WHY 31 Days to Fit

Well, Hi Mamas!

I’m the author of 31 Days to Fit, the little give away at the bottom of the AWESOME Trim Healthy Mama Giveaway this month. I feel quite honored to be paired with these two AMAZING women. Amazing not just because of the book they wrote, but also because of the lives they live. I can’t wait to see who wins. They wrote a GREAT BOOK.

Now a little about WHY my book and I are paired with them… When I was in my teens I began to see that weight was going to be an issue for my small 5 foot tall framed body. So I took all my questions and concerns to the Creator. I KNEW He had the answers. I understood that He created us to eat and enjoy food, and I believed that He cared that I wanted to be healthy AND TRIM.

But I was confused about HOW to eat and MAINTAIN trim.

I was tired, bloated and could barely put food in my mouth without gaining a pound...

Read the rest of the story HERE.

We Survived! Spring Cleaning DONE!

Well, today is the LAST DAY of our Spring Cleaning Frenzy! THANK GOODNESS! I mean, doesn’t it feel GREAT to have a de-cluttered, sparkly clean home right before summer? Come to think of it, deep cleaning right before summer…it’s akin to taking a bath BEFORE going on a sweaty jog. We are strange people, aren’t we?

Well, this family has worked hard together, and the progress was invigorating. However, I’m thankful it’s called Spring Cleaning

and not:

Spring/Summer Purge and Wipe Until You Die Cleaning.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a sparkly clean house, but if that were this family’s main goal every day, NOTHING else would EVER be accomplished around here. Sometimes a girl’s just gotta let a room WAIT, and it’s OK. The world will still go around if a thing or two are out of place.

Here’s my sad, true, embarrassing as usual example...

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Free Book

I am offering my marriage book FREE on Amazon until Friday! If you would write a quick review in exchange for the free copy, I would be greatly obliged.  Reviews help readers know what they're buying. 

I wrote the book in a short little clips, so the busy and or ADD wives would read it ...

In other words it may be a little book, but it's an important one. The more review it gets, the more Amazon wil share it. Let's work to keep Christian marriages together! (Don't forget the offer ends Friday.)

Enjoy the book!and thank you ahead for writing a review :-)

Blessings!!

Terri

http://www.amazon.com/Days-Ignite-Your-Marriage-ebook/dp/B00BB0RK60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366726214&sr=8-1&keywords=14+days+to+ignite+your+marriage

14 Days to Ignite Your Marriage

www.amazon.com

14 Days to Ignite Your Marriage is for the wife that wants a DYNAMIC relationship with her husband. It's 14 easy tips to turn up the heat in her husband's heart. Don't settle for a mediocre relationship, read this short ebook and rekindle the fire in your marriage.

Don't Put It Down...PUT IT UP!

Whose is this?

Why is this here?

Pick this up!

Is this trash?

These rattlings fall out of my mouth more than I care to admit. When an item does not have a CERTAIN home, it is more likely to sprawl in the open...making me sound like a broken record.

Drives me NUTS!!

 It’s a CONSTANT battle that we’ll eventually WIN…I’m determined, but it requires that purging process we’ve talked about.

I know HOW to keep a home neat, clean and organized, but that does not mean it always happens. Life is the only consistent happening around here. When I make this next confession you may NEVER read another word I write. You may gasp, shut the computer, find another mom blog to read, or write me an instructional, heplful note... But since confession is good for the soul…I'll risk it…

Read the confession HERE.

Unraveled

EVERYTHING I do gets unraveled! This fact makes my hair frizz, my shoulders slump and my belly button poke out. Maybe that’s why I'm not a clean freak. It messes up my look.

Sometimes the unraveling feels like a giant conspiracy to get me to STOP working towards CLEAN. I work all day yet can appear to have done NOTHING  by the time my honey gets home. Little ones lurk around corners waiting to empty cabinets, or the toddler finds the ONE marker I missed under the sofa and proudly decorates the freshly washed walls with pretty designs.

It’s a conspiracy, I tell you!...

Read the rest HERE.

Sex and Suds

Spring Cleaning can be more complicated than simply purging junk and scrubbing down the casa according to one study. Apparently the chores accomplished and WHO does them can actually affect marital intimacy.

Go figure!

Rebecca Coffey in her article Of Lust and Lysol published in the Scientific American (April 2013) magazine states, “…married couples in which men take on a greater share of the dishes, laundry and other traditionally female chores had sex less often than average which in this study was a about five times a month. Yet couples in which men confined themselves largely to traditionally male chores such as yard work enjoyed sex more frequently than average.”

