Suzi Homemaker -- Confessions from the Sew Dojo

Applique is easy--just watch those fingers!!!

2011-08-01T11:33:00.025-04:00

While at the Atlanta Gift Market recently I had the chance to talk to other industry professionals regarding different tips and techniques for machine embroidery. There are a bunch of creative people out there and I draw a lot of inspiration from them, especially when doing applique work on seersucker items from the Mint line.

When I first bought my Babylock EMP6, there were certain buttons on the LED screen that I chose to ignore--mainly the odd orange applique buttons. But a couple of years ago I took the plunge and started playing around, making some 4th of July and other holiday tees for the Homemaker children. Through my own version of "play" grew a fondness for applique work. Last summer at Market, I got to see closeup the applique handiwork of Amy Fitzgerald from The Flossy Fitzy and was blown away by her use of applique on all of the different styles of bags from Mint.

I returned home armed with plenty of new ideas and couldn't wait to play around with some designs. Amy graciously shared a couple of her favorite sources for applique frames and patches--Applique Cafe and Planet Applique--and I plunked down a handsome hunk of change on dozens of designs.

I never received any formal instruction on how to do applique (I am ADD-leaning), tho I did try to follow a couple of tutorials; however, the main technique I observed involved stitching the applique fabric to the item and then trimming the fabric after it was sewn onto the item. An arm wrestling injury (LONG story, but true) has rendered my right arm somewhat useless, causing my hand to shake--and that's not good when using applique scissors. Rather than risk ruining items, I fumbled my way through and happened upon a technique through trial and error that works for me.

First of all, select a darling canvas for your work! For this example, I chose Mint navy seersucker boxer shorts. Next, choose your design in your embroidery software. (I use the Husqvarna Viking 4D Embroidery Suite. Have not been able to swallow the cost of the upgrade yet.) I selected a small, square patch applique and inserted the single initial "R" into the design, then loaded it on to a USB stick for my machine.

Once loaded on the machine I set the different applique buttons that correspond to the thread order on the design--applique material, applique position, applique. Depending on what item I am hooping, I then determine whether to use an actual hoop or Fast Frames. Since the boxers are small, I use a combination of the two.

I hoop some lightweight sticky stabilizer (I prefer Eco-Stick from American Embroidery Supply) and score it with a pin, then gently peel away the white coated layer to reveal the sticky stabilizer.

Then I adhere the applique fabric to the stabilizer.

Load the hoop onto the machine and press the start button.

Once the outline is stitched, the machine will stop. Remove the hoop from the machine and unhoop the stabilizer and fabric patch. Flip the fabric over and trim close to the stitch line.

Set the patch aside and prepare your item for applique placement. Since the boxer shorts are so small, I switch to my Fast Frames system and use the 3 x 4 frame. I adhere sticky stabilizer to the frame, flip the boxers so the leg opening is facing the back of the frame (and ultimately the back of the embroidery machine, slip on the frame and press onto stabilizer. I always secure the item with pins. Then I mark a center point where I want the patch to be located on the boxers and load onto the machine.

Then reload the design on to your screen setting applique material, applique position and applique stops once again. This is important when switching from hoop to Fast Frames. Once the design is loaded, rotate it 180 degrees on your edit screen, then move the needle position over your center point (see yellow mark on picture above). Go to your sewing screen and skip the first thread color (applique material), then push the start button and your machine will stitch the applique position then stop.

You can either remove the frame from the machine or leave attached. I usually leave it attached. I spray the back of my applique patch with 606 Spray and Fix and line up with position on the applique item then press in place.

Hit the start button and let 'er fly!

I some times will hold the patch in place while sewing the tack down stitches just to be sure the patch does not shift, but be careful if you do this--I actually was distracted while sewing these shorts and the needle stitched through my thumb--ouch! I'll spare you the picture of that, but for those interested, I did post on Facebook ;-). When the initial is stitched, remove the frame from the machine and gently pull the item off of the stabilizer.

Clip all jump threads, turn shorts inside out and adhere Dream Weave Fusible mesh to the back of the patch to cover stitching and protect baby's delicate skin.

I paired the appliqued shorts with a contrasting red seersucker stitched with a name (at top) for an adorable gift for a precious baby boy!

Ode to a lunch box

2010-08-17T09:45:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe that summer is almost over. I remember as a child counting how many days were left of vacation. It was right around the beginning of August the nerves and excitement surrounding back-to-school season started and Mom started stocking up on the myriad items my brother, sister and I needed for the first day of classes. From clothing, to shoes, to notebooks and pencils, perhaps nothing was quite as exciting as getting a new lunch box!!

Of course, when I was a kid, those metal, lead-laden lunch boxes (it's amazing we lived to tell about it) depicting images from television shows were all the rage. My favorite had to be the Partridge Family box with the picture of the colorful bus and cameos of the show's stars--David Cassidy was just so hot!!! (I realize I'm showing my age....)

Now that I have school-aged children of my own, I'm tickled to see them get excited about the prospect of a new lunch box! And since I am Suzi Homemaker, I just happen to have the most wonderful array of lunch boxes at my fingertips just waiting to be personalized!

My favorite line of products is by far frommint. Not only are they well-made (all products are 100% guaranteed: if anything breaks due to materials or craftsmanship within a year of purchase, they'll replace it) and lead- and pthalate-free, but they also are just the cutest things around. Check out the new navy apple lunch box above and you will see what I am talking about!

I happen to stash a mint. lunch box filled with snacks and juice boxes in my car so I have plenty of nourishment for the kids and myself while on lengthy car trips.

The first cousin to the mint. lunch box is the super-cute snack square, pictured here in the chocolate orange style. Don't let its compact size fool you, this surprisingly roomy bag is big enough to hold an ice pack, a sandwich, a juice box, a piece of fruit, bag of chips and a love note from Mom! Snack squares fit easily into my kids' backpacks (oh yeah, mint. makes matching backpacks, too, but more about that in a later post!).

"But, Suzi," I can hear you ask, "what about the television characters?"

Suzi Homemaker's got you covered with the Super Snack Square--mint.'s little cutie, made even cuter with super-cute designs! Give me a canvas (or in this case, a well-made nylon bag), and I will paint you the world!

Stay tuned for more posts on the latest and greatest in personalized items for back-to-school!

Review and giveaway: Family Dollar introduces affordable, adorable Kidgets line

2010-06-24T08:25:00.009-04:00

Suzi Homemaker knows how expensive it can be to clothe three rapidly-growing children (because I have three rapidly-growing children!). Hand-me-downs are a God-send for my youngest; however, every once in a while it's nice to purchase something new for the littlest Homemaker. Family Dollar has made that possible and affordable with the launch of its $10-and-under private label Kidgets clothing and accessories line for newborns through toddlers--$10-and-under for two- and three-piece outfits!

Family Dollar was gracious enough to send me this darling dragonfly applique shirt and skirt outfit for Carly (pictured here, McDonald's Shrek Donkey watch not included!). Since I am Suzi Homemaker, I do know a thing or two about applique and embroidery, and I must confess the stitching on the shirt adheres to my highly-discriminatory standards. The applique fabric on the wings of the dragonfly matches the belted, plaid skirt and the little green satin ribbons on the sleeves tie the outfit together perfectly. A soft backing is fused on the inside of the shirt to prevent the stitching from irritating the skin. Carly was so excited to receive such a stylin' little outfit! I had to quickly snap her picture as I knew the garment would be soiled in no time. True to form, Carly proceeded to spill chocolate milk on the pristine shirt shortly after our brief photo session. (A little Wash Away by Whink easily removed the stain and the outfit came through the wash just fine!).

In addition to clothing, the Kidgets line also features must-have accessories, including sandals (priced at $4), sneakers ($5), blankets and even value-priced jumbo diaper packs ($6.50 for 23-50 diapers). Print a $1 off coupon (good through July 7) for even more savings. Each product is backed by Family Dollar's money back guarantee!

Now for the really fun part! Enter to win a $50 gift card from Family Dollar that you can use to purchase six to eight complete outfits from the Kidgets line or anything else from your neighborhood Family Dollar store! Just leave a comment about Family Dollar or the Kidgets line here for a chance to win! Be sure to leave your email address, too, so I can contact you if you win. Receive extra entries by:

1. Following my blog (then enter a comment that you have done so).

2. "Liking" Suzi Homemaker on Facebook (and leave a comment here. If you already "Like" Suzi Homemaker on Facebook, just mention that in a comment to receive your extra entry).

3. "Liking" Family Dollar on Facebook (tell them Suzi Homemaker sent you! and then leave a comment here).

The giveaway will close Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at 6 p.m. EST. A winner will be selected using random.org and will be notified by email. Good luck!

Country Day School is home away from home; staff preparing for next year

2010-06-18T08:00:00.017-04:00

Second Grade Teacher Lisa Ryan spent a recent morning doing what she does at the conclusion of every school year: cleaning her classroom in preparation for the fall. Despite rumors that after nearly 30 years The Country Day School will not be able to open in September, there is no doubt in Ryan’s mind where she will be, “I’ll be right here teaching children.”

From humble beginnings

Twenty-eight years ago, a group of about 50 citizens gathered at the Zion Episcopal Church in Charles Town to discuss the formation of an independent school in the Eastern Panhandle. The meeting was initiated largely by parents from Clarke County, VA, and Jefferson County, WV, who believed that there was a strong need in this area for a traditional independent school which adhered to the highest academic standards. The result was the formation of The Country Day School, an independent non-denominational, non-profit educational corporation, open to all children with potential for real academic achievement. Situated on a picturesque 30-acre campus off Route 51 about five miles outside of Charles Town, the school provides a curriculum for Pre-School (Smart Start, the three year old program) through Eighth Grade.

As the economy has ebbed and flowed over the years, so has the school’s enrollment, which invariably leads people to speculate about the school’s stability. Heather Marshall, Director of Marketing for The Country Day School, has heard it all before.

“Like all private schools, The Country Day School has faced some challenges wrought by the economy and we have had to tighten our belts; however, one thing the school won’t budge on is academics and providing the best education we possibly can,” Marshall said.

The stuff of legends

Sue Nolan was one of the people in attendance at that initial meeting at Zion Episcopal Church.

“I never will forget hearing the bell ring at 3:15 p.m. and seeing the first students pouring out of the old farm house,” she said. “They had just completed their first day of school at The Country Day School. It was a momentous occasion to say the least.”

Nolan has been at The Country Day School ever since and has attained legendary status amongst teachers, staff and students. She teaches Classics to Kindergarten through Third Grade and Mythology to the Fourth and Fifth grade. Additionally, she handles all administrative duties in the front office and is the "voice" of The Country Day School--the voice with the charming British accent. All four of her children attended the school and went on to their respective high schools where they became members of the National Honor Society. They credit The Country Day School with instilling in them the desire to achieve their full potential.

Equally legendary is Kindergarten Teacher Atiyah Ahmed. Mention The Country Day School to someone in the surrounding community and it almost always prompts the question, "Does Mrs. Ahmed still teach there?"

"I have been here at CDS since 1985 and every day has been a learning experience for me," said Ahmed. "I love working for a school that has such a dynamic team of teachers and an atmosphere that encourages teachers to not only learn from each other, but from the students as well."

And what the Kindergarteners learn from Ahmed during the course of the school year is nothing short of amazing. Under Ahmed's caring tutelage, children emerge fully capable of reading, writing and performing arithmetical equations.

Ahmed's own three sons attended The Country Day School and have gone on to become a cardiologist, a pulmonologist and a human resources analyst.

"CDS prepared them immensely well by giving them the skill set for professional and personal success," said Ahmed.

The proof is in the pudding - and test scores

Students at The Country Day School consistently outscore their peers in the Eastern Panhandle and the rest of West Virginia by 15 to 20 percent in math and reading, according to state WESTEST results. The school builds on the basics with an eye toward the future, offering foreign languages, computer and science labs, art and music programs and physical education. Small class sizes ensure that children receive individualized lesson plans that are tailored to their specific strengths while providing additional support for specific weaknesses.

“We enrolled our son into CDS for Junior Kindergarten because we were impressed with the personal attention he would receive due to the small class sizes, the number of specials offered, the expanse of the campus, and the freedom teachers and administrators enjoy when planning curriculum and special events by not being tied to public school restraints,” said parent Jen Rolston. “CDS has been very nurturing in our son's education—they have embraced his active spirit and instilled in him the joys of learning. Academically, we couldn't be more pleased--he began reading in Junior K and Kindergarten and is now, just after completing the Second Grade, reading above a Sixth Grade level.”

Students in all grade levels excel. Recent Eighth Grade graduate Jessica Shakesprere was one of five students from Jefferson County to win the prestigious Golden Horseshoe Award for outstanding knowledge of West Virginia history and culture, among other honors.

Walk a mile in the shoes of a kindergartener

At last week’s Graduation and Awards Ceremony, one kindergartener, cloaked in blue cap and gown ready to receive his diploma, became overwrought with stage fright. As the child’s mother and teacher tried desperately to console him, the calming influence came from a fourth grade classmate who went up to the boy and hugged him with reassurance. She had been in his shoes five years earlier and offered some sage advice for combating his fears. Twenty minutes later the boy ran excitedly across the stage to accept a citizenship award, with no trace of anxiety, as the entire student body—beaming fourth grader included--cheered him on.

Moments such as this are more the rule than the exception at the school that teaches students reason, responsibility and respect for themselves and the world around them. The children know each other by name and all support one another and celebrate each others' achievements. It is not uncommon for the children to unwind in the afternoon with a pickup game of kickball--all ages intermixed--or for an upper school classmate to help one of their younger counterparts with a homework problem during after care. Lunches are shared on picnic tables outside Founders Hall and all adults are greeted with smiles and salutations from the students.

Home away from home

Not only do the students forge lifelong friendships, but the parents and staff at The Country Day School do as well. Parental involvement is encouraged and relied upon heavily, not just academically, but also in the day-to-day operations. Parents pitch in to maintain the school grounds and facilities, spearhead fundraising events, read to lower school students and teach afterschool clubs, among other activities.

