tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56414530007776277302024-02-19T17:31:40.524-05:00Today's Daily DoseHeidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.comBlogger531125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-4616331526503847632011-01-09T14:13:00.000-05:002011-01-09T14:13:49.399-05:00Reading<div style="text-align: center;">Well, it's been a while, eh? After several weeks of slow going, we're back to our regular 3-4 day per week homeschooling schedule. I've taken a break from our favorite (and only) phonics book for a little while and we've just been doing a lot of random reading around the house. I'd like to share with you some of my favorite books that our kids enjoy reading from.....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5337370900/" title="DSC_3263 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3263" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5088/5337370900_ac557b61b9.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">While this set is called "Baby's First ______", it's obvious that babies don't read. Rather, a <i>baby</i> would identify the pictures on the pages. But the reason I really like these books is that the pictures are good for babies, but the text is great for early reading. We have five of these, although there are several more in the series (and one was missing for the pictures). The other day, Keaton sat down with me and read through every word in all five books. I am so proud of him!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So, first up....SOUNDS. The thing I appreciate the most about this book is the fact that some sounds are not actually real words (like "zzzzz" for sleeping), which forces kids to actually <i>read</i> the words and not just say what they see in the picture (which my daughter prefers to do).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5337370972/" title="DSC_3265 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3265" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/5337370972_0ff62f7f8d.jpg" width="499" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Next we have.....COLORS. Pretty self-explanatory, I think.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5336759147/" title="DSC_3284 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3284" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5165/5336759147_f80c129a74.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5336758693/" title="DSC_3271 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3271" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5169/5336758693_0504a41a17.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">WORDS. Really specific title, I know. I think this is what happens when an author wants to put a bunch of random things together that have no connecting theme whatsoever.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5337371104/" title="DSC_3266 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3266" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5204/5337371104_8963c42ca3.jpg" width="499" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5336759009/" title="DSC_3279 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3279" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5336759009_f692dbd6ee.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And finally, Reagan's favorite....the purple book. I mean, SNOOZE. As you may have guessed, this book includes all things bedtime-y.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5336758527/" title="DSC_3269 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3269" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5209/5336758527_79058a688e.jpg" width="499" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">But the reason it's her favorite has little to do with the subject matter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5337371418/" title="DSC_3270 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3270" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5009/5337371418_10ba1d0faf.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">That's right! It's a flip book!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5336758391/" title="DSC_3267 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3267" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5121/5336758391_83c1fd8c5d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">And...the red book is called TOYS. And it's missing. Most likely carried off my our youngest child. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anyway....I bought these books at Borders in the kids clearance section last year, so I have no idea if they are still around. But <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=baby+boppers+babys+first+&x=0&y=0">they do also sell them on Amazon</a> (though the price is about triple what I paid). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Now that we've conquered all the words in these books....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5337371692/" title="DSC_3276 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3276" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5337371692_b05334ddd2.jpg" width="222" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">we're onto <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=my+little+book+roger+priddy&x=0&y=0">these</a>....</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/5336759261/" title="DSC_3286 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img alt="DSC_3286" height="333" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5249/5336759261_082d993d8e.jpg" width="499" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Will keep you posted. :)</div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-47940231982390612012010-11-02T18:26:00.000-04:002010-11-02T18:26:20.151-04:00If You Want To Read About My WoesIn case you missed it, yesterday I announced my pregnancy and mentioned that I would be putting up a blog specifically related to being pregnant with hyperemesis. I've only written my history so far, my first four pregnancy experiences, but here is the link to that blog:<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1431871466"><br />
</a><br />
<a href="http://hyperemesisagain.blogspot.com/">Hyperemesis......Again</a><br />
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Since the purpose of writing that blog is primarily so people can understand and be more aware of what hyperemesis actually <i>is</i> and how it effects (affects?) a woman's pregnancy, I'll tell you up front that there will likely be mention of things like bleeding, bowel movements, vomiting, and the like. So.....not quite G rated. If you're not interested in reading about any of the aforementioned things, I suggest you just stick to this blog. :) Or if you prefer to look at pretty pictures, <a href="http://www.heidistoneblog.com/">my photography blog</a>.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-52746707172654884822010-11-01T17:54:00.000-04:002010-11-01T17:54:20.419-04:00Homeschool, Day..........?I'm too lazy to check the calendar right now, but we're treading along with homeschooling. I've long given up the idea of unit studies as I found them to be extremely time-consuming. We are focusing on reading, writing and identifying letters and numbers (up to 20) right now and we throw in some books about random things as well. It's far more enjoyable for me than when I was spending hours and hours just coming up with 20 books and an outline for one unit study!<br />
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The kids are doing really well with their reading and slowly becoming faster at identifying words and sounds. I am loving <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Child-Read-Lessons/dp/0671631985">the book we're using</a> and am so thankful for those who recommended it to me.<br />
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I also cannot go on without putting in a plug for the show <a href="http://pbskids.org/sid/">Sid the Science Kid</a>. I am not much for Barney, Elmo, Sesame Street, etc., but this show is seriously full of learning. My three older kids love it and I appreciate the fact that they are gleaning some science by watching it....especially since I'm not all that interested in science myself. I know there are better moms than me out there who refuse to turn on the TV for their children, but I have not found myself on their tier just yet.<br />
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In other news, we are very excited to be welcoming our fifth child into the world early next summer! Due to my only being a few months along and very sick, school has been a little bit slower the past few weeks. We're doing at least 2 days per week, but my goal is 3-4. I appreciate the flexibility of homeschooling and know that my kids are doing great despite the fact that we are taking a few more breaks than planned.<br />
