Domestic Goddess

On Monday I went to Walgreens to pick up some pictures and I was very thirsty. So, I bought a pop--a diet orange soda. I don't normally drink orange pop but it sounded good.

When I got home, I thought I had the lid on tight and I accidentally knocked the bottle on our cream carpet. Orange pop was everywhere. I quickly picked the bottle up and immediately put some Resolve on it and blotted it out...it's what I do with every stain that ends up on our carpet and it usually gets it out no problem.

The next morning I had all but forgotten about the orange spot when Eric saw it and asked what was on the carpet. The Resolve did not work and I was left with a large orange spot on the living room carpet. He tried more Resolve and scrubbing with no success. I told him not to worry that I would figure something out...although I didn't quite know what to do.

I quickly got on Google to research how to get set in stains out of carpet. Come to find out orange is one of the hardest stains to get out of carpet. Go figure. But I came across a website that said to take a wet, soapy washcloth, lay it over the stain and then iron over it...that's right IRON! It said the iron against the wet cloth would act like a steamer and pull the stain right out.

Well, it took me a while to find the iron because well, I don't iron...ever! If I want something unwrinkled I throw it in the dryer for a few minutes and if Eric has a shirt that is wrinkled then he can either wear it wrinkled or attempt to fix the said problem himself. I loathe ironing. Anyway, I digress. I found the iron and though fearful I was going to burn a large hole in the carpet with my iron, I proceeded with caution. To my surprise, it worked! The website said it may take a few times for the stain to completely come up so I will keep at it. But for now the bright orange soda stain has become more of a dull orange memory!

Here's to my domestic goddess tip of the day! Don't hold your breath for any more tips from me...

Exercising will be the death of me, I'm sure of it!

I hate exercising...I do it, but I hate it. Anyone who tells me that the more I do it, the more I will love it is wrong. However, I am attempting to do my first ever 5K. I'm not a runner and I think I use that as an excuse a lot for why I don't lose weight like I want to or why I despise going to the gym. So, I have decided to conquer this challenge. My friend Diane turned me on to a program called "From Couch to 5K." An appropriate title for me! :) And I must say, it is definitely doable...so far! I am currently on week 5 and haven't died yet so that's good news!
The 5K is in Valpo on April 4th and is called Ringing in Spring. I have a couple of friends who are walking it and one friend who will run it with me. Friend, if you are reading this (and I know you are!) how are you doing?!? You can do it! :)

I am looking into getting a new pair of running shoes so if anyone has any suggestions I'm open to it!

I'll keep you posted on my progress...I think I can...I think I can...I think I can!

I am Yours

This weekend was a special time for us as we dedicated Alaina to the Lord. It was an awesome experience to know that we were making a public declaration that we will submit her to the Lord's will for her life with the help of our families and the body of Christ.
Although it was hard not to get caught up in her cute dress and precious bow, I tried my best to concentrate on the fact that the Lord has entrusted me with this precious gift but ultimately she his His child whom I have the privilege and great joy to raise.
The words to the Casting Crowns song, "Who Am I" rang in my head all day yesterday as we celebrated this special day. It makes me stop and think of how big and awesome God is and how small I am but how much he loves me and how much he loves Alaina.

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.


I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

I am yours.

Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am yours.
I am yours.

____________________________________________________________________

On another note...
Our new furniture arrived last week and it is fabulous! I am thankful every time I sit upon its fluffy cushions! I think Eric and I have fallen asleep in the living room for the past 5 nights!

_______________________________________________________________________

And lastly...we have started on the journey of teaching Alaina how to eat! I just found it so bizarre that I have to teach her how to eat and swallow. We've only tried cereal a couple of times but she's doing okay with it. I feel bad feeding it to her because it just looks so disgusting but she doesn't seem to mind. So, here's to full tummies and hopefully sleep filled nights!

Wahoo for New Furniture

This weekend, Eric and I (and Alaina) went shopping for new furniture for our living room. The furniture we currently have is hand-me-down from his parents next door neighbors. They gave it to us 4 years ago and who knows how long they had it before that. It has served us well and we are grateful for all the naps and t.v. watching that has taken place on it's lovely blue cushions. However, it was time to be grown-ups and buy some grown-up furniture.

We were looking for a 3 cushion sofa and a recliner or over sized chair with an ottoman. We would love a sectional but it just doesn't work in the set up of our living room.

We first ventured to Value City Furniture. No such luck. We thought we might hit a jackpot since we bought our bedroom furniture there when we were first married and they have such great deals, but it didn't happen. We are on a budget people! Can't be spending frivolously!

We then went over to Wicks...sad to say Wicks is out of business. We wondered why there were no cars in the parking lot!