Bunco groups have formed, group happy hours are commonplace, birthdays and other milestones are celebrated collectively, families have attended overnight campouts on school grounds and get-togethers over the summer help keep everyone connected.

“It’s a community in every sense of the word,” said Ryan, who has taught Junior Kindergarten through Second Grade at the school for the past eight years. “We love our students and have grown to love their families, as well. We have celebrated together and we support one another. I can’t imagine teaching any place else.”

To learn more about The Country Day School, visit the school's website, or attend an enrollment Open House, held the fourth Wednesday of every month, from 9 to 11 a.m., at the school located at 449 Rose Hill Drive, Kearneysville.

Wedding gift ideas from Suzi Homemaker

2010-05-22T16:51:00.001-04:00

We are in the midst of wedding season and I am reminded of the day nearly nine years ago when I wed my best friend, Steve. (This was before I quit my "real" job to become Suzi Homemaker.) We all know how expensive weddings can be and it seems when you attach the term "wedding" to any gift or item it seems to ratchet the price up tenfold. We did our best to cut costs where possible, but when it came to gifts for our attendants, there weren't too many affordable options.

Not long ago, one of the brides I worked with last year shared some photographs of items I embroidered for her wedding. This particular bride had some great ideas for saving money and I was all too happy to work with her to help make her day special. My bride had seen some personalized, full-zip warm-up suits in a bridal magazine that retailed for more than a $100 a piece. Full-zip warm up suits are easy to slip in and out of for a day at the spa or the day of the wedding, making hair and makeup a snap. She had wanted to purchase three--one for herself and one each for her maid and matron of honor--but the cost was prohibitive. She found some similar warm-up suits in a discount store and brought them to me for personalization. She wound up saving more than $200.

As another gift for her bridesmaids, my clever bride purchased personalized market totes, and filled them with the warm-up suits, hair spray, cosmetic bags, bottled water, snacks and all of the other wedding necessities. Her bridesmaids had everything they needed in one convenient, stylish tote which they will be able to use most every day.

I then worked with my bride to create some mementos for her parents and future in-laws. I purchased some handkerchiefs from one of my vendors and stitched a fall leaf (since the wedding was in October), along with the date of the wedding and the recipient's title (Mother of the Bride, etc.).

The wedding was such a success, that I am happy to report that there is a Babycape in the couple's future!

Photographs courtesy Studio C Photography in Frederick, MD!!!

Suzi Homemaker to coupon in style with tote from Stylin' Binders!!!!

2010-03-25T09:04:00.009-04:00

I am an on-again, off-again couponer. I go through phases where I'm either clipping every coupon in sight, or not bothering at all. It seems as if I slack off when I am overscheduled because it's always such a hassle and time-drain to go through the circulars, clip the coupons, sort them out and file them in my lame coupon organizer (pictured at right). And when I am in a rush, it just takes too long to go through the envelope in the store.

Recently I was inspired to pick up the scissors again when a friend of mine on Facebook was touting her coupon savings. She paid $10.72 for some items at Target and saved $112!!!! The gauntlet had been thrown!

I immediately went to Coupons.com, printed off a dozen or so sheets of coupons and shoved them in this floral ensemble (pictured left) because I could not find my organizer on that particular day. What a disaster--both fashionably and functionally--as the coupons were just shoved in there in no particular order and I wound up not using a couple because they I couldn't find them. I knew it was time to get serious.

I went back to Facebook and saw that my friend had friended Mad Coupons. So I went and friended them, as well. On this particular day Mad Coupons had posted a photo and a link to a site that had these gorgeous totes from Stylin' Binders that are specially-designed to hold your money-saving coupon binders. I ordered one right away! Created by two moms, Kelli and Melissa, the bags are designed to hold either two- or three-inch binders (which you can purchase inexpensively at WalMart). There are side flaps that allow you to fully open your notebook and place in the basket of your shopping cart. There are also two pockets on the inside cover to hold money, pens, store cards and debit cards. Each bag is really well-made, and lined with interfacing and cotton batting to make it durable. You can use either photo album inserts or baseball card sleeves to organize your coupons. (I have 4 x 6 photo inserts in mine as I have yet to locate the baseball card sleeves.) I use dividers to separate the coupons into different groups, such as Canned Goods, Pet Supplies, Dairy, etc. Each coupon has its own slot, so there's no more rooting around in an envelope.

Ready-made totes are available on Kelli and Melissa's Etsy storefront--Chic Chick Designs. The ladies also do custom orders on any fabric of your choice. Since I am Suzi Homemaker, I just had to monogram my Stylin' Binder tote! I used a cream-colored thread and embellished my monogram with a design that was similar to the one in the fabric. Now I am just waiting to receive my advertising circulars from Mad Coupons and I will be all set to go couponing in style!

Dozens of children go missing in Eastern Panhandle following crippling snow; parents surprisingly subdued, satiated

2010-02-10T10:55:00.005-05:00

Dozens of children have been reported missing in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia following a crippling snowstorm that dumped nearly three feet of snow in the area, requiring residents to shelter in place.

Charles Town Police became suspicious when they noticed a sharp decline in the number of 911 calls from parents who had had enough and were begging to be dug out of their homes for fear of harming their children, many of whom had not been outside for days. One parent had been telephoning almost hourly up until the day before yesterday when all calls ceased.

"The screaming and the bickering was quite overwhelming," said Suzi Crowder, mother of Sophie, 8, Max, 5, and Carly, 3 (pictured above). "Most days I can handle it with a combination of medication and aggressive wine therapy, but after being shut in with them for nearly five days straight, I just kind of snapped."

Crowder, who offered no explanation as to her children's whereabouts, appeared surprisingly calm as she led police through her home in the Locust Hill subdivision. There was no evidence of a forced entry; however, the home was in complete disarray. Toys were strewn about, laundry was piled up to the ceiling and dirty dishes covered nearly every inch of counter space. A police officer was seen bagging up a dog-eared version of Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," which appeared to be covered in a red substance, reportedly Frank's Hot Sauce.

No suspects have been taken in for questioning as it appears no crime has been committed. Police remain baffled. Persons with information on the children's whereabouts are urged to keep it to themselves.

My heart belongs to Fresh & Easy this Valentine's Day

2010-02-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

When my e-friend, Allison, from Fresh & Easy asked if I'd be interested in sampling some sweet treats just in time for Valentine's Day, I was all too willing to oblige! I started banking calories at my fitness boot camp in anticipation of my package's arrival!

Unfortunately, a nasty stomach bug worked its way through my family and derailed my taste-test plans, but once the family recovered, I got to work.

If you recall from my earlier post, Fresh & Easy grocery stores currently are providing reasonably-priced, wholesome foods to customers in Arizona, California and Nevada. They offer a wide range of their own brand products and prepared meals that contain no artificial colors, flavors or trans fat, without the hefty price tag commonly associated with healthy foods. Additionally, they carry many top name brand products to meet families' needs.

My recent care package contained a couple bottles of wine, Swiss truffles, a chocolate bar and snickerdoodles.

Let it be known, I'm no stranger to wine, and enjoy most varieties, but I have a soft spot in my heart for Shiraz. You can imagine my joy when I found a bottle of McGuigan Hand Made Barossa Shiraz nestled in the shipping box. Made from Shiraz grapes grown in the Barossa region of South Australia, I immediately noticed the fruity aroma when I uncorked the bottle. I'm used to a more peppery Shiraz, so the rich plum and berry tastes were a bit of a surprise, but not at all unpleasant. Although the folks from Fresh & Easy recommended that the wine be served with red meat or mature cheeses, I paired mine with some Wensleydale cheese with cranberries that was left over from Christmas and the tartness of the cranberries seemed to mellow the fruitiness of the wine. Before I knew it, the bottle and the cheese were both gone! (Note: Lest you think I'm a lush, my mom and dad, Sue and Larry Homemaker, joined me!)

The Montcadi Cava Rose sparkling wine screams "Valentine's Day," with it's rich, rose color, strawberry aroma and playful bubbles. Made from grapes grown in Spain's Cava region, I can easily see this wine paired with a nice pasta with shrimp or chicken and a tomato cream sauce (I think I just decided my menu for V-day!), although it would work well with light appetizers and most any meal. Both of these wines currently are on sale for $8.99 and $4.99 (can you believe it?) respectively.

The Sweet Boutique Gourmet Swiss Truffles were so creamy and delicious that I had to hide them from my kids. Go eat your M&M's, kiddos, these heavenly chocolates are reserved for Daddy and me!!! I especially liked the fact that they easily can be split in two for the calorie-conscious consumer, tho I much preferred to pop them whole in my mouth (I did drop a few pounds with that stomach bug, so I needed to recoup)! A bargain at $3.99, these little gems are the perfect gift for your sweetheart.

For Valentines who prefer a more robust (translation = LARGE) chocolate, there is the Fresh & Easy One Huge Hunk Chocolate Bar with Pecans and Fruit. I cannot recall ever seeing a chocolate bar as large as this one--almost sent me into a sugar-induced coma just looking at it! Made with smooth Belgian milk chocolate, I had no trouble sharing this sweet treat with the Homemaker offspring, as there was more than enough for the three of them, myself, my hubby and the mail carrier, not to mention the rest of the kids on the block.

The Fresh & Easy Snickerdoodle Cookies included in the package made me mad at my mother, as they reminded me that she forgot to make my grandmother's recipe this year for Christmas. Snickerdoodles are my all-time favorite cookie, and next to my Baba's, these rank right up there on the Taste-O-Meter, just ahead of the ones I recall served with the spaghetti and meat sauce lunch at South Lake Elementary School. Ahh, memories...sigh!

Valentine's Day is a little under two weeks away, so that gives you plenty of time to scoot on over to your neighborhood Fresh & Easy market to pick up some great-tasting, wholesome and affordable gifts. A gourmet gift from Fresh & Easy is sure to pay off with plenty of hugs and kisses from your Valentine!

Susan G. Komen fundraiser--yes, I cheated!!!

2010-01-31T01:17:00.001-05:00

Today (or I guess yesterday is more accurate since it's after midnight!) I participated in a fundraiser for some friends who are participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk in October (it's not cheating--it's all toward the greater good!).

It was a nice event--a vendor showcase at a local hotel. Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to leave her calling card and whallup us with eight inches of snow!! Still, I met a lot of nice people and had the opportunity to learn more about one of my friend's previous walks. I was telling her how emotional I get whenever I receive a donation and said I am probably going to be crying the entire weekend of the walk. She started telling me some of her stories. She told me how people cheer you on and at the end of the walk, participants will remove one of their shoes and hold them up in tribute to people who have battled breast cancer. She also told me how the first year, a man came up to her crying and hugged and thanked her for walking for his wife who had died just a month earlier. The next thing I know I'm bawling right there.

It just further reinforced what I knew when I signed up for the event: This is going to be an amazing and emotional journey. Thanks for joining me as I travel down this path toward putting an end to this disease.

oxox
Suzi

Suzi Homemaker to donate 10% of 'pink' sales toward Avon 2-Day!!

2010-01-23T11:29:00.006-05:00

Now through the end of February, Suzi Homemaker is donating 10 percent of website sales of anything pink or stitched with pink thread toward the Avon 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer.

I registered to do this walk because I know seven women who have battled this disease and I also had a scare this past Fall. Thankfully, I am fine, but I want to help find a cure so that the next generation of women (my daughters included) will no longer live in fear of this disease.

Just go to my retail site, and order your personalized pink snack square, lunch box, market tote, duffel bag, what have you, and not only will you receive a special gift, but you also will help a great cause!

In it to end it, Baby. In it to end it!!!!

Novica.com now offering microloans to world artisans

2010-01-13T12:55:00.015-05:00

Obtaining capital to run a small business is tough enough in this economy, but imagine being an entrepreneur in an underdeveloped country where funding is nonexistent.

A couple months back, I wrote a post on Novica.com. Novica, in association with National Geographic, provides a platform for artists and artisans from underprivileged nations to sell their wares--including home decor items, handbags, jewelry and other gifts--to a global audience.

Now, in an effort to further support these artisans, Novica has launched the first-ever microfinance or microcredit website where customers can purchase products and lend money directly to artisans. Microcredit is the extension of very small loans to those in poverty and is designed to spur entrepreneurship. When Novica tried to put artisans in touch with microfinance institutions, most could not obtain loans and when they did, the interest rates were too high. Novica decided to cut out the financial middleman and offer the loans on the website.

Just click on the Novica Artisan Loans button on the lefthand side of the home page, then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on View All Available Loans. You then will see the list of all artisan loan requests along with a brief biography. If you are interested in loaning to an artist, simply click on the Donate Now button next to their biography. When a specific loan request is completely filled, Novica releases the funds to the artisan through their local office. The artisan repays the interest-free loan based on the repayment terms and at the end of the loan period the lenders receive their funds back. As with any loan, there is a slight risk that you will not get your money back; however, all artisans selected for the loan program are actively selling on Novica and are believed to not pose any threat of defaulting.

Many artisans in the Novica microfinance program already have had their loans fully funded and are now using the funds to purchase materials to continue their craft. One such artist, Sukartini, recently received her funds.

"Today I work together with local silversmiths to promote Bali's beauty in our own way," she said. "We make different kinds of jewelry, mostly with sterling silver, in both traditional and modern styles. I was fortunate to find Novica, a place where small artisans like me can share our new ideas and designs, and have a chance to be appreciated by people from all over the world."

Now is the perfect time to show your appreciation for the many talented artisans featured on the Novica site--either through purchasing their handiwork or by helping them fulfill their dream through the Artisan Loan Program. Stop by the site, and experience for yourself the stories of the artists behind the creations while picking up some unique gifts for the loved ones in your life or for yourself.

Make the holidays Fresh & Easy

2009-12-08T08:58:00.015-05:00

Saturday brought the first snowfall of the season, and while the kids played outside, I decided to tuck into a nice bottle of red wine (Note: Hubby was dutifully tending to the kids!) and some gourmet food items from Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.