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How sick does one have to be in order to alter their school calendar? Well.....when pregnant, I suffer from <a href="http://www.helpher.org/">hyperemesis</a>, a condition of severe morning sickness and excessive nausea and vomiting that effects about 1% of pregnant women. I literally never feel good. Like....ever. In fact, I <i>rejoiced </i>over a 2-minute period of normalcy this morning when I first arose from my bed.<br />
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Due to the fact that this condition is almost always misunderstood by others and doesn't really receive much exposure, I've decided to record my journey on another blog. When I get things up and running, I'll post a link to it for those of you who are interested in reading more about that. In the meantime, if you're interested in learning more about this condition, you can visit the <a href="http://www.helpher.org/">HER Foundation website</a>.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-8949678370185080392010-09-04T10:46:00.000-04:002010-09-04T10:46:26.035-04:00Homeschool, Day 16Well, here we are....four weeks into our school year and I'm finally beginning to feel like we're in a bit of a rhythm. The kids seem to be enjoying it and - although I am continuing to find it extremely time-consuming - I'm really enjoying it too. Sienna does ask me on a fairly regular basis when they're going to go to a "real school" and I always answer, "I don't know".<br />
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We haven't committed to homeschooling for our kids' entire lives. We haven't even committed to homeschooling for a few years. But we made a choice to try it out this year and see how it goes. It's a difficult line for me. I feel insanely busy - more busy than I've ever been before - but part of the reason I'm so busy is because I'm also working. I know that my children are more important than working, but I'm also trying to create a business that will allow my husband to be able to work less. It's quite the conundrum, and we certainly haven't figured it all out yet.<br />
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After the first 5-day week of homeschooling, I decided to cut the school days down to 3 or 4 days per week. Five days was just...a lot. And since there are plenty of 3- and 4-day kindergartens out there, I feel that this is perfectly acceptable. I'm finding it really fun to relearn everything (and even learn some new things) as I teach my children. We did a unit study on the days of creation for the first few weeks of school and now we're onto a unit study on safety and emergency preparedness. I find the unit study method of teaching to be fun, but I wonder if I'm making more work for myself than is necessary. At any rate, it's working for now, so we'll stick with it for a while.<br />
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Today is Saturday, so I'm off to have some fun. But some of you (eh hem) have been wondering how school is going, so I thought I would update while I had a few minutes.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-45537587897639969362010-08-12T13:48:00.001-04:002010-08-12T13:51:30.992-04:00Homeschool, Day 4First things first....can I please see a show of hands for those of you who are absolutely in love with <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/">Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman)</a>?<br />
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*raises both hands and waves them wildly in the air*<br />
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She makes me laugh. She makes me cry. She makes me wish I lived in the middle of nowhere and raised cattle for a living.<br />
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Wait, scratch that. I prefer the city. But I do love Ree. And today she happened to post<a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2010/08/the-two-biggies-patience-and-socialization/"> a fabulous article on homeschooling</a> that I just love. (Am I using the word 'love' too much?) I found her post both refreshing and helpful on the ever common topics of PATIENCE and SOCIALIZATION.<br />
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If you're a homeschooling parent, know a homeschooling parent, think homeschooling parents are weird, think homeschooling parents are awesome, used to be homeschooled, hope to homeschool some day, or never ever EVER want to homeschool your kids....I really recommend checking out <a href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2010/08/the-two-biggies-patience-and-socialization/">that post</a>.<br />
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But obviously, it's not for <i>everyone</i>.<br />
<br />
Heh heh.<br />
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And now, back to us.<br />
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School has been going okay, although I definitely feel like I'm just making it up as I go. (Someone please tell me this is normal.) Yesterday I spent a good portion of the day creating a unit study on the days of creation. I finished, wrote down the call numbers for the dozens of library books I planned to borrow, and hauled the entire family (minus the hubby, who was working hard) to our local library.<br />
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Because I'm a terrible mom who constantly feels overrun by her four small children out in public, I've never taken my entire clan to the library before. (Please hold your gasps for the end of the blog post. Thank you very much.) They were thrilled to find a large play tractor, puzzles, a puppet show area, and computers among other things which I found to be highly distracting to grabbing the books we needed and leaving. I'm one of those evil mothers who would rather her children stand by her for eight tiny minutes so I can get the books I need than allow my children to run around screaming like banshees with the other <strike>goblins</strike> kids.<br />
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I think it took me about 45 minutes of chaperoning, running to grab a few books, chaperoning, instructing my kids to lower their voices, running to grab a few more books, chaperoning, deciding it just wasn't worth it to look for every single book on my list, insisting that my children lower their voices <i>right this second</i>, and finally allowing them to grab a few books that weren't school related to get myself in line. Then came the real fun.<br />
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Why on earth do they have almost exclusive self-check lines <i>everywhere you go</i> these days?! They are highly non-conducive to a woman shopping/borrowing/purchasing with three toddlers and a baby on board. And then, <i>for the love of all things yellow</i>, WHY is it so crucial that I put a completely <i>blank</i> card in the back of <i>each</i> book?????<br />
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Have I mentioned that my husband has been working 16-hr days 6 days a week for about 2 weeks now and I'm lacking just a little bit of adult social interaction? You can probably tell.<br />
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Anyway, we finally made it home with all 24 school books, 3 books about Barbie, and a book about a pirate-eating monster who lives in the sea.<br />
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Today we started our unit study (the days of creation one) and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. I have seven days left in that unit, so I guess it's time to get started on another one already. It seems mildly daunting and certainly never-ending, but it's actually.....kind of.....fun!<br />
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I'm enjoying spending so much time devoted to teaching my kids and (I think) they are enjoying it too.<br />
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And now, if you'll excuse me....I need to go read to my kids....Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-12982823414373569782010-08-09T22:23:00.000-04:002010-08-09T22:23:37.286-04:00Homeschool, Day 1Day 1<br />
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My oldest child is 5 1/2 (Keaton). My next child is 4 1/2 (Sienna). And then we have a (nearly) 3yo (Reagan) and a 10 month old (Savannah). I decided to start both the older kids in Kindergarten together. So we'll see how that goes. <br />
