Help me name my etsy site

Free poll by Listomatica.com

I'm thinking of starting an Etsy site for the cute baby and kid things I make. I want to use my initials for the name of the site. Vote for your favorite or suggest something better in the comment section!!

Jill's Mommy Boutique Jillie's Moxie Babies

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Tips to save $$ and GREEN clean (your spring cleaning)!!!

So, my friend Ashley who did all the amazing printing for our wedding and is totally crafty in so many ways, and I take turns at inspiring each other. I inspired her to become a Dave Ramsey faithful follower. She's inspired me to start couponing and turned me on to this SWEET website that makes it dummy-proof (exactly what I needed). On my first trip to Publix, armed with only one online printable coupon, I bought over $53 worth of groceries for $29 just by taking advantage of the weekly Buy 1 Get 1 deals!!!!

If you are going to coupon seriously, then you have to give up your brand loyalty. Now, I am not an extreme couponer; I use it mainly for food and paper products. Other items I buy, such as toiletries and household cleaners, have a totally different set of values attached that have nothing to do with price. I buy animal and environmentally friendly products. I try not to buy any makeup or toiletry items unless they have "not [been] tested on animals" (for me anyway, Matt is not a convert yet - he's brand loyal).

Collectively, we can change market production by changing our demand for certain things! We are already starting to see big companies that make chemical-based household cleaners respond to the change in market demands, like Clorox coming out with a "green cleaner" line (which probably isn't anything but dyed green anyway since they refuse to release the ingredients to the public). For things such as laundry detergent or other cleaner needs (not listed below), buy from a reputable company such as Seventh Generation (click the link for COUPONS!).

"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," (Joshua 24:15) and make our own cleaning products!!! If you want to rid your house of harsh chemical-based cleaning products and create a healthier, safer environment for your family, here are a few "recipes" to use. First, tightly seal up all of your chemical-based cleaning products and dispose of them at your LOCAL HAZARDOUS WASTE FACILITY. Next, get to shopping and mixing!!

Shopping List:
2 Empty spray bottles (re-use one you have if it's already empty, but don’t pour the chemicals down the drain!)
2 Glass jars with tight fitting lid
Distilled white vinegar
Baking soda
Lemon juice
Olive or vegetable oil
Tea tree oil (optional disinfectant)
Non-toxic liquid soap (vegetable based/castile)

All Purpose Cleaner:

Plastic spray bottle, mix equal parts vinegar and water, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp tea tree oil (optional), shake before use

Window & Mirror Cleaner:

Plastic spray bottle, mix 2 parts water, 3 parts vinegar, spray on and wipe with newspaper or paper towel

Scrub Cleaner:

Glass jar, mix baking soda and castile soap to paste consistency, add lemon juice for scent and/or tea tree oil for disinfectant (both optional), use as scrub for tough stains and toilet bowl cleaner

Wood Furniture Polish:

Glass jar, mix 2 parts olive or vegetable oil, 1 part lemon juice, shake well and apply to furniture with clean lint free rag, let stand, polish with dry rag

Silver Polish:

In 1 quart of warm water, add 2 Tablespoons of baking soda, 1 Tablespoon of salt, a piece of aluminum foil, and the item to be polished. Let item sit for at least 15 minutes.

Drain Cleaner:

Pour ¼ cup of baking soda down drain, followed by ½ cup of vinegar. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes, then pour 2 quarts of boiling water down the drain.

Recipes provided by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute

University of Massachusetts, Lowell

and Alameda County Healthy Homes Project

POST UPDATE:
Ashley (the one who is always inspiring me) once again inspired me by her comment!!!

I have always heard you can make your own baby wipes, so I figured - why not clean-up wipes too??? Just follow the directions at the link to prepare the paper towel roll and use this recipe for homemade green clean-up wipes:

1 Cup water
1 Cup vinegar
1/4 Cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon tea tree oil (disinfectant)

babies, babies, babies...

Well, this post is all about BABIES!! No, none for Matt and Jill yet. C'mon folks we haven't even been married 6 months! Anywho, Matt and I have lots of friends that are either new parents or expecting babies!