Fresh & Easy grocery stores currently are providing reasonably-priced, wholesome foods to customers in Arizona, California and Nevada. They offer a wide range of their own brand products and prepared meals that contain no artificial colors, flavors or trans fat, without the hefty price tag commonly associated with healthy foods. Additionally, they carry many top name brand products to meet families' needs.

In addition to high-quality foods, Fresh & Easy also offers around 170 different wines from around the globe, ranging in price from $1.99 to $40 per bottle, with the majority retailing for under $10.

The wine I sampled was The Vine Yard 2007 Cabernet Franc. From Washington's Columbia Valley, this delightful cab franc was redolent of raspberry jam, black cherry and spice. It was not as dry as you would expect from a blending grape and would pair nicely with beef, pork, poultry or even pizza (I enjoyed it with some white chili). At $7.99 a bottle, it's a great little wine to have on hand for holiday get-togethers.

Another great wine for this time of year is the Ogio Prosecco Spumante. I'm not usually a fan of sparkling wines, but I do indulge on New Year's, and this peppy little number definitely fits the bill! At $8.99 a bottle, it easily rivals more expensive spumantes or champagnes and makes the perfect hostess gift!

Speaking of gifts, Fresh & Easy also offers a number of gourmet food items that are attractively-packaged and ready to present to teachers, mail carriers or anyone else on your list. The Sweet Boutique Gourmet Swiss Chocolate Assortment would satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth with 11 different varieties of filled milk, dark and white chocolates. The Sweet Boutique Assortment currently is featured at Fresh & Easy's Kitchen Table, where each week customers can sample and review delicious signature dishes and treats. At $6.99 a box, buy several to have in case your husband forgets to pick up a Secret Santa gift for the office holiday party.

Another item from the Sweet Boutique is the Gourmet Biscuit Collection--a decadent assortment of cookies adorned with rich, Belgian chocolate. My oldest, Sophie, found the miniature, chocolate-covered Tsar cookies especially palatable and has been requesting a few for dessert the past few nights, whereas I prefer the lighter Cristal wafers. This is another inexpensive yet elegantly-packaged gift item priced at $7.99 per tin.

Perhaps the biggest hit of the day was the container of Fresh & Easy Cranberry & Nut Popcorn Clusters. Everyone in the house, from ages three to 46 enjoyed this delightful blend of popcorn, three different nuts and dried cranberries, all perfectly-sweetened with brown sugar and natural maple flavors. Any time I can get my kids to eat a fruit that's not on their "safe" list I consider it a triumph, especially one as humble as the cranberry which is rich in vitamin C and believed to contain excellent infection fighting properties.

For all of my friends out west, I encourage you to make your holidays fresh and easy by scooting over to Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market. I, in the meantime, am savoring the last remnants of my Fresh & Easy goodie basket and have filled out the online form suggesting that the company open a store in Charles Town, WV, where it's nearly impossible to find wholesome, reasonably-priced foods.

A picture is worth '1,000 Artist Journal Pages'

2009-10-13T09:47:00.008-04:00

Remember doodling as a child when even if you couldn't spell all of the words you still could tell a story through pictures? They say "a picture is worth a thousand words," yet it seems once we master basic writing skills we forget that.

Guilty as charged.

I can remember as a young girl writing in my diaries and drawing little pictures to illustrate my deepest thoughts and "secrets." Eventually I stopped drawing pictures, but continued to keep journals well into adulthood. After Sophie was born, I took zillions of pictures and kept them in precious photo albums, pulling them out to wander visually through her first days with us. My journaling became sporadic. Then came Max, and there was less time for pictures and writing as I struggled to keep up with a busy toddler, a newborn and a full-time job. Add a third child to the mix, two new businesses, a cat and a messy household and I'm lucky to squeeze out a blog post every now and then.

And that's unfortunate.

I know there's going to come a day when I wake up and find that my kids are grown and I have but a few random blog entries to remind me of this special time in my life. But I have a dear friend who has inspired me to get back on track with my journaling.

Dawn Devries Sokol and I attended college at Arizona State University and worked on the school newspaper together. Dawn is the author of "1,000 Artist Journal Pages".
Art journals are illustrated diaries that correspond with any theme. They can be a record of daily thoughts or dreams and are embellished with drawings, photographs or bits of memorabilia from a treasured or momentous occasion. This gorgeous book is a compilation of journal pages created by artists from around the world. Some are dark, some are sad, some are ethereal, some are funny, some illustrate trips, and some are odes to coffee, foods or a particularly enjoyable meal. All are different and fascinating in their own way and truly inspirational. After poring over this book for hours I found myself itching to journal again.

The holiday season is right around the corner, and it's the perfect time to start journaling or, in my case, to pick it up again. Dawn is offering a workshop titled {12.31} art journal project on her blog which will help you document the holiday season with less stress. As part of {12.31}, you will learn how to create an art journal cover, how to incorporate or "bind in" scraps of paper or poster board and how to prep your pages so they are ready for you to doodle or journal to your heart's content. Once your journal is complete, Dawn will provide a prompt a day to get your creative juices flowing and, since your journal already will be done, all you will have to do is create. The online workshop runs from Nov. 6 through Dec. 31. You can register by clicking here.

Maxism #967: "Can you change my name?"

2009-09-16T14:17:00.004-04:00

This morning I was in my usual manic state trying to get all three kids ready for school and out the door by precisely 8:06 a.m. I had pulled the kids' uniforms for the day and handed them to each child. When I handed Max his clothes I told him, "Please get dressed and then wash your face and brush your teeth. And be sure to put your pajamas in the hamper."

He took the clothes and then said, "If I do these things for you, will you change my name to M-A-X-X?" Not knowing where this came from or where it was going I did not want to commit to anything, so I merely laughed a bit and said, "We'll see."

When we were finally in the car and on our way, I made a point of telling the kids how well they did getting ready that morning without me having to nag them. From the back of the car I heard Max ask, "So, Mommy, now will you change my name to M-A-X-X?" He also muttered something about a tent and a battery.

"Well, we can't legally, but it could be your nickname," I suggested.

"No, Mommy! I want it for REAL!" he insisted.

Still not knowing what precipitated this all I could say was, "I'll have to talk with Daddy."

When I spoke with Steve later on I told him about the exchange.

"Wow!" Steve said. "I didn't think the tent and the battery had that much of an impact! When I took Max to WalMart the other day, we saw a tent with the name 'Maxx' on it. Then we went to Home Depot and saw a battery with the name 'Maxx' on it. I told Max 'wouldn't it be cool if your real name were M-A-X-X?' I didn't know he would take it so seriously!"

We decided we would tell him he can change it legally when he's 18.

Gotta get a Snack Square!!!!

2009-09-08T10:44:00.007-04:00

I don't believe there ever has been a product more perfect than the Snack Square from my friends at mint. sweet little things. In fact, the Snack Square was one of the first embroidery blanks I ever purchased. Its utter cuteness won me over almost instantaneously and set in motion the formation of SuziHomemaker.net, but I digress...the reason I am waxing nostalgic is because I just sent the Homemaker children back-to-school with their brand new personalized Snack Squares and I, once again, was reminded how versatile these little bags truly are.
Don't let their compact appearance fool you, these bags are roomy enough to hold an ice pack, a sandwich or Lunchable, juice box, piece of fruit, two packages of crackers (my kids get hungry at school--gotta feed those HUGE Homemaker brains!), utensils and a love note from Mom! (I kid you not! The proof is in the picture above!) A zip top makes them easy to stuff and two adorable handles makes them easy to carry. Snack Squares fit perfectly into your child's backpack. I am pleased to report that just about every Kindergartner and Second Grader (this year we conquer Smart Start!) at the Country Day School has one of these in their possession--they make excellent gifts!

Not only are they great for packing lunches and snacks, but they also serve a multitude of other purposes. Snack Squares can be used to store CDs or DVDs to keep them cool while in the car. They can be used to carry portable game systems and games. Stuff them with small wine boxes and give them as a housewarming gift. Fill them with toys, balloons and noisemakers for the ultimate goodie bag or stuff them with hot, moist washcloths to use at your next Mary Kay party. Max has one he carries his Matchbox cars in and one for his Thomas trains. The girls use them to store hair bows and Polly Pockets. I have a local preschool that purchases Snack Squares for each new student because they stack so nicely in the refrigerator at school! They also can be used to store breast milk bottles.

Have I convinced you yet? You gotta get a Snack Square! What will you put in yours?

Recipeasy Monday: Suzi Homemaker's tomato-cucumber salad

2009-08-03T12:32:00.002-04:00

Reprinted from last August.

4 large tomatoes, diced
3 cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
8 large basil leaves, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic salt)
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons ExtraVirgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Mix everything together and serve as a side salad or as a topping on grilled chicken, fish or steak. We had ours as a side salad to roasted chicken breasts and put it on Wasa sesame seed flat bread. What a great summer meal!! Enjoy!

500th Internet Sale is close! BIG prizes for winning purchaser!

2009-07-31T12:06:00.005-04:00

I'm so EXCITED I can't hardly stand it! Earlier in the summer I alluded to the fact that I was honing in on my 500th internet sale. I had predicted it would come in July, and I am just a few sales off! Could it happen today?

In celebration of this momentous occasion, I am going to honor my 500th sale purchaser with a monogrammed market tote, a Suzi Homemaker tee shirt, embroidered tea towels and anything else I might feel like tossing in the box! Prizes will be valued at more than $100. No purchase is too big, nor too small! Lots of back-to-school items from which to choose, so if you were planning on making a purchase soon, now's the time to do it! Good luck!

Recipeasy Monday: Potato-bacon frittata

2009-07-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

I just made this simple, but tasty dish for my father's B-day brunch!

Ingredients
8 oz bacon, cooked and diced
3 cups Simply Potatoes diced potatoes with onions
salt
pepper
6 eggs
1 Cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1 Cup milk
1/3 Cup Bisquick
2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1. Spray 10-inch quiche dish or 9" by 9" baking pan with Pam. In skillet, over medium-low heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1/4 cup bacon fat from skillet. Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender. Remove skillet from heat and add crumbled bacon.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In medium sized bowl, beat eggs, cheese, milk, Bisquick and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well mixed. Pour mixture into quiche dish. Spoon potato mixture on top. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until set. Serve with fresh tomato slices or salsa and sour cream!

Recipeasy Monday: Christi's Frito Pie

2009-07-20T20:00:00.002-04:00

One of the easiest recipes ever (it's the most complicated my friend, Christi, can handle!):

Ingredients
3 cups Fritos corn chips
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2-1/2 cups chili (I make mine homemade, but you may use canned or turkey chili)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread 2 cups of Fritos in a baking dish. Sprinkle half the onion and half the cheese over the Fritos. Pour the chili over the onion and cheese. Sprinkle the remaining Fritos, onion and cheese over the chili.

Bake for 15 or 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot. Garnish with diced tomatoes and sour cream.

Double Applique 4th of July tees by Suzi Homemaker

2009-07-06T16:35:00.003-04:00

Every year since the kids have been born I always buy them 4th of July tee shirts. This year, the fourth arrived and I had not purchased the requisite shirts. What's Suzi Homemaker to do? I went through my massive stash of blank tee shirts and scrounged up three white ones for the Homemaker children. I went to one of my favorite design websites, Five Star Fonts, and purchased some of their patriotic applique designs they had on sale.

The one I selected was a double applique design. I hooped the shirt, then, in a second hoop, I hooped the outer applique fabric, stitched the outline, then trimmed the design out. Then I stitched the applique position on the tee and adhered the large applique to the tee shirt with spray adhesive. Then I hooped, stitched and trimmed out the inner applique fabric. Then I placed the tee shirt back on the embroidery machine and stitched the applique position on the first applique. For some reason, there was not stop inserted on the design, so before the machine satin stitched the appliques in place, I had to stop it and position the second applique on top of the first.

They turned out really cute and the kids managed to keep them clean just long enough to snap a picture.

NOVICA.com offers unique handbags from around the globe

2009-06-12T09:57:00.014-04:00

I'm about to divulge a secret.

I have an acute handbag fetish.

It started shortly after college with kitschy bags to match every outfit. It gradually progressed into straw bags from France, numerous Kate Spade totes and other designer handbags that are sold with those wonderful pillowcases to protect the precious gems while not in use. My closet is full of those little pillowcases. Once I started having children, my fetish morphed into an obsession with diaper bags--Oilily, Petunia Picklebottoms and, of course, Kates, to name a few. Now that I'm getting away from the diaper bags, I'm starting to feel those inner stirrings once again.

Lucky for me I have found an online outlet to fulfill my desires--NOVICA.com. NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, initially began as a platform for artists and artisans to sell their wares--including home decor items, jewelry and gifts--to a global audience they might not reach in their native countries. NOVICA recently has launched a line of exquisitely hand-crafted handbags from artisans all over the world.

I have been drooling over all of the unique handbag designs and patterns. One of the bags that immediately caught my eye was this lime and strawberry alpaca wool shoulder bag, pictured at left. Made in Peru, the bag's exterior is a rich alpaca wool blend. The interior of the bag is lined with cotton and features a pocket to hold keys or other small objects. The bag closes with a magnetic button.

Another gem, also made in Peru, is this gorgeous brown leather bag, pictured at right. I easily could see myself taking this multi-pocketed bag shopping, with plenty of nooks to hold my keys, cell phone, credit cards and mad money. The chocolate brown leather handbag looks so rich, soft and supple, and the classic style will keep the bag current for years to come.

Tote bags are essential for busy moms who are always called upon to "hold this for me," and NOVICA has plenty of styles to fit the bill. This colorful cotton and hemp tote from Thailand (pictured left) is roomy enough for a day's necessities, yet stylish enough to let sophisticated moms stand out from their canvas-bookbag-wielding counterparts.

What I particularly like about the NOVICA site is that not only do they provide detailed product information, but also they include biographical information about each artist. The alpaca shoulder bag, for example, was crafted by the Yurivilca Family of Peru. The family is led by Don Cesar Yurivilca, considered a pioneer in the field of weaving who earned this designation by taking a departure from traditional weaving practices with his invention of the tapiz relleno technique.