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I planned to start school around 9 this morning. We started closer to 11. I remembered that <i>my</i> first day of school was rarely learning anything but was mostly social interaction with classmates and a lot of details - you know, covering books, prepping for classes, getting an overview of what we'd be learning, and the like. So I decided to make today similar for my kids. I handed out school supplies, discussed what we would use each thing for, and then - the best part - I let each of the kids pick out two pencils.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AXb0s8nR1VFAxihfqNxmHrO60n0rQuniK8MZrwoAwscYZyNqVRs5EQe_h8P5pLI_Y1keN0UB_m0-hXh8j9Lx_Qz6FTjrwD7C1HovfM6npzEDwbcoZZUKlaob_ld2tFO8ZwF6lNz5C3U/s1600/Day1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AXb0s8nR1VFAxihfqNxmHrO60n0rQuniK8MZrwoAwscYZyNqVRs5EQe_h8P5pLI_Y1keN0UB_m0-hXh8j9Lx_Qz6FTjrwD7C1HovfM6npzEDwbcoZZUKlaob_ld2tFO8ZwF6lNz5C3U/s320/Day1b.jpg" /></a></div><br />
These pencils have been accumulating (although not so much as of late) since I was a small child and I've finally come around to the fact that they are completely useless if not...well....<i>used</i>. So use them we will!<br />
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Then we did a little bit of actual school. We talked about the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters, reviewed how to spell their names, and discussed today's date and how it falls in the calendar.<br />
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Then we made personal pizzas.<br />
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Please note the educational part of this: <i>round</i> bread, <i>red</i> sauce, <i>stringy</i> cheese. Oh yes. Highly educational.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3MvaPgAZKeXS_MQ5q-I74TSfzKrmPKpxbMZYL-4XT9BwnO5nuyeh2CuugkjWQIi8yf2-0yNBpIqrQsVUFNpQSMK1JTr__YWpLMGVczEaIDVZ7863vaZfYOjMFKMk8PeL5EIYTxghdj0/s1600/Day1g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3MvaPgAZKeXS_MQ5q-I74TSfzKrmPKpxbMZYL-4XT9BwnO5nuyeh2CuugkjWQIi8yf2-0yNBpIqrQsVUFNpQSMK1JTr__YWpLMGVczEaIDVZ7863vaZfYOjMFKMk8PeL5EIYTxghdj0/s320/Day1g.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Then we ate our pizzas. I think you know where I'm going with this.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1e0E0jPyr3MY5rHWtE26tLim8bUK46BZ_oSubTc1O8QXzJP_mSCeVqw3OU_qEanMyv2RLo6G8yCjzZ8JHMN0Ac5rODlCHYFhHtHtQeMkpcAAQJM5taplNu0w_OabjdSqAegP8jMziaQ/s1600/Day1h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg1e0E0jPyr3MY5rHWtE26tLim8bUK46BZ_oSubTc1O8QXzJP_mSCeVqw3OU_qEanMyv2RLo6G8yCjzZ8JHMN0Ac5rODlCHYFhHtHtQeMkpcAAQJM5taplNu0w_OabjdSqAegP8jMziaQ/s320/Day1h.jpg" /></a></div><br />
And that was pretty much the end of the first day of school. To my amazement, Reagan actually sat at the table the entire time we were doing school, making our pizzas, etc. I told her more than once that she was free to get down and play if she wanted to. But I think she must have thought she was going to be left out of something really awesome, so she stayed.<br />
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We'll see how tomorrow goes.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-45484711409630317812010-08-09T14:21:00.000-04:002010-08-09T14:21:09.705-04:00Hey, Guys! Remember Me?Since this blog is still around, I figured I might as well update it. I was considering starting a homeschool blog or even some sort of personal journal, but this just seems easier to me.<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, in the months since I've been gone this blog still reels in an average of 100 or more hits per day and continues to warrant the occasional comment to my inbox, which I find extremely strange. Must have a lot of good info in here that I had forgotten about! Anyway, seems kind of lame to delete something that is apparently so useful.<br />
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That being said, stick around and visit if you'd like to hear about our new adventure called HOMESCHOOL. I may update occasionally, I may update every day, I may never update. We'll see how it goes.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-23757919937762171142009-11-20T12:12:00.003-05:002009-11-20T12:19:33.021-05:00The TransitionI've been contemplating this transition for a while now. All the "famous" (and I use that term loosely) photographers who blog say it's true. You'll gain a better blog audience if you blog about yourself. Your life. Your dreams. Your aspirations. You.<br /><br />Over the past few months, I've gotten a lot better at doing that. But it hasn't affected my business at all because, well, I do it <span style="font-style: italic;">here</span>. On <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> blog. And so I believe the time has come that I combine my personal life blog with my business life blog. To be honest, it's really difficult to keep up with both. But up until recently, I always thought that there should be some separation between my life and my business. And there <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> some separation. But on the homefront of blogging, it just seems that it would be easier (as well as advantageous) for me to end the separation.<br /><br />So I'm going to try this out. I don't know if it will last, but I'm gonna give it a shot. I may still blog here sometimes or I may not. We'll just have to see how things go. But for now, I encourage you to follow me over on my photography now-turned-<span style="font-style: italic;">personal</span>/photography blog:<br /><br /><a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/">Indy Photography Blog</a><br /><br />Have a great weekend, everyone!Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-41554228507573776062009-11-16T12:35:00.002-05:002009-11-16T13:40:21.977-05:00Silly Girl!My<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109146603/" title="e DSC_0650 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2670/4109146603_89ca930d25_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0650" /></a><br /><br />little<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109910708/" title="e DSC_0653 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/4109910708_3b07c3d562_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0653" /></a><br /><br />Savannah<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109146291/" title="e DSC_0652 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2606/4109146291_9031812131_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0652" /></a><br /><br />is<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109910400/" title="e DSC_0649 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2541/4109910400_71c9388f8f_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0649" /></a><br /><br />growing<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109145897/" title="e DSC_0645 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2654/4109145897_56f7ae5228_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0645" /></a><br /><br />up<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109910000/" title="e DSC_0646 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2640/4109910000_86c4f33fae_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0646" /></a><br /><br />so<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4109909830/" title="e DSC_0648 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/4109909830_29b9fef5d7_o.jpg" width="600" height="402" alt="e DSC_0648" /></a><br /><br />fast!Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-72396347941545439992009-11-14T08:52:00.004-05:002009-11-14T09:02:12.683-05:00Get Your Finances In Line In 2009: October RecapQuick recap since we're already halfway through the month of November. I don't have time for many details, but since nobody (but me) cares about these posts anyway, it's no big deal, right?<br /><br />We <span style="font-style: italic;">just barely</span> missed the 70% mark this month for our FFEF. I just do mean <span style="font-weight: bold;">JUST</span>. But that's okay. We had some other things come up, so all is well. :)<br /><br />November is proving to be pretty profitable so far. And by 'profitable', I don't actually mean we're making any more money. Just that things are falling into line properly. So hopefully I'll have some fun things to report in next month's finance recap.<br /><br />We're still trying to figure out exactly how much to budget for our trip to Texas. I have a particular amount in mind, but I think I may save a bit extra to be on the safe side. