Bringing Good Home

It’s Party Time! I love a good party! Robin is feeling a little lonely, I think, so she’s invited us all over to her place for a get together with snacks and treats and whatnot - not to mention an actual real live chat if you wanna. Now THAT’S A PARTY.

Many of you already know me, and if you do you probably already I know a talk just a little, or a lot. Okay, a lot. If you don’t know me, the best way to get to know me is to read my 100 Things post, which coincided with my 100th post AND the 1st Ultimate Blog Party, or my second Ultimate Blog Party post. This is just a glimpse, though and they were both written a while back so of course, there’s a whole lot more going on now!!

I’ve been trying to find a way to make an income from home for quite sometime now, something that’s a really good fit. My latest attempt at mom-entrepreneurial-ness is providing low cost homeschool resources at my newest blog Faith Family Home School. I also post a daily free link to a good educational website.

My other blog, Imperishable Beauty, is supposed to mainly be a reflection of my faith and living that out in daily life. When I started it, I also hoped (and still do) to grow into a resource for other Christian women. I still envision having guest bloggers and weekly features and the whole ball of yarn. I went through a little bit of a bloggy identity crisis there for a little bit and stopped posting very much, but lately the inspiration has returned.

Enough about me, how about you? Have you ever been to Texas? If not, you’re in for a real Texas treat. One of my favorite party snacks is fresh made Pico de Gallo (well, after you let it sit in the fridge a while and let all the flavors mingle.) My recipe is almost exactly like this one, (they might use a smidge more jalapeno, I make mine kid friendly) so if you follow this and serve it up with some salty tortilla chips and it should turn out tasting pretty darn good.

You may know that pico is good with anything remotely Mexican-food reminiscent (tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos, etc.) but did you also know that its good with rice, beans and cornbread or even on top of a chili cheese dog?? Oh yes, I WENT THERE.

OR, if you’re feeling a bit more snackish than that, you can throw in some black beans, corn and avocado and what you get is a hearty treat known as Cowboy Caviar.

And to drink: Cranberry Limeades!! Pour some sprite over crushed iced, add a little cranberry juice to taste, and squeeze half a lime in followed by the lime half for decoration and good measure. YUMMY! I’ll have two, please… (Or if you want an actual recipe..)

Now that you’re well fed and thirst-quenched, check out a few of my favorite bloggy friends before you go. Meet my bloggy friend Lisa and her little baby boy at Little Jack’s Corner, and three ladies who I can’t really call bloggy friends yet but whom I very much enjoy knowing from afar: Heather at Oh My Stinkin’ Heck, Michelle at Scribbit, and Kristin at We Are THAT Family. I also call Robin my bloggy friend, but, you know, she’s the hostess…

And if you want to get to know me a little more before you go or come back later for some more reading.. You can read up on these fine specimens of tired mom, half-awake blogging:

• My Imperfect Husband
• Some People Think I’m a Little Strange
• Is it a good thing or a bad thing that my 2 yr. old is this brave?
• View My Tutorial For Making Dishwasher Detergent
• Things I Know Now That I’m A Mom

Well, I guess it’s time to say “See ya later!” Thanks for dropping by and do have a good time visiting the other party peoples!

Yes, another great summer giveaway! (Must be in the air…)

5 Minutes for Mom is hosting the Creative Summer Days Giveaway with a different giveaway each day this week. All you have to do is stop by the post for each item and enter. Easy as pie, right?

So, would you like a Super Fort for your son? Perhaps a computer game for your preschooler? Or maybe a family friendly cell phone for you tween. Well, you may or may not win, but you can’t win if you don’t stop by and enter so go do what you gotta do.

**This giveaway is now closed.**

The Bloggy Giveaway Carnival is in full swing so I thought I’d offer up a prize that reflects me here at Bringing Good Home.

Almost a year ago I started making my own laundry detergent and dishwasher detergent. The cost savings is amazing! Recently I attempted to make some bath gel, but I didn’t like the results so I’m going to try again with a different recipe. Soon I’ll also be attempting a batch of liquid dish soap.

So to my winner I’ll be giving one small bottle of liquid laundry soap (I’ll find a way to package it securely), one small container of powdered laundry detergent, and one small container of dishwasher detergent - complete with usage directions and instructions for making your own!