"During my career I have received many awards and prizes, including the designation of Grand Master, but nothing satisfies me more than the love that I receive from my fellow countrymen - the only thing that will keep me going after I turn 80 years old. I hope that through Novica I am able to meet new friends and to also disseminate the art and culture of my country, Peru," says Yurivilca.

I cannot recall a time I ever was afforded a lesson in culture when purchasing a Kate Spade bag, unless you take into consideration eBay write-ups detailing how many times the bag was used on what occasion along with descriptions of wear-and-tear.

My husband, always the pessimist when it comes to my internet purchasing habits, cautioned me that the NOVICA handbag site might exact a hefty shipping fee for these worldly purchases; however, the rates are actually quite reasonable. Normal delivery (two-four weeks) for the alpaca bag is just $3.95; premium delivery (five to 14 days) is $12.95; and the gotta-have-it-now priority premium (four to eight days) rate is $21.95. Of course, rates vary by country, but all are quite affordable.

Much like the swine flu, it seems my handbag addiction has taken on global proportions. However, my ill easily will be cured with a few purchases from NOVICA.com. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to my virtual shopping trip.

Busy Bodies Playnasium offers cool alternative for playdates, parties

2009-06-10T10:50:00.008-04:00

When we moved to Charles Town from Gaithersburg four years ago, we knew we'd be giving up a lot of the conveniences of the city for a more laid-back country lifestyle. No longer could we walk to Starbucks or easily scoot to a shopping mall or Target to pick up a dress or birthday present for one of the kids' friends. It was a trade-off we were willing to make in order to bring our children up in a safe environment.

What we did not realize, until the kids were of school-age, was that there was a definite lack of facilities or establishments to hold birthday parties or playdates. Whereas Gaithersburg had Chuck E. Cheese and The Little Gym and pottery painting places galore, Charles Town offered little in the way of indoor activities for kids. (We made this discovery when Sophie turned five and we found ourselves trekking to the Frederick Chuck E. Cheese in honor of her milestone b-day.)

Max recently turned five and we were frantically scrambling to come up with a venue for his first Big Birthday Party with his friends. Initially, we thought we'd hold it outside at our home, but the weather at this time of year is unpredictable and I was not prepared to move the party indoors, especially considering our basement remains unfinished from a flooding incident. JayDee's Family Fun Center was an option, but it's quite a ways from our house and we were looking to spend considerably less than the cost of their party packages. Someone had mentioned Busy Bodies Playnasium off Augustine Avenue in Charles Town, so I began to do a little research.

Busybodies is in the former location of Small Scholars Preschool and is run by Jefferson County parents Michelle and Kerry Vance. According to their website, Busy Bodies Playnasium is a safe and clean indoor playground and party place for children ages infant through 10. The facility touts 2,300-square-feet of open play area, including a kid-sized crooked playhouse (pictured at left), a separate safe infant and toddler play area, a traverse climbing wall, interactive Velcro and magnetic walls with rotating activities and the piece-de-resistance -- a large inflated moon-bouncer with
13-foot-high slide.

Busy Bodies offers a number of reasonably-priced party packages, including morning Kiddie Korner or Muffin Mania Parties, all the way up to the more elaborate Super Slumber Party which includes private use of the facility from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. Party packages also offer a la carte accoutrement's such as cakes, ice cream, goody bags, video camera rentals and more.

For Max, we chose to have the private Let's Party package where we had private use of the facility for two hours with up to 15 children. We brought our own cake and ice cream (actually purchased the ice cream from Save-A-Lot just a few doors down from Busy Bodies), decorations, snacks and drinks, and I put together personalized goody bags for each child. All three of my children (ages 3, 5 and 7) and their friends had a blast running around, bouncing in the moonbounce, climbing the rock wall and playing on the whimsical slide. Sophie even requested that she have her next birthday party there--what better endorsement than that of a picky seven-year-old?

When the party was over, and all of the guests had dispersed, Max got to put his handprint on the Wall of Fame.

In addition to parties, Busy Bodies serves as in indoor playground for kids when the weather is less-than ideal. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, with afternoons reserved for private parties. Admission is $6 per one child 9 months to 10 years and $4 for additional kids. Save money by purchasing a monthly pass. Parents and caregivers enter for free and will find a welcoming environment complete with plenty of comfortable seating.

I know we will be spending a great deal of time at Busy Bodies Playnasium this summer when the weather is stormy or just too darn hot to be out of doors. Maybe we will see you there!

Been a while....

2009-06-04T13:36:00.004-04:00

...since I last posted. Crazy stuff going on here at the Sew Dojo. For some reason, business has exploded lately and for that I am grateful. It's a rainy day in West Virginia, Carly is home and managed to go down for a nap without too much of a struggle. I am trying to get caught up on internet orders. I think my machine is getting old, as am I--we're both creaking and misfiring more often than usual--we're both in need of some work!

I have had the privilege of working with some great local businesses: Oasis Tans (formerly Hollywood Tans) and the Charles Town Auto Wash. In these trying economic times I feel it is important to support local businesses as much as possible. The people that run these two businesses feel the same way and are calling on locals to help get their businesses off to a great start (Oasis Tans is actually coming out from under a franchise and are in the process of re-branding). Also, I've done some work for St. Joseph Parish School (am looking forward to working with them to provide the students with logo apparel next school year!) and got to embroider the Pink Ladies' jackets for a local production of "Grease."

My obsession with market totes continues. I tried, unsuccessfully, to purchase some totes directly from the manufacturer in China, but wound up getting ripped off--an expensive lesson in why it's some times necessary to employ a Middle Man!

My sweet little boy turned 5 on my 8th Wedding Anniversary! He has turned into quite the little man since beginning Junior Kindergarten at The Country Day School last November! One of his favorite presents he received was a whoopee cushion from his grandparents. He even wrote a song, which includes riffs and phhts from the device as well as some clever lyrics, "Farts like a lady--phht, farts like a man--phht-phht--brrr-rack!"

I've been re-connecting with some friends from college and high school, courtesy Facebook. Am amazed that one of the girls that I worked with on the ASU State Press actually has won a Pulitzer Prize amongst other honors for her investigative reporting. I always knew she would do well. Some classmates have gone to write and publish books, some are practicing law. I hope they all are happy. I am blessed to have been in their company. Some times I wonder what my life would have been like had I chosen to pursue a career in journalism. But then I look at what I have right now and realize that my path was chosen for me and that I am doing precisely what I need to be doing.

Life as Suzi Homemaker might not yield prestigious awards nor fame, but it truly is a reward--and something I have strived for since I was a little girl of Sophie's age. I can't recall wanting to be a reporter at the age of seven (I think that came at age 14), but I do remember wanting to marry a prince and have children of my own. And on that note, Lil' Crowder is up and wanting to cuddle--gotta go get me some lovin'.

Recipeasy Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-05-18T17:30:00.001-04:00

I love to make chicken noodle soup from scratch; however, my two oldest children won't eat it, so here is the recipe for their favorite chicken noodle soup.

Ingredients
2 Cans Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup (Shrek, Dora, Cars or Princess variety)

Directions
1. Make homemade chicken noodle soup for your husband and youngest daughter. Set aside.
2. Open up 2 cans of Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup (any variety) and pour into microwave safe bowl.
3. Add 2 soup cans water to soup in bowl.
4. Cover and heat in microwave oven for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
5. Remove from microwave and ladle into bowls.
6. Pick out any traces of vegetables or chicken.
7. Add enough ice cubes to make the soup completely cold and serve to two oldest children.

Max-ism #497 "Happy Easter!"

2009-05-08T21:38:00.003-04:00

Max is a chick magnet.

One of his favorite sayings is, "The chicks dig me." And it's true.

Just today, we ran into a couple of his girlfriends from school at Chik Fil-A. When we walked through the door, the little girls were squealing, "It's Max!" "Hi, Max!" "Come play with us, Max!"

He gave them a cute little smile and we went about with our meal. A little bit later, the girls were in the playroom and one was banging on the Plexiglas trying to get Max's attention.

"Max! I love you, Max! I want to marry you!" to which he replied, "Happy Easter!"

Totally noncommittal without being rude--the perfect response to such a personal declaration! The chicks are doomed!

Suzi Homemaker to hold 500th Sale Giveaway!

2009-05-06T14:11:00.006-04:00

This past March marked the Second Anniversary of SuziHomemaker.net. I am thrilled with the success I have had with my website and my little embroidery business! I have met some awesome people through various social and business networks and I am lucky to have developed a devoted clientele that keep coming back for more personalized gifts! I also am thankful for the community in which we live. Charles Town, WV, opened its arms to the Crowder Crew nearly four years ago and we have been delighted to call this city home ever since!

Amazingly enough, Suzi Homemaker can see her 500th internet sale on the horizon. What better way to celebrate than to give something away? What will it be? Something BIG--an EMBROIDERED Car? Nah--that's already been done...I'm going to have to give this some serious thought...Who will the lucky winner be? My devoted customer in Cali or the one in Texas? My neighbor? One of the moms from school? My mom? Now come on--you know I don't charge my mother for gifts...at least not full retail price! It could be anyone. Only time will tell...

Recipeasy Monday: Quick Roasted Chicken

2009-05-04T17:01:00.002-04:00

I have my little bird in the oven right now! Whole chickens were on sale at Martin's this week, Buy One, Get One Free--I loves me some food bargains!

Quick Roasted Chicken
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Rinse chicken thoroughly inside and out under cold running water and remove all fat. Pat dry with paper towels.
3. Put chicken into a small baking pan. Rub with olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, paprika and cayenne pepper together and sprinkle over chicken.
4. Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Lower the oven to 400 degrees and continue roasting 40 minutes, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes and serve. I'm serving mine with homemade gravy, stuffing and green beans.

Suzi Homemaker Embroidered Menu

2009-04-22T13:27:00.008-04:00

Spring is arguably the most beautiful time of year for wedding celebrations and other special events such as Mother's Day, bridal and baby showers and graduations. Why not add some simple, yet elegant touches to your gathering by incorporating embroidery into your decor?

Last year, my sister was hosting a bridal shower for a friend and she asked me for some ideas for special personalized gifts that she knew her friend would treasure more than the obligatory place setting. I suggested some monogrammed linens that the bride could use on her wedding day, such as lingerie and shoe bags, a hankie with blue stitching to fulfill the "something blue" requirement and linen towels with the married couple's initials on them.

Then a thought occured to me to add a unique touch to the party decor. Not too long ago, Steve and I had hosted a dinner party where I embroidered the menu on a linen napkin, which I then hung on the wall. We decided to take that idea a step further by stitching out the shower menu and then mounting it on a fabric board which we placed on an easel near the buffet. The bride loved it so much that she had it framed for display in her dining room.

Another idea is to stitch the menu on one end of a table runner, which then can be placed on the table or hung on the back of a chair. The one pictured here has a pocket stitched on the opposite side where you can insert a dowel or other type of weight to hold the runner in place. What a relatively simple way to set your party apart--elegant embroidery that adds a sophisticated touch and makes for a treasured keepsake of a memorable occasion.

Identical blankets for identical twins

2009-04-17T08:50:00.007-04:00

Perhaps one of my favorite things to create is a custom embroidered minky blanket. I have been told by several recipients that my minky blankets have "magical" qualities that set out to soothe cranky little ones with their cuddliness. For those of you that don't know what minky is, it is perhaps the softest fabric on the planet. I have heard its texture compared to dipping your hand into a bowl of flour. It comes in many varieties (Babycapes are made using several different varieties of minky including cuddle, marshmallow and sherpa suede) and I have used most of them at one time or another while making blankets for treasured babies.

Recently, I was contacted by a customer who wanted me to create two blankets for identical twin girls. After perusing my photo gallery for ideas, and discussing fabric choices, we set about picking the fabrics. The mother of the twins dresses one girl in pink and one in lavender, so we settled on chocolate brown and pink and chocolate brown and lavender minky polka dot with pink and lavender rosebud backing.

Then we discussed design choices and decided that since the fabric was so luxurious we would use a simple, elegant monogram with each girl's name embroidered on top with a single butterfly (see photo above). I created the designs using my embroidery software, then began constructing the blankets. I cut the fabric and serged the edges, then embroidered the designs on the blanket tops. Then I set about assembling the blankets and stitching them together. Minky fabric is very stretchy, making it difficult to sew. The fabric curls and stretches so much, it's hard to keep to a particular measurement. I have found that by adhering lightweight, tearaway stabilizer to the backs of the minky prior to sewing cuts down on the stretch considerably. I also use my walking foot on my sewing machine in order to feed both layers of fabric through my sewing machine more evenly and easily. After sewing the layers together right sides facing each other, leaving a small hole on the side, I remove the stablizer, then turn the fabric right side out. I use a bamboo stiletto to make sharp points in the four corners and then topstitch the blankets using a small zigzag stitch to allow for stretch. The final step is to slipstitch the opening closed by hand.

Once I finished both blankets, I placed them one on top of the other, and, miracle of miracles, the blankets were the exact same size. The finished products are pictured below. Hopefully, these blankets will soothe and comfort Avery and Kinsleigh for many years to come!

Zyma Derm - MIRACLE cure for molluscum

2009-04-07T12:00:00.008-04:00

I have to write and tell you about this incredible product from Naturopathix, Inc., called ZymaDerm. ZymaDerm is a homeopathic remedy used to treat molluscum contagiosm. For those of you that aren't familiar with molluscum, it is a pox virus that affects mostly children, although it also can be found in adults with certain immune deficiencies.

This is what I have learned from many sources over the years (this is written from memory, so I have not cited any particular sources--trust me, if you have dealt with something like this for several years, you would be an expert on the topic, too!): Mollusca appear on the skin as flesh-colored, dome-shaped growths--similar to warts or moles. As the name implies, it is highly contagious, especially in young children who have not developed immunities to the virus. It is spread by skin-to-skin contact and has been rumored to spread through swimming pools or contact with gymnastic or wrestling mats or changing pads at daycare centers. It is considered a benign virus which traditionally has been treated, similar to warts, by freezing the mollusca off with liquid nitrogen or "zapping" with an electric needle. Most pediatricians advise against treatments for small children as the cure seems worse than the virus, which eventually will go away on its own.