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Does anyone have any recommendations on the amount? </span><br /><br />Here are some details to help you out:<br /><br />-6 people (but only 5 requiring daily nourishment 3x a day - 2 adults, 3 toddlers)<br />-2 hotel stays en route and 4 nights hotel stays while in TX<br />-gas from IN to TX<br />-a few sightseeing things (we plan to go to San Antonio and probably a few other places along the way)<br />-misc. (because you know there's always something)<br /><br />I'd <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>appreciate any insight anyone has on this topic. I've had a hard time gauging this because we've only taken one vacation since we've been married and it was just my husband and me. Plus, that was our "honeymoon" vacation, so we splurged a bit. But isn't that what vacation is for? :)<br /><br />-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">REVISED GOAL #1</span>: Save up and pay CASH for our trip to Texas next March. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- 35% completed ----</span><br /><br />Goal #2: Fully fund our 6 month emergency fund and put into a money market account to be left UNTOUCHED unless there is an <span style="font-style: italic;">actual </span>emergency. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- 69.9% completed!! ----</span><br /><br />Goal #3: Save for my husband to get a "new" (that means <span style="font-style: italic;">used</span>) car. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- Still on hold. No major issues with the car at this time.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">----</span><br /><br />Goal #4: Raise retirement contributions to 12% (with a 4% match).<br /><br />Goal #5: Open a money market account for each of our children.<br /><br />Goal #6: Begin paying extra principal on our mortgage.<br /><br />Goal #7: Establish a will and testament. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I admit it. I am a total failure in this department.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> ----</span><br /><br />Goal #8: Get disability insurance for both my husband and me. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- I mention this to my husband occasionally. He seems to think it's like a one-page worksheet that I can fill out for him. Not so much. I'm blaming this one not being done on him. :) </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> ----<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">P.S. The birds have not eaten me! (Yet.)</span><br /></span>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-3661670441812307452009-11-13T11:35:00.003-05:002009-11-13T14:04:09.809-05:00I'm Being WatchedI'm not normally the paranoid type. I'm really not. But today has been different. I have had this feeling that I'm being watched. That at any moment I may be attacked, and attacked with a vengeance.<br /><br />In my backyard....there is something peculiar going on. There are large dancing shadows and black coats.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4100363929/" title="DSC_0626 (2) by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2672/4100363929_5616c411ce_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0626 (2)" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br />Do you <span style="font-style: italic;">see</span> those birds? They are huge.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4100366361/" title="DSC_0633 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/4100366361_2dfdfafebb_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0633" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br />H.U.G.E.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101123572/" title="DSC_0638 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2587/4101123572_e9e7b4b1f8_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0638" width="402" height="600" /></a><br /><br />And they are watching me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101123288/" title="DSC_0637 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/4101123288_1d96993b62_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0637" width="402" height="600" /></a><br /><br />Not <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> are they watching me.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101122516/" title="DSC_0634 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/4101122516_fa557749c8_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0634" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br />*Shudder*<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101121724/" title="DSC_0631 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/4101121724_3121484ea2_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0631" width="402" height="600" /></a><br /><br />There are also noises.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4100365345/" title="DSC_0630 (2) by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2575/4100365345_06d04aa110_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0630 (2)" width="402" height="600" /></a><br /><br />Loud unnatural noises.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101120532/" title="DSC_0628 (2) by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/4101120532_a3135f639a_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0628 (2)" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br />I'm not even kidding. They are making me nervous. Surely only 3 or 4 of them could overtake me if I dared set foot outside my back door.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4100363039/" title="DSC_0624 (2) by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4100363039_075e15692d_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0624 (2)" width="402" height="600" /></a><br /><br />So I refuse to do so. I will sit inside and watch them watch me. And while I'm watching them watch me, I will try not to think about all the horrible possibilities that could fall upon me if I move even an inch closer to the windows or doors.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101120148/" title="DSC_0627 (2) by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/4101120148_e8e5b22ac8_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0627 (2)" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br />That's right. I'm now convinced that even being <span style="font-style: italic;">near</span> the door might get my eyes pecked out or my skin eaten up.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4101120958/" title="DSC_0629 (2) by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2787/4101120958_65273cae4c_o.jpg" alt="DSC_0629 (2)" width="402" height="600" /></a><br /><br />Seriously. The birds are scary. And if you don't hear from me next week, you'll know what happened.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-49292181751603092532009-11-09T09:45:00.003-05:002009-11-09T09:47:08.777-05:00BusyWhile you're thinking about how to respond to the <a href="http://todaysdailydose.blogspot.com/2009/11/great-debate.html">previous blog post</a>, rest assured that I'll be busy all day.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0Qs_-WXu7YnlDHmuROWWTk-NgbM5UxV-0qrYt41VX-NSRB8m0OYPJt8GCQ-Cvj4xwbkAPLbaHwWdrZrIYzLAuiPMCruOnivCZz94F6UhHE5l12Dl5v7OKI4EuMVM2A0DF8SzGwDSE_0/s1600-h/Laundry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0Qs_-WXu7YnlDHmuROWWTk-NgbM5UxV-0qrYt41VX-NSRB8m0OYPJt8GCQ-Cvj4xwbkAPLbaHwWdrZrIYzLAuiPMCruOnivCZz94F6UhHE5l12Dl5v7OKI4EuMVM2A0DF8SzGwDSE_0/s400/Laundry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402115324735003506" border="0" /></a></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-77753041749235666912009-11-08T21:23:00.004-05:002009-11-08T21:41:23.089-05:00The Great DebateWell, first off....let me just say that life has been crazy around here. We have had 4 out of the 6 people in our house sick this weekend, puking and the like. I don't think I need to go into details there. I'm sure you get the picture.<br /><br />On top of that, I had two photo sessions last week (on top of having my <span style="font-style: italic;">own</span> pictures taken), which is probably nothing to a photographer in any <span style="font-style: italic;">normal</span> state of life, but considering I just had a baby 5 weeks ago, it's a pretty big deal over here. Also, I'm still trying to learn all the tricks to working Photoshop CS4, so....it's fun, but time-consuming.<br /><br />Now....onto, <span style="font-style: italic;">eh hem</span>....THE GREAT DEBATE.<br /><br />Ok, so it's really not that big of a deal, but it's something my husband and I have been discussing. The issue is the television.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.ecvv.com/upload/Product/200801/C2007102143521984066_42_LCD_TV.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 196px;" src="http://upload.ecvv.com/upload/Product/200801/C2007102143521984066_42_LCD_TV.