The first in this round of baby season is none other than our pastor, Rev. Brian Davis and his wife Melanie. Yes, Brian is the same pastor that encouraged Matt to ask me out, and the same pastor who married us! Brian and Melanie welcomed Caleb Gray Davis on Friday the 13th (February 13, 2009)!!! I am proud to say that his middle name was totally my idea, in honor of Melanie's grandparents! :D Isn't he just SO CUTE??



Betsy, my BFF since 5th grade, and her husband Bradley are expecting their first baby in late March or early April. I am SO excited because this is the first of my friends to have a little GIRL!!! I think I may have gone overboard sewing for little Rubye Kate, what do you think?? I made her wall hanging with painted letters from the accent fabric she is using in the nursery. It was definitely my favorite project! Although, the gown is pretty stinkin' cute too! I've been told I need to start a "cottage industry" business. I don't know, it would be lots of time and not lots of $$!


























In other FABULOUS news, our friends Lara and Bryan, who have been going through the adoption process for about a year now have completed all the paperwork and background check. The final step is a home visit by the social worker, then they will have a complete profile that will be available to birth mothers for viewing. Oh, and in the midst of finalizing the adoption paperwork, Lara found out that she is PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!! She is due at the end of August. They still plan to go through with the adoption, and will possibly have 2 infants within 6 months or less of each other! It's like having twins! This is a huge praise for them, what a wonderful blessing to be able to experience pregnancy and adopt. They will be phenominal parents to the most beautiful blended family!

BAD BAD BLOGGER!!!

So, January was busy, and up-and-down, and February is turning out to be more of the same! We are still enjoying our “Little Man,” but Matt did admit that puppies are much more work than he ever dreamed!! If we keep it up with the nicknames, poor Einstein will never learn his real name! So far he is Little Man, Einstein, Einie, Stinker, Bad Dog, and a few more that aren’t printable! He’s actually a really good dog, quite smart (when he wants to be), and also quite stubborn! He does think that Isis is his own personal squeaky toy that runs! I think she hates him, but then I did catch her giving him a short kitty-bath on his head the other day. Anyway, we’ve decided if things get really bad and we have to give up cable, we will still be well entertained! Here are some recent pictures of "the kids."

sleeping in the sun together, aren't they precious??

Naptime is a war for laps

SISTERS :)

We thought there for a couple of weeks that Matt might have to go to Raleigh, NC for 6 months with his company to help build a relationship with a new client. Luckily, Matt doesn’t have to go, and he still has a job here (for now)!! YAY! Prayers are needed that MESA continues to get work past the current jobs due in the fall. We are a little worried that after they are done with the current job, his hours will be cut back to 32/week (much of his company is already on this schedule).

As for me, I’ve got an election, budget cuts and the like to survive between now and July 1. I continue to pray for guidance. I’m not sure where the road will lead me, but I’m confident and hopeful.

In other news, I went on Walk to Emmaus last year in April. For those who don’t know, Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual retreat weekend meant to grow and deepen your relationship with Christ. It is named for the story of the disciples traveling on the road between Jerusalem and Emmaus just after Jesus was crucified. Jesus appeared to them on the road and walked with them, but they didn’t know who He was until He revealed Himself to them. Beyond that, I can’t explain it, you just have to GO!

Anyway, our Sunday School teacher and a mentor of mine, Jayne Griffin was my sponsor on the Walk last year. I had an amazing experience and everyone always says you go when you are supposed to. That was true for me and I really believe it’s true for Matt too. When Matt first moved back to Chattanooga he expressed interest in going on Walk to Emmaus. Jay Baumgardner and our friend Daniel Oakley agreed to cosponsor Matt. They turned in his application and the Emmaus team called him for 2 different walks. Both walks he turned them down because of class work in grad school. They told him to fill out another application when things weren’t so busy. He never did. After I got back from my Walk I asked him if he still wanted to go. He said yes, so now I get to be his sponsor (which is pretty cool)!! I got a call that Matt will be a pilgrim on Men’s Walk #42 in the Chattanooga-Lafayette Emmaus Community at the end of March!!! YAY!

I am working on a TON of sewing and craft projects that I hope to post pictures of when I’m done (and they are given away)!! This will be a busy next few months for my hobbies. I pray you all are as blessed as we and this post finds you well.