Who knew!

She continues…

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Mighty Mom

“I CAN’T DO IT ALL!! There is TOO MUCH ON MY PLATE! I’m not organized enough, educated enough, patient enough, together enough!”

Can you relate?

I have been in the mothering trenches for over two decades. Nursing or pregnant for 21 years straight, birthing and parenting these ten children, and I still wonder when I’m going to get it together. As I have pondered God’s choice in choosing me for such a GARGANTUOUS job, He spoke to me through something I read this week.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Parenting to Tears

I hover outside my husband’s closet door and listen to him hum as he sheds his dirty scrubs and changes into Daddy Attire for the evening.  I’m glad he’s happy, but I feel nothing like him at the moment.

I’m too exhausted to hum.

I just need a hug, a break, maybe some chocolate. My mood must be bouncing off of me because without even turning around to look at me his humming stops. His knowing without seeing, no doubt, comes from almost 24 years of marriage.

He turns around and searches my eyes,“You OK?”

“No. Not really. I have an elephant on my back,” I choke trying not to cry.

“Hmmmm…when I have the elephant it’s usually on my chest,” he smiles.

“Ok, Ok, I guess the elephant is sitting on my shoulders pressing on both my back and chest.”

He laughs.

I cry softy.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming Beauty: The Loveliness of Less

This week has been EXTRA CRAZY! In case you’re thinking EVERY week must be nuts in a family of 12, well, you’re right. However, I’m feeling stretched to the max right now and I have to say that the de-cluttering we did last week, by putting away the small objects in the house has been a GIGANTIC sanity saver for me.

As I juggle the kids, our schedules and feeding the crew three times a day, I have found it easier to fluff the house up to presentable, without all the extra bits of wood, hay and stubble to dust and resituate. My honey even commented that the house seems extra clean to him lately.

 Being a bit unobservant he has not noticed the inconspicuously missing objects.

When happy people occupy my tidy abode, the house feels it’s most beautiful to me. So this dec-luttering project came at the perfect time, as it has lowered bubbling stress levels and given a sense of orderliness on the home front. Marketers have convinced us that MORE stuff satisfies and MORE stuff is where contentment hides.

Well…they’re lying.

In her book, Miss Minimalist, Francine Jay says:

Read the rest HERE.

The Perfect Parenting Ingredient

If I could get you to make ONE commitment as a parent this month it would NOT be to add another outside activity to your list of "to do's."

It would be a simple, slow down request. It would include warm food and eye-to-eye contact. It would involve being home around the table as a family several times a week simply eating, talking, and connectin. 

Sounds good, doesn't it?

Relaxing and inviting.

Imagine having that type of enjoyment regularly with the ones you love.Now back to reality...

Read the rest of the story HERE.

The House is Closing In

I’m in a thither—a put every accessory smaller than a football away thither. The bigger I get in this pregnancy the more crowded I feel, so ALL LITTLE ACCESSORIES MUST GO!

I feel like Alice in Wonderland when she outgrows her house.

Granted, I’m only four months pregnant, so I don’t take up that much extra space…but I still feel like the walls are closing in. Maybe I’m suffering a hormonal hot thither, but my accessories are getting the brunt of it, anyway.

So this week I’m wrapping and packing beautiful accessories and storing them until I’m ready to warm the house back up with their presence. I’m clearing off end tables, side tables, desks and any surface that holds stuff.

Stuff: the word just sounds crowded, doesn’t it? We stuff our rooms. We stuff our closets. We stuff our kitchens.

Let’s give our eyes a break for a while and every room will BREATHE with the relief. I’m not telling you to GIVE AWAY your beloved possessions; I’m simply challenging you to PUT THEM OUT OF SIGHT for a time.

Read the rest HERE.

In the Mood?

Some wonder how my husband and I ever get a moment together as the parents of ten kids. Wherever we are the kids want to be. No conversation is as interesting as Mom and Dad’s. If we are in the kitchen, THEY are in the kitchen. If we are in the bathroom, they are in the bathroom.

Alone time is just flat challenging.

When my husband wants to get intimate his code to me is, “I want to TALK to you tonight.” I’m not sure how the word “TALK” became code, but it’s our word. (Well, it WAS until today.)