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>You see, we're not big TV-watchers over here. Well, to be correct, we're not TV-watchers <span style="font-style: italic;">at all</span> right now since both of our TVs are of the box generation and neither of them were privileged enough to be hooked up to one of those fancy new devices which generate the ability to see the current HD channels.<br /><br />But there is one time of year that I <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> like to watch TV. It's Christmastime. There are all those old holiday cartoons and Christmas specials and (dare I admit I like to watch these?) <span style="font-style: italic;">Hallmark movies</span>.<br /><br />I said it. I like Hallmark movies.<br /><br />And then there's football. Nothing we really care about in this house, but since apparently many other people do, we always feel as if we can't invite people over for lunch on Sundays because, well....we definitely won't have the game on. You know, considering the whole...lack of ability to <span style="font-style: italic;">put</span> it on.<br /><br />I admit that a tiny part of me wants to get a new TV because I know there is a really great kids channel that is now available to non-cable subscribers. And well, since I run a business and everything, I do occasionally (or probably more often than I'd care to admit) place my children in front of some sort of educational (or not) movie while I'm working. I figure they'd probably enjoy mixing things up a bit.<br /><br />Oh, and speaking of work....can you imagine how great those sweet little newborns would look if you got to see them on a beautiful 42" LCD screen? Uh yes. <span style="font-style: italic;">Gorgeous</span>.<br /><br />But I'm afraid I'll put my kids in front of it even<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>more often than I already do, and frankly, I'm afraid of getting attached to it myself.<br /><br />So the debate is up in the air. And <span style="font-style: italic;">clearly</span> I've presented both sides of this debate equally and given both sides fair playing time here in this presentation.<br /><br />What are your thoughts? How do you keep TV under control in your home? Do you consider "Sunday fellowship" and "potential business help" to be valid reasons to invest a few hundred dollars into an unnecessary piece of electronic equipment? I'd really love to hear your opinions on this topic and I'm sure you all have one. Please share. And I'll keep you posted on how The Great Debate is going on in our home.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-28629828508927856282009-11-04T23:45:00.002-05:002009-11-04T23:48:29.871-05:00I'm Not DeadJust busy. And that's about all I have time to say before I head to bed.<br /><br />Oh! But I will mention that I finally figured out how to find and put up the code for my photography website! Some of you have expressed interest in advertising for me on your own blogs, so if you'd like to do that, you can now simply grab the code at right (it's immediately under my own advertisement photo) and add it to your blog as an HTML widget. Or however <span style="font-style: italic;">your </span>blog works. :)<br /><br />Good night, everyone. Sleep tight.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-58920540139415166032009-10-30T00:36:00.003-04:002009-10-30T00:54:15.963-04:00Foto Friday...Etc...Wow, it's Friday already! (Already?) Lots of things to report....<br /><br />1. I <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> <a href="http://todaysdailydose.blogspot.com/2009/10/pink-eye.html">pink eye</a> has officially left our house. Hopefully. Keaton got it last Wednesday and Sienna woke up with it on Sunday morning. So far, Reagan is in the clear, but I suppose I need to give it a few more days before I know for sure. I know of at least three other children and one adult at our church who also had pink eye last week/weekend, so apparently it's going around.<br /><br />2. Savannah is 1 month old today! She has her 1-month checkup this morning and I'm anxious to see how much she's grown. She's been unusually fussy for the past few days and not sleeping or eating like normal, so it's been a tiring week in that respect. Due to her nasal congestion (she's had a cold for 75% of her life now!), I suspect an ear infection. But we'll see how things go at the doctor's office. She hasn't had a fever at all, so I could be totally wrong on that.<br /><br />3. My studio lights arrived last Friday and I promised myself I'd finish a huge project (that I had not even <span style="font-style: italic;">started</span> when they arrived) before opening them up and taking a look at them. So FINALLY on Sunday night, after completing my project, I got to see them. They. Are. Lovely. But just as quickly as we got them out, we put them away for fear that the kids would knock them over when they got up Monday morning. We're waiting for french doors to go on sale at Menards and then we plan to make the studio an official room of it's own. Until then...the lights will not stay up. It's just not worth it.<br /><br />4. I had two fantastically fun photo sessions last week! One with <a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/jacob-indianapolis-newborn-photographer.html">an adorable little newborn</a> and one with my daughter, <a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/sienna-etsy-indianapolis-child.html">Sienna</a>. Since it's Foto Friday, I feel the need to post a photo. But since both of these sessions were suuuuuper great, I'm going to post one from each. Because I'm nice like that. You can check out the full posts over on <a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/">my photography blog</a>. :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Baby Jacob:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4045003040/" title="wm e DSC_0076 bw by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/4045003040_be34cca987.jpg" alt="wm e DSC_0076 bw" width="336" height="500" /></a><br /><br />Sienna:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4038217990/" title="wm e DSC_0341 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2603/4038217990_fe9fd035b8.jpg" alt="wm e DSC_0341" width="500" height="335" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Have a great weekend, everybody! Don't forget to "fall back" tomorrow night!<br /></div></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-52782449510534549692009-10-28T22:50:00.003-04:002009-10-28T23:46:43.314-04:00Rocking Her To SleepSometimes it's the little things in life that bring the most joy. Tonight I rocked my sweet Savannah to sleep. Did it take 20 minutes away from the work I was trying to do? Yes. But was it worth it? You bet!<br /><br />And speaking of sweet dance moves (say <span style="font-style: italic;">whaaaat</span>?), check out how talented this little rock star is already....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4054903500/" title="SavannahDance-300wide by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3621/4054903500_e1ca1e6aa7.jpg" alt="SavannahDance-300wide" width="250" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I know. A girl after my own heart. And fortunately for her, her moves are about as sweet as mine too. ;)<br /></div></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-84727415750999641992009-10-28T12:02:00.005-04:002009-10-28T15:44:28.566-04:00DIY Moby Wrap<span style="font-weight: bold;">I'd like to preface this post by saying that there is a reason I stay </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">behind</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> the camera lens. I'm not good in pictures. I'm just not. I know everyone says that, but good grief, I'm </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">terrible </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">in front of the lens. I'd also like to apologize for the quality and tone of the pictures you're about to see. It was very dark in out kitchen when these were taken last night, but I insisted that my husband take a few pictures for illustration purposes. Ok, moving on with the post....</span><br /><br />There are hundreds of different wraps, slings, and baby carriers on the market these days. I've never really been much into "babywearing" as it is called, but I did used to have a carrier that I used once or twice with our past children. But this year, with Savannah being born at the peak of swine flu season and the beginning of cold season, I decided it might be wise to keep her close for the first several weeks of her life. I consulted with my friend <a href="http://andyandcari.blogspot.com/">Cari </a>who owned what appeared to be an extremely comfortable wrap.