If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at making home made soaps to save money, but haven’t gotten around to it, haven’t been brave enough, or (fill in your excuse/doubt/worry here).. then this giveaway is an opportunity to give it try without any worry.

All you have to do to win is leave a comment on this post before 10pm CST, Saturday, April 26th.

Don’t forget to include your email address in the comment form so that I will be able to contact you!

Also, during the week of the carnival don’t forget to check your spam email regularly - they’re great at catching spam - and also winning emails!

The winner will be selected after 10m CST on Saturday and quickly notified. The winner will have 3 days to respond before a new winner is selected.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents alike. You do not have to have a blog to enter.

*NOTE: If for some reason there is an issue with shipping the liquid soap, that item will be replaced with the ingredients and directions to make your own small batch.

Don’t forget to check out the giveaway at my other blog, Imperishable Beauty, and then visit The Bloggy Giveaway Carnival to browse more giveaways!

Mom, you fought for crown
“Meanest Mom in all of town.”
So thanks. I love you.

When I was little and we cried, “NO FAIR!” My mom replied, “I know, meanest mom in the whole town, now get to it.” I’m a better person for all the things she didn’t let me do, and all the things she made me do, and of course now I’m saying the same things with my little girls. I doubt it’s winning material, but it’ll mean a lot to my mom.

For more information and to enter the Mother’s Day contest for $1,000, sponsored by Egg Beaters, check out Rocks In My Dryer! The contest is only open till 8pm CST tonight!!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Hey, Y’all come on in and meet some new friends! (Via the UBP.)

First up, meet Robin at “Pensieve.” If she lived close by I think we could be instant friends. Seriously. Alas she does not, but I have added her to Google Reader, yes I have. Get to know more about Robin, and her alligator hunting and snake wrangling tendencies and you’ll love her, too.

Next meet Lisa at “Little Jack’s Corner.” I enjoyed reading her post about 99 life lessons in 25 years and I also like her post about supporting our husbands during the hard times. As far as our goals for biblical womanhood go, we seem to be kindred spirits. I’m looking forward to more inspiring posts from Lisa.

And lastly (for today) meet Cherrye at “My Bella Vita.” A former Texas gal now living in Italy with her husband, I enjoyed reading about her adventures with Italian fashion, Italian superstition and Italian food. Yum! I think I enjoyed reading her blog so much because I simply can’t imagine uprooting myself so drastically and making such a dramatic change in my life. Quite the opposite of myself, I find Cherrye and her blog intriguing and exciting.

That’s all for now. More later.

Howdy! It’s time for the Ultimate Blog Party - a party where our assignment is to “throw a party that showcases your blog and your style.” So that’s just what I’ll do. Oh! But there’s a twist.

About a year and four months ago, I created this blog and I have used an alias since day 1. But now… I’m going to “come out of the Closet of Anonymity.” Seriously? Oh, yes. I’d probably keep going if I wasn’t opening up my store. But since I am, I think it might be better for customers to see that they are buying things from a real person and not an alias. Besides which, Big Daddy just released his e-book with his name plastered ALL OVER IT.

SO….

I’m going to tell you my name. Yay!

But there’s a catch. (Of course there is right?)

Basically, by this end of this party post, you’ll know a little bit more about me, and you’ll get to leave a guess in the comments. Should I give multiple choices? Hmm. Perhaps. Obviously if you already know me, MUM IS THE WORD. I mean it. SHUSH.

So let’s party already! (It’s about time, right?) So grab some hors d’oeuvres and mingle.

All right, so if you wanna get to know me then there is one main thing that you must know about me - I LOVE JESUS! My favorite passage is Psalm 18 and my favorite verse is..I don’t have ONE favorite verse - there’s too many! Here’s a few posts that I have written that reflect my relationship with my Lord:

• The Spiritual Overhaul of Change
• My God is So Big
• Thirteen Things I Am Thankful For
• Vacuuming In Circles - Is It Biblical?

Secondly, I love my family! I am so thankful for the wonderful family that God has given me. Since I don’t post their faces on here, I can’t show you but I promise they are just adorable! And I’m not just saying that because I’m their mom. It can be really stressful at times, but I enjoy being home with my children all day while I homeschool them and taking care of the home and taking care of my hubby - It means a lot to me.