As you can imagine using such a common word can be confusing at times, so eye contact and tone inflection are always considered in the exchange.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming Beauty: Baubles and Balls

I tend to be laid back in that I sympathize with energetic little boys who need to be outside when it’s been raining for days on end…exceptions need to be made (in my opinion,) so last week I gave my power packed youngsters permission to TOSS the ball in the den…

Bad idea? Maybe…

As wives and mothers, we should decorate our homes with those we love in mind. For instance, your expensive collection of trinkets should be placed in an toddler free zone….Or if a handicapped parent lives with you, the doorways, hallways and bathrooms will be made to accommodate your loved one’s needs. If we create a home that is all about looks, the very ones we desire to occupy it will find themselves preferring to be somewhere else where they can slouch on the sofa and put their feet on the coffee table without Mom fluffing them up or scooting them off.

This decorating series is not simply about aesthetics.

It’s about loving.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Do you have the kind of marriage that requires God? I say if you’re married, the longevity and happiness in your marriage DO require God. But somehow we always strive to break free from needing Him.

It’s human nature.

We require His provision, direction, guidance and restraint, but we constantly think…

If I just made more money…

If we just had “so much” in savings…

When the kids leave…

The JOURNEY of life REQUIRES God and it is a blessing. He has all the answers AND all the resources, so why fight needing Him?

We need Him to guide us through the conflict, help us in the struggle, and supply our needs.

An easy life will not bring satisfaction. If you are thinking of breaking free from your marriage because it IS HARD…hear me. Let’s discuss this way of thinking.

You may be looking for a life with no conflict, or one with more financial freedom so you can be happy. It seems normal to believe that an abundance of money and limitless choices in houses, clothes, travel, and leisure time  would make a person happy.

This simply is NOT TRUE.

 Easy DOES NOT equal HAPPY.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming the Master Bedroom- 3

Hopefully you thumbed through the colors and styles on the Houzz link in the last post. Color is KING. So we must get it right per our taste. Once you have decided on tones, then textures and fabrics will be your next focus. My bed has a PILE OF PILLOWS that I had custom made in different coordinating fabrics and fringes that dress the whole room up. It takes extra time in the morning to get each pillow “just so” but my husband and I both enjoy the feel of our room and it’s worth the extra effort.

Your style may be more streamlined than mine and that’s SUPER, because a streamlined look cleans up faster than my over zealous ghadi pillow habit. My little ones LOVE to make forts with my pillows and pile them high for soft landing after a dive off the bed. This is great fun, but also a great pain when I’ve had about all I can take of forts and pillow platforms.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

A Treasured Pile of Poo!

Many of you know that my honey is a dentist. He happens to be the best dentist in the world, which keeps patients coming back. Well, because our practice never lacks for business, I RARELY call my honey during the day, so as not to bother him. But it took me a while to come to this conclusion.

For years I would call my dentist-husband at work to find out what he wanted for dinner, or ask him to please pick up the dry-cleaning, or to remind him about baseball. He would always excuse himself from his patient, de-glove and take my calls.

Over and over he let me interrupt him with trivial, I just want to hear your voice calls. I NEVER knew I was interrupting him. I always assumed he just happened to be in-between patients.

I can be a little …duh…sometimes.

For years he juggled my whims throughout the workday, then one evening he casually mentioned that he preferred texting because he could read my texts upside down, while his phone is clipped to his belt without ungloving, unmasking and taking off his surgical bib!

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming the Master Bedroom Part 2, PLUS a FREE GIFT!

I’m supposed to be talking about choosing a color for the master bedroom, but I WANT to talk about other things concerning the master bedroom, so bear with me while I intertwine my assigned topic with what I really want to say.

This should be interesting.

When I started this decorating series, I began in the kitchen because the kitchen is the heart of the home where ministry pours out to family and neighbors. It’s the pulse, the hub, and the room that can reach ANYONE regardless of the state of the marriage. The kitchen is KEY in making a house a home.

But then I have moved directly to the master bedroom because, I have experienced first hand that the stronger the marriage bond, the stronger the family. Too many times the master bedroom gets pushed to the bottom of the list in decorating and activity. It is used to store stacks of books, office supplies and piles of clothes, rather than treated as a place to promote oneness, unity, and private fun between a husband and wife.

The master bedroom usually finds its modern day owners bone weary and sleep deprived…Leftovers and hand-me-downs in the bedroom for the king and queen of the house.

Not. Good.