Max has had a few mollusca over the past couple of years, but he never really paid any particular attention to them unless someone else was paying attention to them. He's had one on his forehead and a couple on his trunk. Sophie had two on her chest of which she was very cognizant. She religiously washed her hands after touching or scratching the bumps to prevent them from spreading and, thankfully, hers are gone.

Poor Carly developed molluscum last summer. She had two very large mollusca--one the size of a pencil eraser--in the crease of her left arm (common since it is a place where the skin rubs against itself). Carly could not keep her hands off of the bumps and I can't say I blame her. To me, it's the equivalent of having a large, ripe whitehead on your forehead--it begs to be squeezed or picked at. I tried diligently to keep her hands washed, but there was just no way to prevent the bumps from spreading. A couple of weeks ago I noticed she had some developing under her right arm. I was not looking forward to the weather becoming warmer as I knew her bumps would be visible and would subject her to ridicule from other children--a couple of Sophie's friends had made remarks about the bumps. Carly could care less if children were to tease her, but I couldn't bear the thought of anyone picking on her because of her "cooties." I was at a loss.

I ran into our pediatrician at school a couple of weeks ago and asked her if she could recommend something as I had been told by our former pediatrician that there was no topical remedy to treat the virus. She told me she had heard of a homeopathic remedy, but was not quite sure of the name. When I got home that afternoon I Googled "homeopathic treatment for molluscum contagiosm" and that's how I discovered the Naturopathix website and their amazing product, ZymaDerm.

According to the website, "ZymaDerm™ is the only FDA approved patented full strength topical homeopathic molluscum formula available anywhere." It is made from thuja extract which is derived from conifer trees. It is non-toxic. The site has some very dramatic "before" and "after" pictures, such as the "before" picture at right. I read through the testimonials and was sold. Not knowing how long it would take to treat Carly's bumps (I would say she has a moderate case of molluscum), I ordered two bottles.

My order arrived on Saturday--two small vials of ZymaDerm and the company also included a body wash which I was to use after seven days of treatment if the molluscum did not appear to be any better. After Carly's bath that evening I carefully applied the ZymaDerm to her bumps. I have to tell you that the product does not have the best smell--it's a very strong, menthol or camphor smell, but I think I would tolerate skunk oil if it did what this product did. After two applications, I am happy and amazed to report that her bumps are almost completely gone! The two especially nasty-looking bumps on her left arm are nearly invisible. This product is INCREDIBLE! I highly recommend it to anyone who is suffering with this virus. If you are not completely satisfied (which I cannot imagine), you may return the unused portion to Naturopathix for a full refund. They have removed all of the risk for you, so there really is no reason not to try this wonderful product. I am so thankful to have found this website and product--it has made a tremendous difference in our lives in a very short period of time.

Recipeasy Monday: Suzi Homemaker's homemade spaghetti sauce

2009-04-06T14:48:00.003-04:00

I rarely buy spaghetti sauce in a jar because it is so simple to make from scratch! I have made several variations, one using chicken stock, but I always come back to this easy one. You can add cooked ground beef, turkey, meatballs or sausage if you prefer a meat sauce. You also can add other vegetables, such as sliced button mushrooms, olives or peppers, just add them after the tomatoes have simmered a bit and cook till desired tenderness.

Ingredients
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
12 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small jar tomato paste
2-3 teaspoons Polaner's chopped basil (you may also use 1/4 C chopped fresh basil)
1 teaspoon Polaner's chopped oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil until translucent.
2. Add Roma tomatoes and heat through.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Serve over your favorite pasta with a salad and garlic bread.

Recipeasy Monday: Coconut Custard Pie

2009-03-30T10:59:00.003-04:00

I've been posting a lot of recipes lately and thought that I would make this a permanent feature on my blog. So now Mondays will be known as Recipeasy Monday!

My mother, Sue Homemaker, shared this recipe with me last week and I ran right out to get the ingredients so I could try it myself. This pie makes its own crust and is prepared by combining all ingredients in a blender.

Ingredients
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate (preferably deep dish)**
3. Combine all ingredients in a blender, cover and beat on high for 15 seconds.
4. Pour into pie pan and bake approximately 50-55 minutes.
5. Refrigerate after cooling.
**If using a regular 9 inch pie plate, place the plate on a cookie sheet prior to adding the filling.

Enter to win personalized market tote from Suzi Homemaker, Mom Made That

2009-03-24T13:57:00.006-04:00

It's time for a GIVEAWAY! I am so excited about these shallow market totes that I had to give one away! Just visit my retail site and select which color market tote you want to win then head on over to Mom Made That, leave a comment and you will be entered to win. Additional entries are given for blogging or tweeting about the giveaway and subscribing to Mom Made That. Contest ends at 6 p.m. CST on March 31! Now git!

Suzi Homemaker's Pan Seared Tuna and Warm Roasted Vegetable Salad

2009-03-24T12:52:00.010-04:00

This is one of my favorite dinners! The vegetable dish can be made using practically any vegetable and is suitable for meals year-round, just use seasonal veggies(cooking times may need to be altered if using root vegetables). Look how pretty these veggies look! They're just waiting to be cut up and devoured!

Warm Roasted Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
4 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
6 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 bell peppers, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 small package white button mushrooms, quartered
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine vegetables, garlic and oil in large casserole dish; toss to coat.
2. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
3. Bake vegetables 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (May take longer if using root vegetables or potatoes)
4. Meanwhile, whisk together mustard, vinegar and hot pepper sauce in small bowl until smooth. Stir mixture into hot vegetables; toss to coat. Sprinkle salad with basil; garnish if desired. Serve warm alone or over rice.

Pan Seared Tuna Steaks
Ingredients
2 1-inch thick tuna steaks, either fresh or thawed
1 T olive oil (or use cooking spray)
Lime or lemon juice
McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

1. Heat oil in skillet until hot.
2. Rinse tuna steaks in water and pat dry.
3. Sprinkle both sides with lime juice.
4. Generously sprinkle both sides with Montreal Steak Seasoning
5. Place steaks in hot skillet and pan sear until desired doneness.
Serve with lemon juice, tartar sauce or Asian Sesame Soy Salad dressing and warm roasted vegetable salad on the side.

Having a good cry

2009-03-19T22:27:00.009-04:00

My hubby is out of town for a few days so I thought I would take this opportunity to have a good cry--a good, guffawing, snot-slinging cry that comes from the bottom of my feet and works it way all the way up to my head and out my eyes, nose and every other escape route. Every once in a while, I need this to cleanse my system and my soul. And it's not often that I am afforded the opportunity of performing this ritual without worrying the kids or freaking out my husband.

Times are tough everywhere. I am trying to put on a brave face and have been doing an okay job, at least I think, but every once in a while I succumb to the need of having a good pity party with myself as the Guest of Honor. I have so many good things in my life to be thankful for--a wonderful husband, three great kids, my loving parents, a beautiful sister and her family, terrific friends--I am so appreciative, but sometimes I am overcome by great sadness.

Our country is in dire straits--good people have lost their jobs, their homes, their belongings, their faith, their lives--what is going to become of us? I am hopeful that our new President and his administration can turn our economy around, but it seems things are so far gone that that might not happen for a very long time. Unemployment is at an all-time high, the stock market and all-time low, morale is abysmal at best. I, like, countless other moms and dads, worry, worry, worry what the future holds for our country, our families, our children.

I am not an economist, nor a politician, nor a theologian, but I am somewhat intelligent and can read the writing on the wall and it is not a good story. I don't know if we need more government intervention or Divine intervention, but what I do know is that things have got to get better. What can I do to make a change, a difference?

I know some people are perpetual optimists and would argue that it is not all so bleak--that there are shiny moments in an otherwise gray existence--but that is not what tonight is all about for me.

I am so grateful to have found a church where I can go and pray and spend peaceful moments with my husband and kids--an escape, much like the tears I have shed this evening.

Tonight, I will cry. Tomorrow, I will hope.

Cherry-Pineapple Crap (Cobbler) Recipe

2009-03-18T19:02:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine made me this after I had Carly. She is due to deliver her second child next week, so I was reminded of this special time in my life and this delicious recipe. She made hers with just the cherry pie filling, but I added the pineapple chunks (reminiscent of a dump cake). You may use any pie filling you like--it's super easy to make and super yummy!

Ingredients
1 can cherry pie filling
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
1 C flour
1 C sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted in microwave

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together pie filling and pineapple chunks and pour into 11 x 7 x 1.5 inch casserole dish. Or you can use individual casseroles.
3. In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients.
4. Add beaten egg and mix together until crumbly.
5. Spoon mixture over pie filling.
6. Pour melted butter over top of crumb mixture.
7. Bake at 350 degrees until top is brown and bubbly.
Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. When I had just had Carly and was nursing 24/7, I ate this yummy concoction for breakfast.

Darn Leprechauns!

2009-03-17T22:05:00.004-04:00

Well, those wee men caused quite a raucous at our home this evening. It seems Max and Sophie have been learning quite a bit about St. Patrick's Day and Leprechauns at The Country Day School this week. This morning, Max announced he was going to catch a Leprechaun at school today, but, in retrospect, it seems the Leprechaun caught him.

Now, I check the kids' backpacks every night and pull their daily folders, remove papers, go over agendas, etc., but this evening, I was thrown for a loop.

At one point, and I don't know why, Sophie went into Max's backpack and found that there was ranch dip smeared all over the inside of his backpack and on his folders. I swear it was not there this afternoon. Max was just squealing, "It was the Leprechauns! We tried to catch them at school! They peed green glitter in our potty!"

Okay. The kids get a hot lunch on Mondays that includes carrots and ranch dip, but I emptied his backpack yesterday and there were not any carrots nor ranch dip to be found. Also, my routine is to empty the kids' backpacks when they get home from school, and I adhered to that routine today and found nothing amiss--I swear there were no carrots nor ranch dip to be found!

Sophie and Max were so excited and very pleased with the assessment that Leprechauns had caused some commotion that could not be directly attributed to them. I thought they would have been afraid (I am more than a little freaked out!), but yet they were very pragmatic about the somewhat strange occurrence.

I, for one, am glad this day is over. As much as I love St. Patrick's Day and a little mischief every now and then, I can do without the extra shenanigans and mess!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Suzi Homemaker's Cashew-crusted Mahi Mahi

2009-03-11T11:46:00.003-04:00

I have been trying to eat more fish, but it's some times hard to find a good, simple recipe that's quick to prepare. Here's one for mahi mahi.

Ingredients
2 mahi mahi fillets (fresh or thawed)
lime juice
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 C corn starch
1/8 C coconut milk (I use light coconut milk)
1/4 C crushed cashews

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a glass baking dish.
2. Rinse mahi mahi fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle with lime juice.
3. In a shallow dish, combine corn starch and cayenne pepper. Dredge fillets in corn starch mixture on one side. Shake off excess.
4. In another shallow dish, pour coconut milk. Dip the floured side of the fillets into the milk.
5. In another shallow dish, place the crushed cashews. Dip the floured/coated sides of the fillets in the nuts and place fillets cashew side up in baking dish.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until fish is white and flaky. (I also put the fish under the broiler for a few minutes to toast the nuts.)
Serve with pesto noodles or herb seasoned rice and a salad.

Day 10: Love is unconditional, unless...

2009-03-04T20:34:00.001-05:00

It's been hard to get back on track here after dealing with the kids being sick, but I swore I was going to stick with this, so here's to making a concerted effort to stay on task!

I have been dealing with PMDD for the past couple of days and have really noticed a drastic change in my behavior, especially my irritability. My fuse has been pretty short and I have been pretty rough on the kids and I even have snapped at Steve a couple times. I think he is especially disappointed--he's been enjoying having the kinder, gentler Suzi around.

An example of my stellar behavior happened this morning when I was packing lunch for the kids. I made the mistake of asking them what they wanted. Well, Max was saying "cheesy puffs," so I thought he meant cheese puffs. I grabbed the bag of organic Cheetos and he just screamed, "No!" So, then I got Cheetos crunchy and he screamed, "No!" again. I just kept yelling at him, "What do you want? What do you want?" and he was crying and saying, "Cheesy puffs." I took the bag of Cheetos and threw them on the counter and they bounced right off and hit Sophie on the head. I finally got it out of him that he wanted that nasty Puff 'n Corn, but not without a lot of tears and screaming. What a jerk I was. I think I need to revisit some of the earlier challenges.

This isn't even what I set out to write when I sat down at the computer, but there it is. I guess I view this as my Confessional where I'm truly held accountable for my actions...so, back to the topic at hand. If love is unconditional, then I guess I should not place conditions on my behavior just because I may not be feeling 100 percent. For example, I will be kind and loving unless I am premenstrual, in which event, anything goes.

Pretty crappy logic.

I am lucky that the kids are too young to place conditions on their love for me or I fear I would have lost them by now. If I continue down this path, they are going to learn these behaviors and I don't want that for them. I want theirs to be a happy, loving, innocent existence for as long as possible. I've got to step it up here and get back on track for the sake of my kids, as well as my husband.

So as my friend, Angie, did recently, I am declaring a do over. Tomorrow I will do something special for everyone in the family--something that shows them I love them just because and not unless...

New market totes, other goodies being added to retail site

2009-03-02T12:43:00.010-05:00

While attending the Atlanta Gift Market back in January, I was able to track down a couple of different vendors for the collapsible market totes that were so popular over the holidays. These are so roomy and great for hauling stuff to parties or for packing snacks for long road trips. A friend of mine uses one of hers in her guest bath and has it stocked with plenty of clean towels. There are so many uses for these versatile bags. With Mother's Day coming up, I'm sure you will find many welcoming recipients. I have plenty of these in stock in black, brown, red, bright green and royal. There are a few prints left over from Christmas, but they are going fast.