All right, so for something a little more fun…I like games. I like games that make you think. I like classics like Tetris, I like Sodoku, and I like word games such as Bookworm, Scrabble (or Literati), Crossword and Word Search Puzzles. Does that make me a little bit of a nerd? (Go ahead, play along. Each of those links takes you to a free online game. Woo-hoo!)

I love music. Love it, love it. I love to sing, write songs, and play guitar - and though I’m still a beginner, I just love to play around at it. My favorite band of all time is Third Day. Want some videos to watch? Here, have a ball!

• Consuming Fire
• Your Love Oh Lord
• Agnus Dei

Ah yes, I love music. I’m definitely an artsy type. And you know that whole stereotype about artsy, creative people being messy? Yup. I really want to be organized. I tingle at the sight of an organized row of matching baskets, colorful containers, or visually balanced bins - especially if that are labeled! Call me crazy. But since my artistic right brain is only slightly more dominant than my organized left brain…I think this is why my messy habits are always at war with my organizing habits. Or perhaps it’s because I don’t really like to clean. Either way. Here - find out whether you are left or right brained. It may or may not mean any thing. But hey, who doesn’t like a good quiz?

Speaking of creating.. do you know I make my own laundry soap, and dishwasher soap? I’m hoping to learn to make something else soon, too. Maybe hand soap. I’m a beginner sew-er (that’s not a word) but I figure I’ll get better with practice. I’m also starting my own business, Imperishable Beauty, in which - you guessed it - I make and sell things. I’m hoping my left brain is left-brained enough to help me with the finance end of things!

Okay, one more. I am neither a girly girl, nor a tomboy. Actually, I’m a little bit of both. My favorite color is pink and I like sparkly and shiny things. My favorite kind of shoes are high-heeled strappy sandals - of course with pink or red nailpolish!! I have my ears pierced three times and I have long, layered hair that I like to fix and wear down. However, my hair is almost always in a ponytail, I’m usually wearing jeans and tennis shoes, and I rarely ever wear any earrings at all. On the other hand, I am trying to remember to at least wear mascara and lip gloss on a daily basis because it just makes my day feel better.

Okay, so now that you know that I am a tomboyish, girly, artistic, messy, organized wannabe, soap-makin’, homeschooling, nerdy, loud-singin’, guitar-playin’ Jesus Freak from Texas (yeah, I didn’t specifically mention that one)… now it’s time to play “Name That Blogger.” I’ve decided to give you multiple choices. It only seems fair. But I’m going to give you seven. No particular reason, I just like the number seven. It seems… complete. Here goes.

Do you think my name is:

• Ashley
• Angela
• Ann
• Abigail
• Amber
• Alyson
• Amanda

I’m interested to see what y’all have to say. I guess what I’ll do is just come back tomorrow and let y’all know who the first person is to guess the right name. Now I’m going to head over and meet some new people for myself. Plus, if you leave a comment, I’ll come over and meet you, too! Or catch up if we’ve already met. So, go on! Have some more fun! And thanks so much for dropping by.. you were a great guest.