The marriage act is the main ingredient that sets a married couple apart. Read the rest of the story HERE.



Pop over to thelaundrymoms.com and opt in to receive my 14 Days to Ignite Your Marriage FOR FREE!!
CallMOM~Terri

For Better...Not for Worse, Please!

My husband and I were recently informed that another precious family we know is ending in destruction. The parents absolutely cannot own their mistakes, forgive each other and walk in harmony together.

Whose fault it is does not matter. There is usually fault on both sides. It’s irrelevant. Married couples throw in the towel like there will be no eternal consequences, with no thought to the vows they made TO GOD: for better or worse, for sickness and health, for richer or poorer…

Or …until it gets too hard.

Read the rest of the story HERE...

And don't forget to pickup a copy of my new ebook14 Days to Ignite Your Marriage on Amazon, or free on the www.thelaundrymoms.com this month.

Redeeming Beauty in the Master Bedroom

Once upon a time my family was empty. Our beautiful mahogany front door revolved. Our over-sized house was a place to change clothes. Schedules overlapped and the calendar resembled a two-year-old’s scribble pad. My husband worked hard at our very successful dental practice by day, and even harder on a beloved hobby by night. Our marriage was void of intimacy. And our kids hurt.


My heart ached over the direction we were headed, and thankfully, my husband became weary of the pace, too. We had a home of individuals living individual lives with little family community and MUCH stress. So we did the only thing we knew to do in a last attempt to repair our mess. We canceled EVERYTHING.

We made our world small. Very small.

We moved from a mega church to a church consisting of less than 100 people. Stopped sports, pulled out of social commitments, and canceled meetings. We even sold our LARGE dental practice and took time off. We played checkers, watched four seasons of 24, and got reacquainted.

I believe our family would be just another statistic today if we had not made these hard decisions. The culture shock was UNREAL. Adjusting to our new, simple life took serious commitment and refocus. Fast forward ten years and the dentist, and I would not change one of those decisions. Our family has multiplied not only in people, but also in love, strength, unity, and effectiveness.

Our calendar is full again, but with more unity. Weekly dates for the hubs and me are penned in first, then family ministry, kid activities and social events. We know that successful marriages and strong families do not just happen. So we made a plan to succeed.

Read the rest of the story HERE

The Favorite Gift

I pull the covers up to his chin; kiss him all over the face and say, “You are my very favorite Caden Truth in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD.”

Smiling he finishes, “I’m a gift. God gave me to you.”

“Yes, He did! You are the very best gift a Mommy and a Daddy could ever receive. We dreamed about you. We wanted YOU! We hoped and prayed that God would give us a little boy JUST LIKE YOU and He did! We were so happy when you finally came.”

My four-year-old smiles and nods; it’s the same routine every night. I tell him how special he is and he finishes with any truths I may have left out. This ninth child of ours, as all of our children, has heard repeatedly how fearfully and wonderfully made he is and that he is valued and WANTED.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Redeeming Beauty in the Home

My theme this year is Redeeming Beauty in the Home. As I began to ponder why I was given this topic and what on earth I thought about it, I prayerfully took my thoughts and questions to the Lord.

Yes it’s true. I enjoy beautiful things. I’m a shopper. It’s my favorite exercise. The mall is where you’ll find me when I’m in need of an outing.  I appreciate…

Colors that match just so…

Patterns that compliment each other…

Surprise accessories that spur conversation...

A gorgeous GAUDY mirror over an antique buffet…

My eyes crave balance. Variety delights me. My hands reach for opposing textures like the feel of a cool leather sofa topped with plush, over-stuffed pillows lined with the perfect fringe.

Beauty. I get it.

I enjoy clothes that highlight the curves and hide the flaws…

Shoes that top off an outfit…

The perfect necklace…

Earrings that sparkle…

Yes. I get it.

But when I sat down to write my first blog post on Redeeming Beauty in the Home, none of those things surfaced in my mind. Not one.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

A Not So Typical Day

In case you haven’t noticed, the Call Moms are posting a peek into our homes. Quite frankly, I don’t FEEL like letting you peek into my home, right now.

Ever been there?

My girls and I have baked hundreds of cookies, made mounds of fudge, cooked buckets of spicy pretzels, prepared 16 party bags for a birthday party we’re hosting this week, and all this on top of our usual schedule of laundry, meals, home schooling, outside sports and the other Christmas traditions we practice.


I’m tired.

Pooped.

Worn out.

