MAY pinterest exchange

If you want to participate, leave a comment on this blog post with your name, email address, and state you live in. Sign up for the exchange by May 1st!

Oh my goodness! I was in the middle of coming up with ideas on how to get together with some girlfriends.  And I had the brilliant idea of a Pinterest Party.  But then came another, even more brilliant idea... a Pinterest Pal Exchange!

Whose ready to get crafty and creative? 

Whose ready to make some new friends?

I have come across some amazing women that live out of state and would love to start a penpal/Pinterest Exchange through snail mail!

Every month, you will get paired up with a new Pinterest Pal. You will create a Pinterest-inspired craft or Pinterest-inspired recipe to send to her.  The ideas for this are endless!


If you want to participate for the month of May:


1.  This time around, I will send out a mass email to participants with info on who they are paired up with (last month emailing every single person individually was time consuming...not that I don't love each and every one of you). You will be responsible in contacting your partner. If you do not hear from them by May 8th let me know. I will pair you up with a new partner if possible. We had an incident in April where one partner never responded, but thank goodness I had a back-up girl to take her place.

2.  Snail mail/email/fb your Pal during the month so you can get to know each other. The main purpose of this exchange is to make new friends and become familiar with one another.

3.  Items need to be under $20.

4. Facebook, Blogger, and myself, Elizabeth Hermesch, will not be held responsible for damaged items or disputes.  I'm sure there won't be any issues, but lets keep it friendly and drama-free.

5.  If you decide to post about the exchange on your blog, I would love to link up.  It's a great way to see what goodies we received.  Linking up also will help this exchange be even bigger and better for next month.  If you do not have a blog but could kindly take a photo of your items and email it to me, I would be more than happy to show it on the blog :) I will send out an email towards the end of May with information about linking up.

6. All exchanges need to be mailed out by Saturday, May 25th 

Have Fun. Be creative. Make New Friends :)

-Elizabeth Hermesch

My friend participated in the exchange and posted about her experience: Amy's Exchange

Here is an EXAMPLE of what I made my Pin Pal during the month of April:

-Photo Frame turned into a dry-erase To-Do/Grocery List Frame

-Little box contains a jar of handmade hand sugar scrub

-Purple package contains a mini cookbook with a wooden fork that says "Bon Appetite!"

Cara Box Exchange

Everybody knows that I love making new friends & of course love to receive gifts. This month I participated in the Cara Box Exchange from the blog Wifessionals.  Libby from LibbyLifeBlog was the person that sent to me.  The theme for this month was Go Green. Libby sent me a beautiful hand-stitched card and items that are eco-friendly/easy on the skin. I received a Burts Bees kit, makeup brushes, lip gloss, and hand soap.  Each item was packaged in pink bubble wrap!  Such a sweet way to brighten up my day. Thanks, Libby!

My Cara Box went to Tiffany from Life of a Thirty Something.  Emailing back and forth, I got to know Tiffany as sweet but sassy.  When I first emailed her I asked her what her name was and she responded with, "Geez, you're asking a lot! Maybe you should take me out to dinner first." LOL. She's a crackup ;) 

Small Wooden Box

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.”                                -Louis de Bernieres, Captain Corelli's Mandolin 

This was one of our wedding quotes that is dear to my heart. When it was carefully picked out for our wedding, it had to meaningful and something that would remind me what truly matters. Marriage can be a roller coaster. You have ups, downs, loops all around. There are those stories of couples losing their spark and wondering what happened to their marriage. Although the butterflies in your stomach and the sparkle in your eyes may have vanished, the one thing that is constant is the roots that you share together.  

My husband and I love each other dearly. When we first got married 5 years ago life wanted to see what we were made of.... Were we in it for good?  Were we just gonna be mediocre?  Were we going to hold that spark? 

The first week of being married, Dale and I moved to Texas for a job opportunity.  Being a new wife and having our first place was a dream come true. The first month was about turning our apartment into a home.  We even made friends with a couple that lived down the street. A few others in the complex were friends with Dale at work so I was already brought into a community of friends (Dale had moved there a year before us getting married so he already knew some people).  So a month after moving to Texas, Dale lost his job. We had no money, no sense of structure, and I was hit hard with reality.  That first week jobless, we realized we only had loose change to pay for a loaf of bread. Not joking. So the fun beginning to our marriage was now, "how the heck are we gonna survive?!"  We were faced with either taking it out on each other or teaming up.  My instincts were to become Dale's sidekick and figure out a game plan. The in-laws had to pay for a U-haul and bring our butts back to Arizona. We lived with Dale's parents for about a month before we could get back out on our own.  This is just an example of the hardballs life throws at you in marriage. We stuck together, we supported each other, we cried together, talked together, worked together. And that's always going to be our focus.