Next stop, La-Z-Boy. Eric was very interested in getting a recliner and possibly a reclining sofa We found a few items that were nice and could have worked but we still weren't 100%.

Next, we went to the mall. We had a few other errands to run there and actually found a furniture store in the mall. We found a couch, chair and ottoman that we really liked and it came with a deal where you could also get a coffee table, 2 end tables, 2 lamps and 4 accessory pieces for X amount of money. It was quite a steal. We were a little iffy seeing as it was kind of a no name place randomly found in the mall. But we tucked it in the back of our brains.

As we left the mall there was one more place Eric wanted to go, The Room Place, but Alaina was getting hungry and fussy and I thought it was best that we just went home. He decided to just run in real quick while we stayed in the car. He came back about 10 minutes later and told me I had to come in. He showed me two different options that he like and I liked them both! (Which in and of itself is pretty shocking for us to completely agree on something as significant as living room furniture--we don't share the same sense of style a lot of times!)

The first set was fabulous. The material was something like I'd never felt...it felt as though you were sitting on a big fleece blanket! The problem was that it also looked like you were sitting on a big fleece blanket and it only came in one color which could have worked but I wasn't sold on it. If we're dishing out that much money on furniture I wantedt to be in LOVE with it!

The second set was equally as fabulous and a much better color with more elegance that the aforementioned furniture. It had an over sized chair with an ottoman. Eric and I can both sit on the chair together with room to spare. The couch is deep. Eric wasn't sold on the couch because he felt weird siting in it with his feet dangling but the salesman showed him that's it's not so much a couch that you sit "on" but that you sit "into."

As we sat upon the cushions at the Room Place I fed Alaina a bottle to hold her over and we talked about the pros and cons of the furniture while Art, the sale mans hovered over us inserting his bits of knowledge. (A quick bio on Art, the salesman at the Room Place: An overweight, diabetic latin man with a large gap in his front teeth. Proud grandpa of 10 grandchildren and he just found out last week that his daughter is going to have a another baby in February. Why in the world did his daughter wait a month out from her due date to tell her dad she was pregnant? I think we know way too much about Art.)

Anyway, the Room Place was offering a similar deal as the store in the mall, only it was 7 pieces for X amount of money. They were offering, the couch and chair, coffee table, 2 end tables and 2 lamps for X amount of money and we would have to pay for the ottoman on top of that. If we were in the market for the table, end tables and lamp it might have been worth it but we were really just interested in the couch, chair and ottoman. We decided to forgo the "deal"and get the items we truly wanted and needed.

And with that, Eric signed on the dotted line and tomorrow the furniture will be delivered to our home. (Minus the ottoman which they did not have in stock and will be here early next week.)

The pictures below are from the website and don't really do the furniture justice. It looks really green and it's more of a tan color. When the furniture gets here I'll post new pictures.

Yes, I realize I've been rambling about furniture for a while now but this is an exciting day in the Wood household that I'm quite excited about.

The Chair and Ottoman

The Sofa

The Set Together

Just trying some new stuff out...

Guessing Game

Can you guess what stage my daughter is going through?

If you guessed teething you're...right! She is a drooling, slobbery mess. She puts anything and everything in her mouth. And she has her moments of pure crankiness, which is pretty unusual for her.

And although I put a picture of a teething ring on here, she refuses to put it in her mouth. (She has the same problem with pacifiers...) I've tried freezing it, putting it in the fridge so it's not so cold, leaving it out, but no...she prefers her hand and my hand and anything else that is not necessarily meant to go in her mouth.

I have to change her at least, once if not more a day because of the sheer amount of drool that covers her onesies.

So we'll wait and see when those little teeth decide to make their appearance. But for now, I'll continue to wipe up the puddles of drool that leave their mark around the house.

Happy teething!

Praying today for...

God's peace to comfort...
God's love to embrace...
God's grace to be enough...
God's mercy to reign...
God's comfort to cover...
God's faithfulness to be evident...
God's power to demonstrate...
God's Spirit to manifest...
God's promises to be proven...
God's protection to shield...
God's miracles to amaze...


Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.-

“I have had prayers answered - most strangely so sometimes - but I think our heavenly Father's loving-kindness has been even more evident in what He has refused me.”

-Lewis Carroll-

"I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go."
- Abraham Lincoln-

...I strongly advocate for a prayer life that is comprised mostly of silence. It's a great delight to talk to God, but it's even more thrilling when he talks to us. I've discovered that He has more important things to say than I do. Things don't change when I talk to God; things change when God talks to me. When I talk, nothing happens; when God talks, the universe comes into existence. So the power of prayer is found, not in convincing God of my agenda, but in waiting upon Him to hear His agenda."
-Bob Sorge- Secrets of the Secret Place