until he starts to show interest.

I then had a full schedule with appointments for my home business which ended with me getting a new partner started this evening.  I'm very excited to help her and her family, not only get really healthy and safe products into their household, but also that I have the opportunity to help her earn a really great income which will just allow her to dream.

Since my husband is at the Fire Department tonight, tomorrow morning with be Pilate's.  We have Comcast Cable and through their On Demand there is a Fitness Channel with Pilate's.

Overall I would call it a good day!  :) 

Up And At 'Em

At the end of last week I decided it was time to get back in to my routine of exercise.  At the beginning of the year it was one of the commitments I made to myself.  I was really good for awhile and then in June we went on a 2 week vacation to Florida, since then I have not been able to get back in to the routine.  So, on Wednesday night I set the alarm for 6 am Thursday, got up and off I went on a brisk 2 mile walk.  It felt really good!  On Friday, I did 30 minutes of Pilate's.  My husband works a crazy schedule so on the mornings he is home, I want to get out and walk/run...when he is not home I plan on Pilate's.  My Endocrinologist has been after me for awhile to get in a regular routine of exercise since I have such horrible bone density already.  It's been hard to schedule around children.

On Thursday after I got home from my first day of exercise, I came in cooled down and all of a sudden all three kids ran downstairs yelling mommy's home...like I was gone all night!  Apparently the twins woke at 6:30 am (unbeknown to my husband) came into the bedroom looking for me, saw I wasn't there and then came downstairs looking for me and when I was there started balling.  My husband woke to hear them crying for me.  He settled them down, but it really through them that I wasn't here.  The next morning I woke to our twin daughter (Anna) downstairs crying for me at 6 am!  She didn't even bother to look that I hadn't gotten up yet.  That morning I did Pilate's with my oldest daughter Megan and my twin daughter Anna.  Kids....

I am actually planning on turning my "brisk walk" in to a 5k Run!  A friend gave me instructions she received when training for a 5k.  I've never been a runner, but it seems to be the easiest way to get a good workout in a short amount of time right now.

So, bright and early tomorrow morning I will be on my walk/run!  :)