Additionally, I found a vendor for some shallow, double-handled market totes. These have two mesh pockets on the inside to stash keys, coins or other small objects. They come in some really cute patterns, too, such as the brown floral pictured here. I'm putting together a nice gift basket for a friend's housewarming party (shhh--don't tell!), which I'm going to fill with some applique/embroidered tea towels, a bottle of wine and some other goodies.

Prior to attending the Market, Sophie had asked if I could make her a tote bag in which to carry all of her Webkinz. Well, wouldn't you know, I stumbled upon this very thing, created by Meredith of Jackpopz. I snatched up a bunch of them to sell on my site and stitched one up special for Sophie. The Jacecase, pictured here, is large enough to hold six large-sized Webkinz (wouldn't you know that Sophie got a few more Webkinz for her birthday, so now her Webkinz will have to take turns in the carrier). Coming in April is an adorable camo backpack from Jackpopz that will hold large-sized Webkinz and it also has little holders on the straps for Matchbox cars. I can't wait to get my hands on those.

The look of love: Days 7, 8 and 9

2009-02-23T12:46:00.001-05:00

After a disastrous Day 6, I finally had a couple of good days. For days 7, 8 and 9, I thought I would combine the challenges in one post as they all were closely related.

I've been thinking a lot about love and how people relate to one another.

I recently read the book "The Shack," by Wm. Paul Young, and in it, there was a particular passage that had a profound impact on me. The book is about a man named Mack whose youngest daughter is abducted and brutally murdered while on a family vacation. Several years after the girl's disappearance, Mack receives a note, apparently from God, asking him to return to the abandoned shack where the murder took place. While there, Mack comes face to face with the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. They have taken on human forms--and not necessarily how Mack pictured them. The thing that struck me in particular was how Mack observed how the three communicated with each other--they thoroughly enjoyed each other's company and gave each other their undivided attention--they demonstrated pure love for one another.

This gave pause for me to think of the couples or people I knew who actually treated each other with the love and respect as the Holy figures demonstrated in this book. I recalled a time when I was visiting the Mennonite family who sold me my commercial embroidery machine. The husband and wife treated each other with such great love and respect and showed such pure enjoyment for one another, that I began to crave it (the it that is love) in my own relationships.

I thought back to the early days of my relationship with Steve--when we were so in love with each other that we overlooked each other's faults--before the trappings of life began to weigh heavily on our relationship. Why is it that we lose sight of the very things that brought us together and start to nitpick at behaviors or habits that have no relevance? Why can't we just cherish the true, beautiful gift of love? And it is a gift--one that eluded me for so very long.

I remember a time when Steve and I were engaged and we were at a party dancing and laughing with one another. Afterward, a friend of mine came up to me and gave me a big hug and kiss and said how much she enjoyed watching me enjoy my fiance--how our very apparent love had touched her. So I had it--we had it. Well, darn it if we're not going to get it back!

So, the challenge for the past three days tasked us with coming up with lists of positive and negative attributes of our spouse. The list of positives by far outnumbered the negatives. And the list of negatives that I came up with were so very minor, that it hardly was worth it to write them down, tho it did make me realize how inconsequential they were in the grand scheme of things.

I not only made sure that I told Steve how much I appreciated the fact that he always was in a good mood, but I also set about showing him how much I appreciate and love him--the ol' "actions speak louder than words" scenario.

We took the kids to a neighborhood restaurant and pub the other night to listen to a friend's band. I let go of all of the stress and irritants that seem to be constant companions of late and just really enjoyed my family. When Steve spoke, he had my undivided attention. We laughed and joked and kissed and held hands. I looked at my children with love instead of ire--the way they deserved. You might say we had it going on. It made for quite the enjoyable evening.

Day 6: The downward spiral continues

2009-02-19T21:13:00.002-05:00

I'm a little behind with my writing due to a pinched nerve in my neck, but I have managed to keep up with my challenges--at least I have read them. It is ironic that my neck got hurt right when I was to address the issue of irritability and how it affects relationships.

I just erased a couple of paragraphs where I discussed how I've been under a lot of stress lately and tried to justify my bad behavior because I have not been sleeping well and I'm not feeling good. The truth is, I'm ashamed right now. I had been resting with a heating pad this afternoon while Max and Carly were playing with one of Max's friends. Steve left a while ago to go pick Sophie up from a friend's house. He told me Max was to clean up his room or go to bed.

Well, I made the mistake of going up and checking on him and I was sick at what I saw--his room looked like a trash heap. They had dumped out the hamper and all of the baskets I used to organize his toys, books were everywhere, a map of the United States was ripped in half, everything had been pulled out of the closet. I lost it and just started screaming at my little boy. It kills me when my kids don't take care of their things--perhaps my biggest pet peeve--but does that justify my bad behavior?

I consulted the book to see if I could parse some explanation for my actions and there it was: deficiencies. I have not been getting enough rest, good nutrition nor exercise and it's beginning to take its toll. I need to take time out for myself-- apply margin to my schedule--in order to relieve the stress and break the cycle of irritability. I am happiest when I am exercising regularly, sleeping well and eating right. I have not been taking care of myself, which translates into not taking care of my family.

I really thought I started out this challenge strong--I had a few really good days, and thought I would just cruise through. But I guess old habits die hard. I have a lot of work to do. I want to get to the point where I react to adversity with love, not anger. I'm not there yet.

Day 5: Love is not rude

2009-02-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

Today's challenge found me asking Steve the three things that cause him to be irritated or uncomfortable around me. I was really nervous to ask him this because, let's face it, it's hard to hear any criticism about ourselves.

I emailed him, told him I was working on a project. He told me he would email me when he got back into his office. A couple hours later he called to say he had emailed the list and said that it was hard to come up with three things and he hoped I wasn't mad at him for what he wrote.

I had not expected this response from him. I thought he would have a hard time whittling down his list.

Here is what he wrote:

Here's my response...this doesn't mean I love you any less!

1. You sometimes think that your priorities are my priorities...like when you get into your house cleaning mode.

2. There are times when I call you to tell you I'm going to be late and you get this completely disappointed voice which makes me feel like crap.

3. I don't think you realize that golf is my release and I like spending time with just a few of my buddies. It would be great if you just told me to get out and play sometimes.

That's my 3.... LOVE YOU

I am not going to debate or argue any of these points. Reading this list made me realize that Steve loves me unconditionally--he accepts my faults and there are many--I know. And as I look at the list, those are examples of my selfishness--one of the key components of rude behavior. Number 1 - I want him to be on the same page as me. Number 2 - I am disappointed because it means I have to deal with the children and the house alone for that much longer. Number 3 - Why should he get to have fun and relax--what about me? So on the surface his answers seem benign, but when I delved deeper, his answers struck a painful chord. A real eye-opener.

Steve said he would be afraid to ask me the same question.

He also told me he knew what my project was. He asked, "What day are you on?"

I am somewhat relieved as I had been feeling like I was sneaking around or lying to him. Every time he would come into my office while I was writing, I would quickly turn off the computer as if I were hiding some secret correspondence with a lover when in all actuality it was my secret correspondence to him.

So now we are on this journey together--as it should be.

Day 4 marks the return of Mean Mommy

2009-02-17T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today's challenge, had it stood apart from the others, would have been relatively easy to accomplish; but for the fact that I still was incorporating the previous days' challenges, I must admit, I failed miserably.

Today we were to contact our spouse and ask them how they were doing (Steve and I do this several times a day anyway, so this was no big deal). I knew he had dropped off a bunch of shirts at the dry cleaners last week, so I asked if he wanted me to pick them up.

"That would be great! Thanks, Baby," he said.

So, I went and picked up his shirts, no problem. This is an area of our marriage in which we excel. We've always talked several times day and are usually very courteous and helpful if one of needs the other to run an errand. My failure today came in the treatment--or shall I say mistreatment--of my children, especially Carly.

Carly is two and 3/4 and she requires a lot of attention. Unlike the other two, who are perfectly content to play by themselves without incident, Carly needs almost constant companionship and supervision--she commands it. If she doesn't get it, then she sets out to do anything and everything in her power to achieve it.

After going to the dry cleaners, I took Carly to the grocery store, where, of course, she wanted to ride in one of those awful carts that has the plastic car on the front. (Whomever invented these things needs some serious counseling because only a sick individual would put these contraptions out for public consumption.) I tried to shop quickly before Carly got restless. By the time we got to checkout she had five-fingered a bag of Puff 'n Corn, a box of Ho Hos and some tampons. I took a deep breath and returned everything, with the exception of the Puff 'n Corn which she clung to for dear life when I tried to pry it from her hands. When we wheeled out to the car, I opened the door to the minivan so she could get inside and she darted out the other side of the plastic car and ran out into the parking lot. I screamed at her to come back, but she just started laughing this sinister laugh and running away. I was fearful she would get hit by a car, but she was oblivious to any potential harm. I finally grabbed her and dumped her unceremoniously into her car seat.

Things got worse. All afternoon she was getting into everything and destroying stuff around the house. While I was putting groceries away, she was pulling crackers out of the pantry and dumping them on the floor. She got into the refrigerator and opened up container after container of yogurt which she proceeded to dump, half empty into the kitchen sink. I left the room for a minute and came back to find she had stabbed a banana with a paring knife--I don't know if I should have perceived that as a threat or not, but I was exasperated. At one point, she had gone into my sewing room and removed all of the spools of thread from my sewing cabinet and was stringing them around my bedroom. When I tried to get the thread from her, she took off running and dumped the evidence along the way, all with her signature semi-evil laugh.

By the time we went to get Sophie and Max from school, I had had it. Carly had taken off running around the courtyard at school (a no-no) and the other two were chasing after her. I stood defeated. After we got home it did not take long for Mean Mommy to emerge. I was putting lunch bags away and going through folders, when Max and Carly appeared in the kitchen without any clothes on. Little piles of clothes and kid funk started to appear all over the house. I started screaming. I'm pretty sure at one point that my head spun around and pea soup was shooting out of my mouth and nose. I yelled and yelled and yelled. By the time I was done I was exhausted and the kids were just ignoring me--it seems they have gotten used to my rants, even though I had provided them a few days of respite.

I felt horrible. I felt as if I had just undone all that I had accomplished thus far in the Love Dare Challenge. I apologized, but I'm not sure that was enough. All Carly had wanted was to spend time with me. I realized if I didn't change this pattern of behavior that soon none of my children will want to be around me. I don't want to live life that way. I really need to do better here.

I am praying for a good Day 5.

Being selfish -- Love Dare Day 3

2009-02-17T10:06:00.001-05:00

Today I screwed up a bit.

I hadn't read the challenge completely and thought that I was supposed to do something nice for my husband and not be selfish. He had the day off for President's Day and we had discussed on Friday spending the day together since Sophie and Max would be in school and Carly would go to day care (she goes just one day a week).

Well, Sunday evening he had mentioned that he had to run to Baltimore for a side job he was doing and thought that I could accompany him and then we could go to lunch. I started thinking of all of the orders I had to do for my embroidery business and told him I didn't think I would be able to get everything done that I needed to if I went with him (it would have meant three hours in the car plus whatever time we spent at the job site and at lunch). I could tell that he was disappointed, but instead of making the concession, I stayed at home to work.

I vacillated all day, beating myself up one minute and then trying to justify my actions--it was the one day I could devote to my business without interruption from the kids. I had just about convinced myself that I was not being selfish, that I was being responsible, when I sat down and read more closely the chapter in the book for Day 3. I pretty much failed the questionnaire.

Do I truly want what's best for my husband? Well, of course. That's why I am doing this challenge.

Do I truly want him to feel loved by me? Again, a given.

Does he believe I have his best interests in mind? Oh, dear...

Does he see me as looking out for myself first? Uh, yeah...

Alright--so I blew it. I could have put my orders off (I was turning them around within a few days rather than the week to two weeks stated on my website), and gone with Steve--it should have been a simple challenge, but I complicated things by being selfish. I realize the purpose of this challenge is not to punish ourselves, but to show true love to our spouses and children. I resolved to do better the next day.

Then I looked at the challenge and realized I was supposed to buy something for Steve to show him that I was thinking of him. Shoot! It was already 8 p.m. What could I possibly buy and how could I sneak out of the house without anyone knowing I had left?

Without hesitation, I grabbed the keys to my car and snuck out the front door. Steve and the kids were in the basement cleaning up. I drove to the HandiMart outside our neighborhood and purchased him a Powerball ticket--he had just this afternoon told me he was going to win Powerball one of these days, "It shouldn't be too hard--I think they say the odds are 72 million to one." Good ol' Steve--always the positive thinker.

I snuck back in the house. Mission accomplished. I went down to the basement and handed him the ticket.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked.

"Oh, I had to run and get some aspirin for my hip, so I thought I'd get you a Powerball ticket," I explained.

"Thanks," was all he said.

That's it? I thought. Rather than say something like, "Gee, I thought you would be a little more grateful that I bought you something," I held my tongue.

Then I thought of how Caleb in the movie "Fireproof" could not believe that Catherine didn't even thank him for the coffee he had made for her or the pitiful flowers he purchased for her, once again, making it about him instead of his wife. Then I realized that it wasn't about me getting praise for doing something nice--it was about Steve--a small, small gesture to let him know I was thinking of him.

"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

Lesson learned. The day was not a total loss.

Kindness in a skillet

2009-02-15T20:05:00.001-05:00

Today's Love Dare was accomplished with a skillet of Hamburger Helper, which my husband loves, but which I find barely palatable. I consider myself an above average cook and am always trying out new recipes or creating new dishes, and while Steve enjoys most of my creations, I get the most satisfied reaction from him when I stick with the basics.

Today I made an effort to stick with the basics of love--patience and kindness.

I have to provide a little background. I was in an abusive relationship for several years while in college. After escaping that, I found myself bouncing from one bad relationship to another wondering why I couldn't maintain one that was decent and loving. The reason (which I discovered after years of therapy) was that I didn't love myself.