<br /><br />Perhaps you've heard of the <a href="http://www.mobywrap.com/">Moby wrap</a>. It's gaining more popularity from what I can see, but in case you're not familiar with it, let me sum it up for you. The <a href="http://www.mobywrap.com/">Moby wrap</a> is a piece of 100% cotton, 6 yards in length and approximately 30 inches in width, that can be wrapped several times around your body for ultimate comfort and support when carrying your baby or toddler. Now, personally....I have no idea why <span style="font-style: italic;">anyone</span> would ever want to <span style="font-style: italic;">wear</span> their toddler. But that's another topic for another day.<br /><br />Anyway, after chatting with Cari, I decided that I would peruse the clearance fabric section at a few stores before I went and paid $40 for a wrap that I wasn't even sure I'd like. So I went to Joann and found a lovely green fabric - 100% cotton. The only downside was that the ends rolled a bit, but....eh, no biggie. It was about 60 inches wide, so I actually got <span style="font-style: italic;">two</span> wraps for a total of $15. I was pretty happy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4035067610/" title="res Baby Wrap by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/4035067610_74a1d09421.jpg" alt="res Baby Wrap" width="500" height="335" /></a><br /></div><br />But I thought it might be fun to have more than one color.<br /><br />See how I try to save money but then end up spending the same amount by buying more "frugal" things? I know. It's bad.<br /><br />So I went to Walmart. They had no suitable fabrics in their clearance section, but I did run across some polyester knit fabric for $2/yard. I <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> polyester is warmer than cotton, but this fabric was a neutral color and, well, it was <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> $2/yard. So I bought 6 yards and made two more wraps.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4053304592/" title="Wrap3 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3488/4053304592_ed2d4c6d7c_o.jpg" alt="Wrap3" width="600" height="448" /></a><br /></div><br />It's an addiction, I realize. You don't have to tell me.<br /><br />And yes, I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> ask my husband if I looked fat as he was taking these pictures. Every woman does! <span style="font-style: italic;">Right?</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4053304308/" title="Wrap2 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2475/4053304308_2ef2c5c33a_o.jpg" alt="Wrap2" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Why yes, I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> love reading the nutritional facts on the back of the peanut butter jar. Did you know that a serving size is 2 Tbsp?<br /></div></div><br />I wound up sewing the edges of the second fabric I bought but haven't yet gotten around to sewing the edges of the green fabric. One of these days it'll happen. Maybe. But anyway, I now have 4 wraps (unnecessary, I know, but I'm giving at least one away) that cost me a total of $27. Not bad, if you ask me.<br /><br />I'll leave you with what my husband calls "the paparazzi picture":<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4052561683/" title="Wrap1 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2764/4052561683_8f328eeca5_o.jpg" alt="Wrap1" width="600" height="402" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">....you know...because I look ridiculous. Well....more ridiculous than normal anyway.<br /></div></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-75926502715670264782009-10-27T14:00:00.002-04:002009-10-27T14:14:14.795-04:00Get Your Finances In Line In 2009: September RecapWow, this is super late! I usually try to post our financial update in the first week of the month and here I am posting it on the 27th day of the month. Yeesh!<br /><br />Well, anyway...as you all know, our little Savannah finally arrived on September 30th, fourteen full days past her due date. (Little stinker!) So after those few extra weeks of eating out and getting take out way more often than was probably necessary, I was very surprised to discover that we actually had a fairly good month for our savings account!<br /><br />We were hoping to make it to 70% of our FFEF last month (a pretty lofty goal) and we<span style="font-style: italic;"></span> got <span style="font-style: italic;">pretty</span> close. We also started saving for our trip in March. Other than that, nothing too exciting took place.<br /><br />So here we go....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">REVISED GOAL #1</span>: Save up and pay CASH for our trip to Texas next March. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- 25% completed ----</span><br /><br />Goal #2: Fully fund our 6 month emergency fund and put into a money market account to be left UNTOUCHED unless there is an <span style="font-style: italic;">actual </span>emergency. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- 66.6% completed!! ----</span><br /><br />Goal #3: Save for my husband to get a "new" (that means <span style="font-style: italic;">used</span>) car. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- Still on hold. No major issues with the car at this time.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">----</span><br /><br />Goal #4: Raise retirement contributions to 12% (with a 4% match).<br /><br />Goal #5: Open a money market account for each of our children.<br /><br />Goal #6: Begin paying extra principal on our mortgage.<br /><br />Goal #7: Establish a will and testament. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I admit it. I am a total failure in this department.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> ----</span><br /><br />Goal #8: Get disability insurance for both my husband and me. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">---- I mention this to my husband occasionally. He seems to think it's like a one-page worksheet that I can fill out for him. Not so much. I'm blaming this one not being done on him. :) <span style="font-style: italic;"></span> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> ----<br /></span><br />So there you have it. We will surely make it to 70% of our FFEF this month, and I'll be SO excited to report whenever we reach 75%! (I have a thing with fractions, apparently.) We were <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> hoping to reach 100% by the end of 2009, but we also realized that it likely wouldn't actually happen. And now we're saving for our Texas trip, so that's pulling a little bit of what would have gone into our savings. But we're so looking forward to our trip! So we imagine it will probably be closer to March or April that we can completely fund our FFEF.<br /><br />Keep on keeping on!Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-71294703642082047472009-10-26T23:56:00.001-04:002009-10-27T00:19:57.452-04:00"Not Me!" MondayOh dear, it's been <span style="font-style: italic;">quite</span> the week around here! We've been up to a lot of things, but here are some things that I most <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely</span> have NOT been up to!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> <center> <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/"> <img src="http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r208/jennisajoy/OUAB/NotMeMondayButtonV6copy.jpg" /> </a></center><br /></div><br />I did <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>serve my three oldest children leftover McDonalds for breakfast one morning because I was too tired to find them something else to eat. I also did not intentionally delay breakfast three days over the past week in order to feed my children brunch because I was too lazy to make three meals each day. I always feed my children <span style="font-style: italic;">three, balanced</span> meals per day.<br /><br />There is <span style="font-style: italic;">no way</span> that<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>I got SO thirsty after grocery shopping that I had to drink some OJ directly out of the carton while sitting at a stoplight. I would <span style="font-style: italic;">never </span>do something so disgusting as that!<br /><br />I did <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>encourage my children to participate in "pajama day" more days than I care to mention. We are neat and orderly in this house and we most certainly do NOT just sit around in our PJs all day long. Nope, not us!