Lucy's Monkey Business

Well... it's been a while from my last post, but better a late post then never post. I finally set up a Facebook Page for my "business." I am a stay at home mom and I want to help my family financially but staying home and taking care of her family seems to be the best "job" I can have... so with that. I had my mom teach me how to sew and with what I have learned and being pregnant.. I have found something I LOVE to make.....

These are nursing covers. I want a breastfeed my baby but I don't like to hand it all out there {if other women want to, that is their decision.} I love all the fabric choices you have. I can make them to match the sex of the baby which makes me happy. I don't think you should have to pay an arm and leg for one of these babies either!! So I make them cheap and I make them personal! My second passion I have found that I love to make are...

Camera strap covers!! My best friend is a photographer and I went with her on a photo shoot and carried a camera around for about 4-5 hours... These cameras are pretty darn heavy!!! So for her birthday I made her a beautiful strap that is padded for her long shoots!!! 

{Please feel free to check out her work.. she is AMAZING! Amy E Photography}

And to the last of my news.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

I am HAPPY to announce.. we are having...

I can't wait to meet my sweet Emmett!!!

{If you want to check out my page and my "business" please go to Lucy's Monkey Business}

+ Ash Wednesday +

How I love the above quote! It means so much to me! Tonight the church was standing room only and it isn't even a holy day of obligation! Our family after we received our ashes!

Happy Fat Tuesday

So.. here is our Lenten activities that we are going to be doing this year. I am quite excited due to the fact that the kids are finally at an age where they can fully understand and the full meaning of Lent. So here is the run down:

First we are doing sacrifice beans:

Many Catholics have a tradition of placing beans in jar whenever a sacrifice is made during Lent. This year I decided to add it to our list of Lenten activities. 

My children will get a bean to put in the jar whenever they do something without being asked or are helpful/sacrificial. I plan to do it too! Then, on Easter Morning...the jar will be full of jelly beans! The fruit of their good works united to the sweetness of the saving grace of Jesus!! 

Second we made lap books: {Got the idea from Homeschool Goodies}

{This is the front}

{I got this idea from Catholic Icing which I LOVE her stuff!!!}

{Then we have the stations of the cross ( Family Feast and Feria) and a morning prayer (came from the book A Year with God, we got this with our homeschool supplies from Catholic Heritage)}

{On the left side we did the story of the pelican, which I LOVE and it also came from the Catholic Heritage Curricula, A Year With God.}

[The Story of the Pelican:

Rather than let her young ones starve, the pelican presses the sharp point of her bill against her breast until it bleeds, and thus feeds her young with her own blood. It is this life-giving sacrifice that the pelican makes for the sake of her young which has made her a symbol of Christ in the blessed Sacrament, in which He feeds us with His own Body and His own Blood. "Pelican of mercy, Jesus Lord, cleanse me..." ] 

Third we are doing our daily Lenten books, praying for pro-life and saying the rosary: 

We are also going to attend stations of the cross every Friday for the entire season of Lent and plan to make Sunday's an absolute day of R-E-S-T!! 

I hope the best for your Lenten intentions and activities! 

It's Gardner Science Time

So this week we did this REALLY neat volcano project! It was in Emma's science book for this week. The kids enjoyed this project so much that we might be making another one in the near future! For this we made our own "clay dough" which I got off the internet. 

We put a bottle in the middle to hold the baking soda for the "explosion" and added vinegar to make it explode. We took food coloring and made the land and the ocean. It wouldn't have been a complete volcano without men running for their lives, so we added G.I. Joe's which Ethan thought was a great touch. 

Here are 2 video's of our "Great Explosion"

{This is the mild version}

Tim got a little carried away with the baking soda.... But it was worth it! The kids enjoyed it!!

{This is the hardcore version}

Dishwasher Detergent

So as you all know I am all about making my own cleaning supplies, especially when it is going to save me money in the long run. I ran across a blog that shared how to make it. So.. I took matters into my own hands and made my own!!! I have used it twice and I LOVE it!!! I have no idea how long it will last.. but I am guessing a pretty long time! Here is the break down!

Lemi Shine - $3.19 {Add to each load in the bottom of the wash, I tried it without and I had spots.}

Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda - $2.40

Borax - $3.39

Epsom Salt - $2.86 

4 packages of unsweetened lemonade drink mix {Kool-aid} - .20 each = $4.80

Which brought my grand total to: $16.64 

So to make this, follow these steps:

1 box Borax (4lbs 12 oz or 76 oz ) (2.15 kg) 

1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz or 3 lbs 7 oz) 

24 packages of unsweetened lemonade drink mix, like kool-aid. (**Note: lemonade will stain soap dispenser yellow, another option would be to use citric acid instead of lemonade. You can usually find citric acid in the canning isle )

3 cups Epsom Salt

I mixed everything in a bucket and shook it all together. Then I put it all into this container that keeps the air out and store it under the sink next to the dishwasher.

The blog I give credit to: Being Creative to Keep My Sanity

Epiphany House Blessing

{Our beautifully + blessed + door}

Tonight my family and I blessed our home... This is the first time we have ever done this. I felt very joyful as my husband read the instructions and I wrote the numbers and letters on our door. I am very proud that we are Catholic... so not only did we write it on the inside of our door but on the outside as well. I want to thank MCCW {Military Council of Catholic Women} for giving us the supplies. If you would like to take part in blessing your own home.. you can find instructions here Catholic Icing. This is a GREAT site with GREAT resources for just about anything Catholic!!

{Holy water and a blessing}

Guess WHAT?!?!?!

A blessing from God... We will welcome our new addition on or around 6-28-2012!!!