The one thing I will say is, "Dang, it's hard to have quality time together when you have a toddler (and now my mom lives in our house...enough said)."  Finding the quality time is a joke right now.  This is what we are struggling with as a married couple.  In the midst of thinking about forcing ourselves to make time for date nights again, I came across the sweetest idea in the world from Today's Letters blog.  Read it!  Every married couple should try this!

A daughter shared a story of how her parents have lasted 50 years together and what made their love stronger. Their story describes an old metal box....

Every time they made love they would put a dollar in their box. The goal was that when they reached their 50th anniversary they would use that money for a trip to Hawaii. They just reached 50 years and made that trip!  I am still crying at this while typing. It's not about "woo hoo we get to go on vacation!" that I'm crying about, but the fact that you can sense the love that was put into this.  

Trying to figure out meaningful ways to have quality time with my husband and we are going to join the bandwagon. We have an old, wooden box that I presented to Dale when we were dating (pictured above) that we will be using. So along with this idea we have made a pact to make date nights happen again!   I liked how the blogger from Today's Letters put it, "Focus on quality, not quantity." And of course my husband, the joker and charming fellow he is, comments with "50 years from now there will only be $2 in that box!" lol. Good point, dear husband, good point.... ;) He just makes me laugh.

*So I tried to make this as discreet as possible. I never talk about intimacy so openly but hopefully this was done in an appropriate manner :)  I would also LOVE to hear any sweet love stories or marriages, or ideas on how to spice up a marriage or date ideas!

Fashion Friday: Cowgirl Style

 Last week there was mention that I did something out of the norm about fashion.  I was not able to get ahold of Stacy and Clinton from "What Not to Wear", but I got the next best thing. ;)

In my attempt to start fresh and understand my style sense, I contacted Tiffany from Grown Up Dress Up.  When it comes to style sense, Tiffany has an array of fashion options to gear you in the right direction.  I love her business setup.  If you go to the link, it will show you what her business offers.  I asked if she could come over to my house, sort through my closet, and help pair up clothing items.  Tiffany told me what colors look good on me, and took photos of me in outfits she paired up.  She encouraged me to dump my maternity outfits too!  They are now in a box in the garage for future use.  Please check out her website and consider getting Tiffany to help with your wardrobe!  It was the best thing I did for myself and was a boost of self-confidence.  She is very personable, sweet, and can really tell your sense of style within 5 minutes.

Most of the fashion that catches my attention is the classic, simple, glamor look.  As a mama to a rambunctious 2 year old, there is not much time to make my style complete. Most mornings I only have enough time to throw on jeans, a decent blouse, and sandals.  My little man doesn't even give me enough time to do  my hair lately so pony-tail it is!  Lately, I have been wanting to get out of this rut and play around with different styles.  This week was cowgirl style!

Nobody can go wrong with this look...even a half-Asian girl like me!  I love the laid back, small town girl feel to this apparel. Thanks to Tiffany from Grown Up Dress Up for pairing up this cowgirl look for me.

Coral Red Dress:  Marshalls

Boots:  SO from Kohl's 

Turquoise Bracelet:  Papparazzi

Heart Necklace:  Charlotte Russe

Glass Locket:  Origami Owl

 This is one of my favorite looks. I paired up my denim Jeggings with a cute floral top that has lace sleeves.  Could not forget about the boots and pigtail hairstyle.

Blouse:  Elle from Kohl's

Denim Jeggings:  American Style Iris Jeans

Boots:  SO from Kohl's

Glass Locket:  Origami Owl

If you have a fashion style you would like to share on the blog, please email ehermesch@gmail.com  I will need a photo of yourself in 1-2 cute outfits, description of where you got them/brand, and a brief paragraph about yourself and your style.  Thanks!