I would make such an effort to please my partner that I became a doormat--never wanting to complain or give any reason to rock the boat. When my partners became bored with Little Miss Perfection (and it's inevitable when you don't allow someone to get to know the real you), they started to take advantage of me. Rather than sticking up for myself, I set about to be even more perfect--my rationale being they couldn't possibly leave me because I'm so nice and I do so much for them.

BORING!

So after therapy, I began asserting myself, loving myself. I was looking out for number one. That's when I met Steve. He got the real me. But as our relationship progressed, I still was looking out for number one. More so after we got married and had the kids. I began keeping score, comparing everything I did for him as opposed to what he did for me. Why should I do his laundry when I have to do not only mine, but all of the kids' laundry, as well? Why should I have to do most of the cleaning when he contributes to the mess as well? But that is not an accurate depiction of our relationship, because it only takes into account the physical acts that we perform for each other, not the emotional ones.

Steve is a good man and an excellent father. He always has treated me with love and respect. He is rarely in a bad mood and he often times has reason to be. He is kind to me. I realize I am the one who needs to even up the score emotionally.

In "The Love Dare," the authors quote a passage from the Bible describing a woman whose husband and children praise her. "She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindess is on her tongue." (Proverbs 31:26) I want to be that woman to my husband and children.

And so, today, kindness was on my tongue, along with a little overly-salted Hamburger Helper.

Love is patient, love is kind

2009-02-14T21:01:00.002-05:00

I am participating in the "Love Dare Challenge," along with some other great women at OurLoveDare.com. I thought I would share some of my posts here.

I am not a patient person. So it stands to reason that I don't like to be late.

Several weeks ago, we were getting the kids ready for church and, as usual, the morning had slipped away and I was frantically trying to get the little ones ready and out the door so we would not miss any of the service.

I was standing in the foyer barking out orders, as is my usual routine.

"Sophie, put your shoes on!"

"Max--did you brush your teeth?"

"We're going to be late! Carly--where's Carly?"

"Let's go, guys! Come ON!"

"Steve, can you please help me get them ready?
Heavy sigh and overly-dramatic eye roll...

We made it to church, got the kids settled in their classrooms and went in to listen to the service. I was smiling and trying to look the part of Mother of the Year, when the Pastor started talking about how we present ourselves to the public as opposed to how we present ourselves in our own homes. How some people appear to be good Christians, always greeting others with a smile, giving of themselves, going above and beyond to lend a helping hand, and then turn around and are the exact opposite at home.

My heart sank. I realized I was a hypocrite. I was giving the best of myself to the community and saving the worst for home. I love my family, so why would I treat them so poorly? Love is patient, love is kind, yet I realized I violate those core principles on almost a daily basis.

When Steve and I got into the car after church, I apologized to him. I told him that what the Pastor had said really hit home. He, too, had been struck by the message and we both vowed to do better--to treat each other with the love and respect we as family members all deserve.

Over the next few weeks, I did better, but I still did my share of yelling.

So, on this, the first day of the Love Dare Challenge, it seemed only fitting that I had to address one of my biggest demons--impatience.

The day started out beautifully--Valentine's Day and Steve had surprised me with a dozen roses, fresh coffee and a pepperoni roll (my favorite West Virginian delicacy). The kids were bouncing off the walls, excited over their cards and eating way too much candy. The morning went by too fast as usual and pretty soon it was time to go to Sophie's basketball game, which meant getting all three kids ready and out the door.

Gulp.

I didn't know if I was going to be able to hold it together, but I did. I didn't yell or issue commands like a drill sergeant. Instead I was encouraging the kids to get ready, asking them if they needed help getting their shoes and coats on--it was oddly very pleasant.

Even at the game when Carly and Max were off being every bit two and four, I remained calm. If they started to do something wrong, I asked them nicely to stop. They didn't always listen, but at the times they deviated, I re-directed them or took them out of the auditorium so they could calm down.

I did everything the way a loving person should--the way my family deserved.

And it felt really good.

My hope for this challenge is that I will strengthen my already strong marriage and foster true love amongst my children. I'm hoping they will forget all of the times I have yelled at them and that they will feel secure in my love for them--that they will know that love is forgiving, understanding and patient.

It was a good day.

Day 2 -- bring it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Basement floods again

2009-02-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe it, but our basement has flooded for the sixth time since our home was built not even four years ago. I am sick over this and very angry at our builder (Richmond American Homes). This was our dream home and it has become a nightmare living here. Once again, Steve and I had to haul out the kids toys (the basement is their play room), mop up all of the water and dry everything out. Steve had put all of the towels and blankets outside to dry out and, as luck would have it, we got a big rain last night and are now being treated to wind gusts of 60 mph. This morning I had to run all over the yard and collect the towels and bring them inside. I'm washing my third load.

I do not understand why this keeps occurring. We do not live in a flood plain. We complained to our builder (Richmond American) after our Big Flood on Mother's Day last year when we lost all of our Berber carpeting and padding, our bathroom tile, hundreds of dollars worth of Suzi Homemaker inventory and most of the kids' toys. Of course, they said they were sorry for our loss, but not their problem since our warranty expired two years prior. We have a sump pump and a hung sewer. Richmond American encouraged us to use their insurance company when we financed the house. The mortgage company neglected to tell us of a little clause that stated sump pump failure was not included with our policy--we had to purchase extra insurance to cover that. Now, don't you think had we been made aware of that clause when we purchased our insurance that we would have purchased the additional coverage since we have not one, but TWO PUMPS?

The house flooded once before we moved in, twice while we were under warranty and now three additional times since we've been on our own. Can anyone think of a reason why this keeps happening other than that Richmond American built us a substandard, overpriced home?

I did a little research this morning (which I wish we would have done prior to building with Richmond American), apparently there are MANY other dissatisfied Richmond American home buyers out there, with issues ranging from flooding, to mold, to improperly installed roofing tiles, to the builder's failure to properly install passive radon removal systems, to improperly installed floor joists (this resulted in a bathtub falling through a ceiling), ... the list goes on and on and on. These are homeowners from around the country.

I need to move on to a happier topic--Sophie's birthday and all of the wonderful trappings that go with that. But I will leave you with a link to check out. Please do research on your builder before buying a new home. I wish we had--it would have saved us a lot of grief and money.

Honest Scrap Award

2009-02-04T14:14:00.005-05:00

Regina from My Life With Little Girls was kind enough to bestow this award upon me. From what I have read, this award is given to bloggers who write from the heart.

The rules are as follows:

a) List 10 honest things about yourself.

b) Pass the award on to seven bloggers whom you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Here is my list of things (a.k.a. neuroses) in no particular order:

1. I cry at least once a day, whether I am happy, sad, angry or frustrated. I cry at commercials. I cry watching "A Baby Story." I cried during the Super Bowl, both during the "Star Spangled Banner," and then at the end of the game. There is nothing I can do about this--I am convinced it is hereditary.

2. I used to be painfully shy. I could not walk into a room without being totally self-conscious. Speaking to someone out of my small, inner circle of friends just did not occur without a lot of stuttering or blushing.

3. I decided to go to school at Arizona State University, way across the country where I knew not a single soul, to get over aforementioned shyness. It worked. My senior year, I was editor-in-chief of the campus daily newspaper and had made a lot of great friends (tho I still sometimes find myself feeling shy in certain social settings).

4. I secretly wish I was 30 again (tho I would still want to have my wonderful husband and three gorgeous kids). I just wish I still looked like I did and had the energy I did when I was 30.

5. I'm afraid to go to the dentist. I go, but not without a lot of anxiety. I'm always convinced my teeth are falling out. The dentist assures me they're not, but that I am brushing too hard. I don't even like it when they clean my teeth. The latex gloves make me gag. I'm gagging right now just thinking of it.

6. I don't like to play games--not card games, board games nor video games. I would much rather sit and have a conversation with someone or just sit quietly. If I go to a party where they are playing games, I'll sit on the sidelines and just chit-chat with everyone instead of playing.

7. I have a diaper bag fetish. I've been in search of the perfect diaper bag since I had Sophie almost seven years ago. It does not exist, although I came close with a bag I designed on 1154 Lill. My diaper bag days are nearly over and I am trying to come to terms with that fact.

8. I am an EXCELLENT dancer. I don't know how I acquired this skill, but people are always amazed when I start moving on the dance floor.

9. There are some kids at Sophie and Max's school that I don't like. If I hear of one of them being mean to my children, that's it. They're on my List. Some others make it just because they annoy me. Especially whiners. I know--I am horrible.

10. I have a foot fungus. I got it from sharing a shower with my husband. I keep treating it, but until he buys into the fact that he has the fungus (he insists it's dry skin), it will not go away.

Now for my seven Honest Scrappers: Amy from Mom Spark; my buddy, Dawn from D-Blogala; Angie from 5 Vinez Monkeys; Gina from A Wrestling Addicted Mommy; Kristle from Stir Crazy; Heather from A Daycare Life; and my girl Jen from Lost In Eden.

A Day with Sophie

2009-02-02T13:15:00.007-05:00

It is rare that I get to spend a day alone with Sophie, but this past Saturday I was able to do just that. She started cheerleading this year through the Upward program at our church (Steve and I secretly wished she would have played basketball, but she so wanted to be a cheerleader like her cousin, Megan!), and after her game on Saturday, Sophie and I went out to lunch with my parents, sister and niece. Then we had to go back to church because we had volunteered to work the concession stand.

She was SO EXCITED! She had such a great time getting people their drinks, handling the money and serving people their food. She didn't want to leave! When I finally managed to get her in the car, she told me, "Mommy, this was the best hour of my life!"

My sweet girl will turn seven on Feb. 12. I cannot believe how fast the time has flown by. I have a message for Sophie: This has been the best seven years of my life! I love you, Big Girl!

Suzi Homemaker's Kielbasa and Cabbage Recipe

2009-01-30T10:08:00.004-05:00

This is a recipe I learned to make about 20 years ago. I am part Czechoslovakian and a dear friend at the time who knew my family history introduced me to this simple dish, which is Polish in origin. In its original form, it is not the most healthy dish, but you can make simple substitutions that will cut down on calories and fat. We eat this only occasionally (just yesterday as a matter of fact), so it's nice to splurge every once in a while.

Ingredients
6 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound Polska kielbasa, sliced diagonally or in bite-size pieces
1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 pound package Farfalle (bow tie) pasta, cooked according to package directions

1. In a large frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to plate and reserve drippings. (You may cook bacon, either regular or turkey, in the microwave to eliminate pan drippings. As a substitute, use 2 T. Olive Oil)
2. Add chopped onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent.
3. Add kielbasa (I use turkey kielbasa) and heat through.
4. Add cabbage, seasonings and water and bring to boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down and simmer until cabbage is soft.
5. Add cooked pasta and toss. Crumble bacon on top and serve.

Makes about six large servings. (Steve had three last night! This is one of his favorite recipes. He never cared for cabbage until he had this dish.)

Today is CPSIA Blogging Day

2009-01-28T15:14:00.007-05:00

Reprinted with permission from Buy By Mom.

Today is CPSIA Blogging Day. Another big push to get the laws changed and prevent thousands of small business owners — artists and crafters making beautiful handmade items for children — from going under. Bloggers across the country are posting today about this important issue.

So, what can we do?

First, learn everything you can about the CPSIA. Here and here are really good places to start. (Please take a moment to check both of those links. They are certainly worth your time!)

Next, make your voice heard! There is an ACTION KIT made by the etsy administration that contains sample letters you can use to contact all the pertinent representatives. Do not be afraid to contact your representatives. They must become aware of the impact the CPSIA could have on thousands, if not millions, of mom-run businesses.

Then, help spread the word! Put up a post today about CPSIA Blogging Day. Send an email to all of your friends. Tell your best friend or your sister when they call. Shoot a text message to the moms in your local playgroup. Tweet your heart out about it.

So many companies that Buy By Mom loves to feature and support (including Suzi Homemaker and Babycapes) will be affected by this new law. In most of the cases, the testing fees required will put these small businesses and WAHMs in bankruptcy and/or force them to close their doors forever.

I don’t want to imagine a world without etsy, ebay, or WAHMs who use their amazing talents to make wonderful items for children. I want to be able to continue to support *all* WAHMs and their businesses.

Please help spread the word about the CPSIA. Every day I am shocked at the number of people who don’t know about the CPSIA or don’t think it’s any big deal. This is a big deal. Something must be done to change this law. Take a moment to read up about it, and then do something. It won’t take but a moment. Let’s unite together and make our voices be heard!

--Angie Vinez, Buy By Mom

Good news for a change!!!!

2009-01-27T09:18:00.002-05:00

Reprinted from the Babycapes Blog.

Despite all of this CPSIA crap, marketing of our product goes on. So instead of whining about stupid laws, let's celebrate some of the good press we've been receiving lately.

Babycapes is featured in this week's edition of Tot Trends Weekly. The magazine is theme-based and features Babycapes as its #1 pick for items that will keep your little ones warm and stylish this winter.

We've also had some television exposure of late thanks to our publicist at Orca Communications who landed us a feature spot on "Sonoran Living" in Phoenix. The video segment features top safety products for children that were invented by moms. Babycapes also was featured on Jan. 20 in many southeastern markets on the syndicated program "Daytime." Erin Taylor from The Mom Buzz presented Babycapes in a segment that featured top products for children. The show was blacked out on our television affiliate, so we were unable to view it, and, as of yet, Erin has not seen it either. Hopefully, someone out there was able to record it for us and we'll be able to view it and share it soon.

Babycapes received a glowing review from one of my favorite bloggers Jacqueline of Blessings Abound. The picture she has posted of her daughter in her front carrier wearing her Babycape while at a zoo in Alaska is priceless.

Angie of 5 Vinez Monkeys and Buy By Mom, two more of my daily reads, also gave Babycapes a rave review! She loved the cape for her son so much that she purchased one for her darling little girl, too! Angie also has Elizabeth and I as her Featured Moms for the week, so if you haven't read "Suzi and Elizabeth: A Love Story" yet, now's a good time to check it out!