<br /><br />There is <span style="font-style: italic;">no </span>way that I somehow managed to go four days without taking a shower - "broken" water heater or not. That would be nasty. And I would never do that. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ever</span>.<br /><br />When writing a 'thank you' card out for the owner of my husband's workplace (who sent us flowers after Savannah was born), I did <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>spell the owner's first name wrong. My husband has worked there for almost 6 years and there <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span> is reason for me to <span style="font-style: italic;">ever</span> do something like that. So of course...I <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't</span>.<br /><br />I most certainly did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> drink three large fountain Cokes in a 36-hr period. I care about my body way more than that!<br /><br />While going over my to-do list for the day, I definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">didn't</span> add things to the list that I had already completed just to make it look like I had gotten more things done with my day. I <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;">never</span></span> do things like that. And I certainly <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> do it on a regular basis! No way!<br /><br />I did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> just write a few things that actually took place weeks ago but have been sitting in my "Not Me!" Monday draft since then just to add more items to my "Not Me!" list. I <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> do that.<br /><br />And finally....I don't care what you've heard about this....but it absolutely <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't</span> true that I found my 2 year old daughter in the pack 'n play bassinet WITH my 3 week old baby! But you know, if that <span style="font-style: italic;">had</span> happened, it surely wouldn't have been because I was going to get (none other than) a diaper out of the bathroom to change a certain someone. A certain someone who was directed to stay in MY bed. <span style="font-style: italic;">Not </span>transition into the pack 'n play.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />For more "Not Me!" Monday fun, head on over to <a href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/10/not-me-monday_26.html">MckMama's blog</a>!Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-6139369491867682872009-10-23T23:47:00.001-04:002009-10-23T23:48:59.344-04:00Pink Eye<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4035238828/" title="wm e DSC_0270 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/4035238828_51df094846.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="wm e DSC_0270" /></a><br /></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-58091232578221542702009-10-22T11:32:00.001-04:002009-10-22T11:38:57.175-04:00And Speaking of DIY....Here's a little hint of what's to come....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4035067610/" title="res Baby Wrap by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2632/4035067610_74a1d09421.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="res Baby Wrap" /></a><br /></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-70064353857384153402009-10-22T08:35:00.002-04:002009-10-22T09:02:54.440-04:00DIY Cloth Nursing Pads<span style="font-weight: bold;">Preface: I'm sure this is TMI, but I produce milk like a cow. Apparently I was </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">created</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> to have babies and nurse them. Seriously, my milk supply is ridiculous. I don't say that to brag as I have many many friends who sadly are unable to nurse due to a low milk supply (among other reasons), but I'm just telling you so you understand my need to make my own nursing pads.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ok, read on....</span><br /><br />With my first child, I used disposable nursing pads. I don't even want to <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> about how much money we wasted on those things. BUT I thought the reusable ones were too expensive. Since, you know, I went through probably 24 a day.<br /><br />With my second child, I used a mixture of both. Primarily the tiny little Gerber reusables. But I had to do laundry CONSTANTLY and I still never had enough. So then I would switch to disposable. Again, big money waster.<br /><br />With my third child, I think I almost exclusively used the few Gerber reusables that I had left. But by this time, they had mostly gone missing and I found myself using burp clothes as a substitute. (Don't laugh - I'm serious!)<br /><br />When I got pregnant with my fourth child, I thought....There HAS to be a better way! I had a friend who had purchased some handmade cloth nursing pads online and she swore by them that they were <span style="font-style: italic;">way</span> better than the store bought kind (and actually large enough too!), so I started to look into those. But the cost was ridiculous. At least, in <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> frugal mind.<br /><br />So I did what I'm pretty well-known for doing when I think something is way overpriced. I decided to make some myself. I called <a href="http://extraordinaryordinarylife.wordpress.com/">Gretchen </a>and asked her if she had any idea how to make nursing pads and she referred me to <a href="http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/04/homemade-nursing-pads.html#more-5045">this DIY tutorial</a>. It was exactly what I needed!<br /><br />Since there's absolutely no reason for me to repeat the steps here, you can just go to <a href="http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/04/homemade-nursing-pads.html#more-5045">that tutorial</a> to see how I made them. Here are a few pictures of mine:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4033995317/" title="NursingPads1 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2468/4033995317_aeeeab37e1.jpg" width="500" height="416" alt="NursingPads1" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4033995173/" title="NursingPads2 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/4033995173_1773bdde2e.jpg" width="446" height="500" alt="NursingPads2" /></a><br /></div><br />Having made these and used them now I can attest to the fact that these are INDEED <span style="font-style: italic;">far</span> superior to the store bought kind <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely</span> better than the disposables. They are also, eh hem, much gentler on the skin. If you know what I'm sayin'.<br /><br />These took me longer than I expected due to all the cutting and sewing, but it was well worth it. In fact, I only made about 14 and need some more so I just bought more flannel last night and am planning on making some more this week. (Yay! Flannel just happened to be 60% off at Joann!)<br /><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">highly highly highly</span> recommend these.<br /><br />Did I say highly?Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-88647533832675687382009-10-19T21:25:00.003-04:002009-10-21T12:11:07.270-04:00My Hair Is GreasySome of you are wondering where I've been. Some of you could care less. And some of you haven't even noticed I've been gone.<br /><br />Hey, it's okay. We can't all be perfect blog-stalkers.<br /><br />The past few days around here have been a little crazy. But then, what day <span style="font-style: italic;">isn't</span> crazy around here? That's what I thought. <span style="font-style: italic;">None</span>. Anyway, I've been busy doing all sorts of meaningless tasks. And on top of that, I've actually done a few useful things as well. Let me name those things so you don't think I'm lying.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seven loads of laundry.</span><br />I can't get over how one tiny new baby can increase the necessity to do laundry by such great quantities. I used to do laundry twice a week. Now I do it daily.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Eight print orders.</span><br />As much as I enjoyed shooting <a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/2009/06/erik-and-ashley-wedding.html">this wedding</a>, I will not lie. I am going to be SO happy when all these pictures have arrived, been sorted, invoiced, and delivered. It's exhausting just to think about, but I know I'm almost done.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Twenty-one freezer meals.