Simply Great Chicken Recipe

When I saw this 3-ingredient recipe on  Bunny's Warm Oven, I knew that this was worth a try!  The recipes that are quick and easy always make a comeback to our house. If I can't prep something within 20 minutes then it's not something I have time for.  We had this chicken tonight and it was very moist and full of flavor.  It was amazing!  The side dishes were chicken flavored stuffing, green beans, and tropical fruit.  Delicious :)  *I halved the recipe since we have a little family


SIMPLY GREAT CHICKEN
(Source: Country Chicken cookbook)

1 broiler-fryer chicken (3 1/2-4 lb.), cut up and skin removed (I used bone-in split chicken breasts-about 3 1/2 lb.)
1 (.7 oz.) envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons)
1/2 c. packed brown sugar

Place chicken in a single layer in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine dry salad dressing mix and brown sugar; sprinkle over chicken.
Bake, uncovered, @ 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until juices run clear. 4 servings.

Toddler Tuesday: Potty Training

Our son turned two in December and there has been much anticipation over potty training.  Honestly, it has been easy to avoid, prolong, and think ill of this stage in advance.  We all know the horror stories people tell about training their child, so I am positive that did not help to begin with.  What do they know?  So far, my experience has been great! Who knew that the first week would be soooo easy?!!  Maybe I am speaking too soon, but this has been a breeze so far.  Yes, all things good must come to an end, but I will relish in these glorious, perfect days until the poop-smeared bathroom days arrive. *mom's worst nightmare*

Last week, Joshua was introduced to the potty chair. Horrified is probably an understatement of how Josh reacted to it. Screaming and throwing his arms in all directions and refusing to sit on the potty.  Immediately giving up, we walked out without a second glance. I would have deemed that was the end to training Joshua.  Then a miracle happened...

That night Joshua took my hand and walked us to the bathroom door.  What a surprise when he pointed at the potty!  In hopes that Joshua would think this was his grand idea, I took his diaper off and let him prop himself up on the potty chair. Needless to say, without me helping him was the best idea.  My little guy is so independent that that was probably what made our first experience horrendous.  Joshua just plain did not want me help and threw a fit when I tried to plop him on the chair at first.  So this time, I pretended it was his idea and let him be in charge.  Once he was on the chair I made sure to reinforce the idea that he would get a candy for going potty.  No hesitation--he peed!

Since that day, Joshua goes numerous times and usually reminds me he has to go.  It has been wonderful! 

He is too smart for his own good though-- The first day he went potty he tricked me into 4 treats. Let me explain...

Josh did his business, stood up and I gave him an M&M.  Then he plopped back on the chair and peed some more. Thus, another treat.  We did this 4 times in a row before I caught on to his mischief. This guy is smarter than his mama!  Once I learned his technique into getting more treats I made sure to put his diaper back on right after he tinkles.  Seriously, smart move on my part. 

There are no tricks up my sleeve during this training process. Mamas that stick to the book and a plan are probably abhorred with my style.  Training myself on this topic by reading books was my initial plan but I never got around to it.  So whatever is happening right now is just from me trying different things until they work for us.  Right now, I still keep Joshua in diapers 24/7 and am in no hurry to switch that up.  Until he gets the idea of going in the potty chair 100%, then I think we may switch to undies.  

I am just laughing at some of the comments I may receive from this post...  How did you potty train and what worked/didn't work for you?  Would also love to hear any funny stories you may have about training!

Perspective

With everything going on in Boston today, my heart is heavy.  The scary thing is that we still do not have all the answers as to why this happened. There are innocent people that do not deserve to be hurt or to live in fear.  This horrific event has scared me silly... For one, I am deathly afraid of not knowing how I will die. So when I heard of the news today, my thoughts immediately went into panic mode.  In some ways, I thought it was the start of even more horrific events happening simultaneously in the next coming hours (even though I live nowhere near Boston). Even though I know control is out of my hands, my anxiety has taken over to the point that common sense flies out the door.  Hopping into a hot air balloon and flying to Canada, Switzerland, or way the heck away from here sounded great to me. Just to get away from this pure nonsense of evil people.

So to diminish my fear and to focus on something positive, Mr. Rogers has a great quote that puts things into perspective.  Even during disasters and moments of confusion, we can all rely on the fact that love will always overcome evil.  Horrible things will still happen but the beauty of seeing neighbors helping each other and strangers coming together is what we should hold on to.  Love conquers all...