Today is the first day of our Christmas Break and this is what we’re doing…

Morning: I sit in my chair typing this post wearing one of my husband’s over sized t-shirts, yoga pants with no make-up on…not fit to answer the door bearing my man’s name. I woke up early this morning as usual, but felt paralyzed to putting on real clothes.

I pour my hot tea, read my bible, feed the little ones and snuggle back into my reading chair.

The kids scattered to do their own thing leaving the kitchen half way clean…Interpretation…MOSTLY DIRTY.

Late Morning: A few of my off spring are fly down our hill in the backyard on a skateboard barefooted and helmet-less. I pray the ER is not in our future.

The baby naps and a few daughters clean out a closet. I have declared today a NOTHING DAY for us. I’m boycotting EVERYTHING.

Eating yummy food, reading for pleasure, and taking a nap are on my agenda.

The End.

Our usual structured days are organized chaos; even though this day is an official
rest day, it’s still organized chaos in a way.

Afternoon: No one broke any bones flying down the hill. Everyone’s hungry. I let the kids make their own lunches and the older ones feed the younger ones, too.

I’m feeling better... due to my boycott.

The baby is awake now and has successfully emptied 3 lower cabinets in the kitchen and pulled out 2 drawers of toys in the schoolroom. Everyone steps over the messes.

No one feels like cleaning today. We run a tight ship during the school year and the whole crew needs this break.

Evening: The dogs bark LOUDLY and kids holler like Santa’s on the scene, I know my dentist is about to walk through the door by their excitement. I quickly run a brush through my hair, and put something on my lips to show him I care.

He survives the bouncing barrier of dogs and kids; generously passing out tickles and kisses before I get to him.

Read the rest HERE,

A Silent Night or Two

http://www.coffee-mate.com/

Brushing my hair at one sink, while my beloved dentist brushes his teeth at the other, I list with enthusiasm the activities of the week.

“I’m so excited! This is going to be a GREAT WEEK! We start basketball, then we have the cookie exchange with 10  families, then there’s Celebration at the church…”

His toothbrush stops.

As does my mouth.

When will I learn?

He enjoys these events much more if he hears the plan as we walk out the door. The very Christmas frenzy that energizes me is the exact schedule that DRAINS him!

Read the rest of the story HERE.

Making Christmas Heartier Than a Sugar Cookie Hung on a Tree

Wrapping paper lays strewn across my bedroom floor, while unwrapped boxes wait in line for their turn to be draped in beautiful paper and tied with elaborate bows.


Christmas—one of my favorite times of the year.


As our days are filled with decorating, baking cookies, preparing for parties and shopping for gifts, I wonder how much True Meaning of Christmas my kids are soaking in.


It is feasible that they could grow up and continue ALL we DO with out the pure heart intent of celebrating God coming to earth in the flesh. After all, those who do NOT celebrate the Christ-child at Christmas, go through the same holiday motions.



So how do I draw the distinction? How do I pass the heart of our action, the reason for the season? The purpose of celebrating?

First...Read the rest of the post HERE.

The Short Cut Queen

I’m lazy at heart. No, maybe it’s the opposite: I’m addicted to activity. Whichever fact is true, one of these conclusions makes me a Shortcut Queen. I hunt for ways to shorten ANY activity, and ALL routines: from working out to putting away laundry. I lung around the kitchen while I cook to cut down on my exercise time in the evenings, and I throw socks in a basket, to negate sorting and matching after the dry cycle. If an activity can be trimmed to bare bones, I’ll find a way. 

Whether finishing my work early or squeezing more activity in is the goal, I’m ALWAYS looking for ways to get things done faster and more efficiently.

So this past Thanksgiving I invested in several dozen BEAUTIFUL cloth napkins in an assortment of colors and patterns in an attempt to cut down on shopping for gorgeous paper ones each year. These napkins looked like a million bucks fanned out in a fancy fold on the 3 large tables set for 30 guests. The meal tasted sweeter and the coffee blacker, because of the stunning napkins resting in each guest’s lap. Ok, maybe I’m being dramatic, but the napkins DID top off the look.

However, AFTER the meal, the pristinely set tables no longer spoke of elegance and beauty, but instead resembled a table top hurricane disaster. How do things fall apart so easily? While I pondered these thoughts and eyed the hand washing in front of me, the discarded napkins caught my attention and for a brief moment I suffered buyer’s remorse

Read the rest of the story HERE.