</span><br />That's right, ladies and gentlemen (but <span style="font-style: italic;">mostly </span>ladies)....I've officially tried once-a-month-cooking. And just two weeks after I pushed a baby out! I know, I'm so amazing. And humble. Actually, my husband helped A LOT. (!ithout even being asked!) After my 2 1/2 hour grocery trip during which I visited three stores and spent close to our entire month's grocery budget....I came home, and during the next 24 hours we cooked up a total of 21 freezer meals.<br /><br />I just <span style="font-style: italic;">know </span>somebody is going to ask for the recipes for all the things we made, but I'll go ahead and tell you now that I probably won't get to that. So, you can ask if you want to but.....don't expect much.<br /><br />Here's the list of what we made:<br /><br />(2) chicken alfredo casseroles<br />(2) alfredo sauces (to go w/ fettuccine)<br />(2) lasagnas<br />(2) meatloaves<br />(2) sets of meatballs<br />(2) chicken soups<br />(2) beef stews<br />(2) chicken pot pies<br />and portioned cooked beef into meals for (2) tacos, (1) sloppy jo, (2) chilis.<br /><br />So that's that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One broken water heater.</span><br />On Monday morning, I discovered the hot water wasn't working. This was, <span style="font-style: italic;">of course</span>, after I had already washed one load of laundry in "hot" water and one in "warm" - both of which were quite obviously COLD. I flipped the breaker and the reset button and all was well.<br /><br />On Tuesday morning, I went into the bathroom for a quick shower. Not expecting the water heater to be not working <span style="font-style: italic;">again</span>, I completely undressed, got into the shower and <span style="font-style: italic;">there</span> discovered there was no hot water.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Nice</span>.<br /><br />So yesterday evening my husband drained the entire tank and in doing so discovered an ungodly amount of some sort of (calcium?) buildup. It was nasty. And it took forever. But this morning we had hot water! However, I still haven't had time to take a shower. So my hair is greasy. And I'm pretty sure I stink.<br /><br />Don't judge. We're not having visitors today!<br /><br />As it turns out, our water heater wasn't actually <span style="font-style: italic;">broken</span>, per se. But really...."One temperamental water heater" just didn't have the same ring to me.<br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />On an entirely separate note, look who loves to smile at Mommy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/indyphotography/4031713737/" title="res e DSC_0772 by fluud7, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/4031713737_b43064c73d.jpg" width="500" height="335" alt="res e DSC_0772" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Stop it. It's <span style="font-style: italic;">totally</span> a smile.<br /></div></div>Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-13795398235795099552009-10-16T09:36:00.003-04:002009-10-16T12:00:54.250-04:00On Becoming Confident....AgainThings are slowly returning to some sort of normalcy around here. Yesterday the kids and I washed, dried, and/or folded about 8 loads of laundry. My kitchen is looking relatively clean most of the time. And I've actually made the bed most of the days this week.<br /><br />Adjusting to four has been somewhat difficult. I can now confidently tell people that going from 3 to 4 is BY FAR the hardest. At least, for me. But I'm getting back into working (trust me, it's very part time), blogging, and - <span style="font-style: italic;">eh hem</span> - showering on regular basis. Which is nice. For everyone.<br /><br />Reagan has officially learned what a spanking is and she generally obeys if reminded of the consequences of <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> obeying. She is adjusting to being a big sister rather than a baby and she's finally showing some signs of attempting to speak words.<br /><br />Keaton and Sienna are doing well with everything. They are regularly helping me with chores around the house and growing more and more independent each day.<br /><br />Daniel is back into the full swing of his regular work schedule and I am remembering what it's like to get up in the middle of the night to feed a hungry baby.<br /><br />As for Savannah...she has a cold. Poor thing. I keep debating about whether or not I should take her in to see the doctor. She goes back and forth with her symptoms, so I keep going back and forth about what I should do. Motherhood is full of difficult decisions, isn't it?<br /><br />On a very positive note, she is regularly sleeping 5-7 hours during her first stretch of the night and otherwise eating every 3-4 hours the rest of the day. She's also a very fast eater, so my nighttime rousings are short and to the point, which lends me to be feeling very well and rather energetic considering I have a 2-week old and 3 toddlers in the house. But knowing that I should be taking it easy is difficult and I'm still trying to keep things slow.<br /><br />We hardly left the house this week due to Savannah's cold. I don't want her to get any sicker, of course, but I admit that I'm feeling stir crazy. We usually go to church three times a week, but this week we've stayed home due to the germs.<br /><br />It seems there is always <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span> to get done around here. And speaking of getting things done...it is lunchtime already.<br /><br />I guess I better get cracking on that.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5641453000777627730.post-24739239506149799892009-10-14T07:41:00.003-04:002009-10-14T07:56:11.896-04:00WhirlwindThat's about the only way I can describe our household as of late.<br /><br />A week after coming home from the hospital with our sweet baby girl, my parents arrived for a visit. Simultaneously arriving with them (although not necessarily <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> them) was....the common cold. It struck my mom, my husband, and two of my children - <span style="font-style: italic;">thankfully</span>, not Savannah. And I'm doing pretty well so far, although I did experience a sore throat one day over the weekend. I've been weighing whether or not we should go places (mainly church) in the midst of this cold/flu season with such a teeny tiny baby. I've never before questioned these things, but the pediatrician got me all paranoid about Savannah getting sick. She does have an occasional cough and is sneezing fairly regularly, but we think she's doing fine.<br /><br />She's still nursing like a champ and, may I also add, WAY faster than any of my other children EVER ate....which just so happens to be <span style="font-style: italic;">totally</span> convenient for me, now a mother of <span style="font-style: italic;">four</span> children under five. She's been pulling one 5-6 hour stretch and one 4-hour stretch each night for close to a week now, and I'm very thankful for that. She's just as adorable as she was <a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-sweet-savannah-newborn.html">last week</a>, but if you want to see a few more pictures of her you can do so <a href="http://indyphotography.blogspot.com/2009/10/sleepy-girl-indianapolis-newborn.html">here</a>.<br /><br />In other news, since I was <span style="font-style: italic;">kind of</span> thinking Savannah would arrive, you know, <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> 14 days after her due date....I had planned several newborn photo shoots for the month of October for <a href="http://indyphotographyonline.com/index2.php#/text_7/">the new direction I plan on taking</a> with my business. Not wanting to miss out on all those sweet babes, I have kept all of those plans regardless of the fact that I'm still rather tired from just giving birth 2 weeks ago. So in case I thought I did not have enough to do, I scheduled two sweet little ones this week for pictures.<br /><br />I'd also just like to take this time to tell you how much I hate myself for signing up for a million different email newsletters over the past 11 years of my life. It's so time-consuming to actually <span style="font-style: italic;">opt out</span> of all those newsletters <span style="font-style: italic;">now</span> and I've had the same email address for all 11 of those years I mentioned, so....I guess I'll just continue to delete my past mistakes. And hopefully I'll learn from them.<br /><br />And now it's time to put my nose to the grindstone. The kids are up and I still have some work that must be completed before my afternoon session, so....ta ta for now.Heidi Stonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13853114107907752702noreply@blogger.com0