**Updated: To see the results, click HERE.**

~~~~~~~

This part is required for the giveaways.. don’t forget to check those out if you haven’t already. Here’s my list of top picks. If you’ve got time, you can stop by and visit them, too.

1. 45 — Custom Blog Design
   Provided by: Summer
2. 62 — Boca Beth Bilingual Beginner Set
   Provided by: The Boca Beth Program
3. 67 — Blog Makeover
   Provided by: Shauna
4. 44 — Jump Start World 1st Grade
   Provided by: Mom Reviews
5. 36 — Marketing for Entrepreneurs
   Provided by: Lis Garrett
6. 8 — 50 Nights of Family Fun
   Provided by: Essential Family Living
7. 59 — $25 Cash
   Provided by: Lori
8. 34 — Custom Tutu
   Provided by: Live~Love~Dance Boutique
9. 50 — 12 Basic Boutique Bows
   Provided by: MommyMandy.com
10. 58 — Customized 6 Week Fitness Plan
    Provided By: Cindy Posey, Go Workout Mom

 

Yesterday, Shannon posted about a dish dilemma she was having, in which she asked for advice about what to do with a set of very fine china that was a wedding gift, but which they haven’t used even once in the last almost 14 years. Today, she’s decided to store them in the attic and save them for her daughter. But with all the talk about dishes and the comments people left her, apparently Shannon has Dishes On The Brain. So today she’s hosting a Spur-Of-The-Moment Dish Carnival. And we’re invited to join in. And you know what? I’m glad she did, because I have a dilemma of my own. And it’s not so dissimilar to Shannon’s actually.

Exhibit A (click thumbnails for bigger images These are the dishes in question. I received them as a wedding gift, they were used at our rehearsal dinner for the wedding party to use. I have a complete set of 8 in perfect condition.

They are very pretty but…

Exhibit B: These are the dishes that I registered for and received at my wedding reception:

I used them for several years until pieces started breaking and I was dissatisfied with the pattern, which was TOO TOO country for me anyhow. After that I bought a set of plain cobalt blue stoneware dishes, which I absolutely LOVE:

I still have them, too.. well, what’s left of them. I think I might have 3 dinner plates left, 3 or 4 salad plates, and 5 or 6 bowls. I originally only bought 2 coffee cups and 2 giant soup mug/bowls. I still have those. With my collection dwindling, I have pulled out some of the rose patterned plates but I think you can see by my taste why I’m not crazy about them. I mean, if I could go buy more right now, I’d probably buy something like these:

We did use the rose ones once for a little while, I believe between the sunflower and cobalt blue dishes. But even though they now match my new kitchen curtains (I did NOT do that on purpose)…

I still just really don’t like them that much. I think they’re just a little too “grandma” for me. The fact that my grandmother has this same set really doesn’t help. Sorry grandma.

So now, except for a few plates, these dishes are living in the cabinets over my refrigerator, which has been their permanent home for the last three years. I did try to sell them once, until my mother-in-law got upset and I found out that she had contributed towards the dishes when they were bought. But I’ve had them ten years and we have used them some and I still don’t like them. But given that I’m running out of dishes and they now match my curtains, I’m feeling guilty for not pulling them out and using them anyway.

One half of my brain says: PURGE! No offense to my MIL, but they gotta go. The other half of my brain, the frugal half, says: USE THEM! Tough noogies that I don’t like them. *sigh*

Oh, and I tried to donate them to a friend who works at an after-care home for unwed mothers who just graduated from the main home after their babies were born. But she said they were bursting at the seams with dishes. Darn, darn, darn.

***Updated*** I almost forgot about THESE dishes.

They don’t help my dish dilemma, since it’s just a special set with a cake plate, a server, and twelve small plates. I simply ADORE these. They are too cute with their butterflies and polka dots. And hey, they’re PINK. I almost wish these were a complete set - I’d just use them!

I un-buried them when I reorganized my kitchen and moved them to a more accessible cabinet so that I can start making a point to use them more than once or twice a year. That’ll be fun!

Yes, the Ultimate Blog Party (Version 2.0) has finally arrived! I had fun last year, and am looking forward to the party this year as well. What, you haven’t heard about it? You, in the back, you don’t know about the Ultimate Blog Party, the one over at 5 Minutes for Mom? We-ell! You need to head on over and check it out. Trust me. Go on, they don’t bite.

This year it’s open to bloggers and non-bloggers alike, and there’s a ton of prizes up for grabs so there’s your incentive! It’s all just to have a little fun, find some new blogs to read, and meet the new readers who find yours. Unless you’re not a blogger,…then it’s all about finding some good blogs and signing up for some prizes.

It all starts tomorrow, or tonight after 12 midnight Eastern time, however you look at it. Before then you need to grab a button for your sidebar, check out the list of prizes, and then twiddle your thumbs or play a game of solitaire until it’s time to begin. It’s all explained here.

So - ready, get set, get going!

Congrats to comment #16, Becca Mae who said:

I live in Birmingham, AL. It is very hot here. We are known as the Steel City. We have an iron cast statue overlooking downtown called The Vulcan. http://www.visitvulcan.com/index.html
We are all about southern hospitality and sweet tea. It is a great place to live.

I had so much fun reading all the comments! Thank you so much for such great audience participation. We’re going to be busy with these for a looooong time, to be sure!