Another thing to celebrate is our new President Barack Obama! In honor of our new President we are holding an American Economic Recovery Sale on our retail site! We are so looking forward to the Change that President Obama has promised throughout his campaign and are going to do our part to help stimulate the economy one Babycape at a time! Please check out our deep discounts--nearly 40% off retail pricing for a limited time only and while supplies last!

Most children's items on sale at Suzi Homemaker - 25-50% off

2009-01-10T11:23:00.003-05:00

I just finished marking down most of the children's items on my retail site--some by as much as 50 percent off! I am cleaning house (and inventory), making way for new items that I will be bringing back from the America's Mart in Atlanta.

Already low prices are even lower!

Check out the Hoohobber's Bibs and Munch Boxes on sale for $6 (regularly $12.50) and $12 (regularly $24) respectively. Limited quantities of most items are available as some are being discontinued by the manufacturer and some I am choosing not to re-stock. Quantities of items that are discontinued are listed in the drop down color/style menus on each item page. I will be out of town Jan. 11-13, so if items run out while I am away, I do apologize. Every attempt will be made to honor your requests! So scoot on over to SuziHomemaker.net and get while the getting is good!

Suzi Homemaker reviews/giveaways on Buy By Mom and Barefoot Mommies

2009-01-09T09:01:00.006-05:00

Enough of all of this serious CPSIA stuff--let's get back to some fun, free stuff! There are a couple of Suzi Homemaker reviews/giveaways going on at the moment. The first is for a $30 Suzi Homemaker Virtual Gift Certificate at Barefoot Mommies--usual rules apply, visit my retail site, then go back to Barefoot Mommies and leave a comment on what you would use your gift certificate toward. There are all kinds of chances for extra entries, so be sure to read the rules so you get a good shot at winning. This giveaway ends on Jan. 17.

The second review/giveaway is for a $25 Suzi Homemaker Virtual Gift Certificate at my dear friend Angie's newest blog--Buy By Mom. Angie started a new website called Buy By Mom to promote and support Mom Made and Mom Owned businesses. If you make and sell your own products or run your own business, be sure to check the site out. There are free listings available, as well as reasonable paid advertising and sponsorship opportunities. She also has an accompanying blog where she will conduct reviews and giveaways. Angie wrote the sweetest review, and, once again, all you have to do is visit my retail site and then go back to the Buy By Mom Blog and post a comment about what is your favorite Suzi Homemaker product. Angie also offers a gazillion other chances for extra entries by blogging about the contest, subscribing to the feed, and adding the fabulous button (pictured above) to your website. If you meet all of those requirements, you are eligible for UNLIMITED EXTRA ENTRIES merely by writing a sentence about Suzi Homemaker (be nice, please, I'm sensitive!). Angie's contest ends on Jan. 23.

Additionally, don't forget about the chance to win a personalized overnight bag at Mom Made That, another wonderful site that was formed to promote Mom Made and Mom Owned businesses and products. Details of that giveaway are available in a separate post below.

Good luck everyone!

CPSIA trying to put Suzi Homemaker out of business, but I'm not going down without a fight!

2009-01-07T13:41:00.002-05:00

A lot has been written around the blogosphere about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which was passed in August 2008 and will go into effect on Feb. 10 of this year. The law, although its intentions were good, could, in effect, wipe out an entire cottage industry in this country. Small businesses that produce/sell children's products (like Suzi Homemaker and Babycapes) are going to be required to implement extensive and expensive testing on all products that are used by children under the age of 12.

Among other things, the CPSIA bans lead and phthalates in children's products, mandates third party testing and certification, and requires manufacturers of all goods for children under the age of 12, to permanently label each item with a date and batch number.

As I interpret the law (and I have seen many different interpretations of the law because it is so convoluted), I will be required to conduct third party testing on all products that I sell that could be used by children under the age of 12 even if I am merely embellishing products that I have purchased from another vendor (the rationale being that I have altered the product by adding thread which was not present during initial testing).

Products that have not undergone testing, such as ones among the hundreds of products I have in my inventory, will be considered contraband after February 10, 2009. According to the website Change.org, "It will be illegal to sell or give these items away to charities, and the government will require their destruction or permanent disposal, resulting in millions of tons of unnecessary waste, and placing an enormous strain on our landfills."

This is starting to sound a bit like Nazi Germany, and I don't know about you, but I enjoy the freedoms that have been provided to me in what once was a great country. That I could decide out of the blue to start my own business from home in order to augment my family's income and allow me the freedom to spend time with my children is an amazing gift. Congress, please don't take that gift away from me and other moms out there who have set upon similar missions.

I could go on and on about this topic ad nauseum, but, in the interest of time, I have added a button to my sidebar that will take you to the Ideas for Change in America website.

Ideas for Change in America is a nationwide competition to identify the best ideas for change in America. The top 10 ideas will be presented to the Obama administration just before inauguration day and form the basis of a nationwide advocacy campaign to turn each idea into actual policy. If you want to help save handmade and mom-made businesses, click on that little button and vote to change this law. Currently, this cause is #8 on the list.

Suzi Homemaker's Cream of Potato and Bacon Soup

2008-12-29T21:40:00.006-05:00

Ever since my husband and I first met, we have acted out these characters for each other when either of says or does something profoundly stupid or embarrassing that warrants immediate, but loving, ridicule. I like to refer to his character as Bobblehead Steve who speaks in a condescending tone while bobbling his head from side to side (we won't address my character as it is not pertinent to this story). I don't know how we got on the subject, but Bobblehead Steve threw down the gauntlet recently.

"You know it's not that easy to make a good cream of potato soup."

Now, come on...I am Suzi Homemaker. Of course, Cream of Potato Soup comes naturally to me as does just about any other soup recipe you could possibly imagine. In some social circles, I am often referred to as the Soup Nazi or Soup B---h--titles that I don't take lightly. I will attribute my husband's momentary lapse in confidence to some kind of backhanded ploy to get me to make him some soup.

Well, here you go, Bobblehead Steve, and anyone else who wants a simply delicious and easy Cream of Potato and Bacon Soup Recipe.

1. In a large pot, melt 1/2 stick of butter or margerine.
2. Add one medium onion, diced, and brown.
3. While cooking the onions, microwave seven strips of bacon (either regular or turkey).
4. When bacon is done, add one to two tablespoons of bacon grease (or you may wish to eliminate the grease altogether) to butter and onions. Set bacon strips aside.
5. Peel and dice 5 large potatoes and add to onion mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute until potatoes are translucent.
6. Add 32 oz. of chicken or vegetable stock.
7. Bring to boil, reduce heat and then simmer potatoes until cooked through.
8. Add 1 pint of half and half (you may substitute skim milk or soy milk).
9. Simmer a few minutes more then add crumbled bacon strips.
10. Serve with crusty rolls and topped with shredded cheddar cheese.

Can you believe that after I made this delicious soup nearly a week ago that Bobblehead Steve had the nerve to say I could never do it again? We had Cream of Potato and Bacon Soup for dinner tonight and it was quite delish--even better than the first time! Why must we play these games, Bobblehead Steve? If you want the soup, just ask for it!

Suzi Homemaker teams up with Grandma Rocks

2008-12-29T11:33:00.004-05:00

A little while back, I received an email from Robin from Grandma Rocks about teaming up with her and Grandma to develop some personalized gifts for Grandmas and their grandkids. If you are not familiar with Grandma Rocks, you must visit the site and learn more. Grandma Rocks is a CD of 13 children's pop songs that were written and created by Grandma (EMMY AWARD-winning composer Elissa Oppenheim Schreiner), and performed by Grandma and other well-known (and some not so well-known!) instrumentalists and vocalists.

According to the website, Grandma set out to make an album that would entertain both children and adults alike. She found that adults become almost immune to some children's songs by artists that utilize the same sound for every song. Although those songs are easily identifiable by children, adults become bored and tune out the music, creating a disconnect from what otherwise could be a positive musical experience with their children.

To overcome that disconnect, Grandma created a more adult sound with different rhythms, and used lyrics that everyone can relate to resulting in a mixture of sounds that represents many different musical genres.

I don't know about your kids, but my kids can DANCE! They are particularly fond of shaking their little dupas (Czech for bottoms or butts) in time to the beat. Whenever I have Grandma playing on my computer they stop what they're doing and come into my Dojo and start to MOVE! So you not only have my endorsement of Grandma's music but my kids', too, and we all know that that is what is most important.

So be sure to check out her site and sample some of her tunes, and then pop into Grandma's Shoppe and pick out some great gifts for Grandma and grandkids alike.

Suzi Homemaker giveaway on Mom Made That

2008-12-29T11:15:00.003-05:00

Amy from Mom Spark has been working hard (while everyone else has been partying!) creating a brand new site called Mom Made That which is designed to promote Mom-owned businesses, especially ones where the moms make the products themselves! What a noble cause, huh?

I was lucky enough to get in on the very first giveaway for a monogrammed overnight bag from none other than moi! All you have to do is visit my retail site, look at all of the hip, fashionable and highly-personalizable stuff, then cruise over to Mom Made That, and leave a comment about what items you like on the site and you will be entered to win an overnight bag of your choosing. Extra entires also are available by tweeting about the giveaway, following Mom Made That, and signing over your first-born child (kidding, of course, but there are plenty of chances to win). Contest ends January 11 and the winner will be announced on January 12. I will be in Atlanta on those dates (shopping the latest trends at the Atlanta Gift market!), but I promise I will get your prize stitched up and on its way to you once I get back!

Good luck!

Suzi Homemaker logo now is officially trademarked!!!!

2008-12-26T12:43:00.004-05:00

The other day I received a Certified Letter from my attorney's office (always a scary thing even though I hired him to file my trademark paperwork--had to think whether or not I had paid my bill recently!). The envelope contained a Certificate of Registration from the United States Patent and Trademark Office--my Suzi Homemaker logo is now a recognized Trademark!!!

I filed for the trademark in March 2007 after the girls at Eden Design Co. finalized the design. Now, almost two years later, it's official!

What's next? Well, my big dream is to start a franchise for SAHMs or WAHMs who have transitioned from the corporate world to stay at home and raise their families. That's a ways down the road (after I win the Lottery!), but for now, I'm content knowing that I have left my mark in this world!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-19T12:09:00.005-05:00

Whew!

I am just finishing up my last internet orders and packaging them up to take to the Post Office. I cannot believe how much business I have had since Dec. 1! I did not know what to expect this year with the dismal economy, but I am thrilled to report I had my best retail month since I began my business over two years ago. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in my little stitching endeavors--I so appreciate each and every one of you!

The hottest selling item this season by far was the collapsible market tote. One customer bought five of them and told me she will be coming back for more after the holidays. Another one received her order for three and promptly ordered three more! I still have some left in stock and also have found a new vendor who makes the same totes but with a drawstring closure on top of them so nobody can peek at what's inside your basket!!!

Now I must confess what an awful mother and wife I have been for the past few weeks. We still do not have our tree decorated--we put it up on Sunday to find it is only partially lit. I had to go to Target to get more lights. My house is in ruins because I have Babycapes and product strewn about, yet I continue to yell at the children if they leave their socks or toys on the floor. I did manage to get some Buckeyes made the other day, but only after Sophie had been begging me for weeks to do so. I still have fudge to make for Mr. Brown at the Post Office and the ladies in the office at Sophie and Max's school.

Christmas cards? Let's just say the picture you see here was from last year's "Holiday Card" that never made it in the mail. I have been using them to write lunch box notes to Sophie. Cookies? Hopefully this weekend. Presents wrapped? Santa does not wrap presents in our household. Pumpkins removed from front porch? Maybe next year we'll have a pumpkin patch in our front yard. Santa's lap? Tomorrow or Sunday.

One thing I have accomplished (which I am so very thankful for!) is I have found a church for our family to attend. We had been shopping churches all summer and finally attended a service with a neighbor several weeks ago. It is Covenant Baptist Church in Shepherdstown. The first service I attended I knew I had come to the right place! The music was INCREDIBLE--it moves me to tears each week! And the Pastor is very down-to-earth. We feel at home there and the children are fitting right in. We asked Max what he did in Sunday school a couple of weeks ago and he said, "I prayed and prayed and prayed!" Sophie is learning a lot and has a lot of questions about God. And Carly...well, we take crayons and doodle pads with us and take turns running her to the water fountain.

All in all, it has been quite a year. We had some rough patches, but our family is as strong as ever. I am praying for a safe, healthy and Happy New Year for all! Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!

Max-ism #489: The cotton candy is controlling me!

2008-12-16T16:55:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, I had taken Sophie to The Parade of Horses in town while Steve set up our Christmas Yard Art and tree with Max and Carly. On the way home, Sophie convinced me to buy a bag of cotton candy.

When we got it home, she graciously shared it with Max and Carly. A little while later, Max was getting a little rowdy. When Steve told him to settle down, Max stuck his tongue out at him and blew him a raspberry. Steve picked him up and carried him up to his room where he sat for several minutes. When Max's timeout was finished, Steve went up to talk to him.

Steve: "Max, you know you're not supposed to stick your tongue out at people, especially Mommy and Daddy."

Max: "I know. Something got in my head. It's the cotton candy. It's controlling me!"

The mix tape

2008-11-28T16:06:00.008-05:00

I was talking to my long distance BFF, Christi from mint. sweet little things (she's the one who makes all of those wonderful little bags that I sell on my retail site), and she had me taking a major hike down memory lane. She was burning some CDs with music hits from the 80s to give to some of her clients. We had a blast running through all of these tunes from the Big Hair era and it got me thinking back to some Mix Tapes I received in my teen years.

Mix Tapes were the ultimate expression of love when a boy just could not bring himself to whisper those three words. My first serious boyfriend courted me with tapes he made that contained his favorite songs from his favorite artists. Never mind my favorite songs or favorite artists, these songs spoke to him and he thought they would speak to me, too. I really hated The Cars and was not a big Beatles fan--I was more in to funk music and was just getting into punk and classic rock (I have an eclectic taste in music), but he really didn't care. He thought if he loved this music he could package it all together, present it to me and make me love it, too.

Well, he was wrong. The relationship did not last a year out of high school--not because of the music, mind you, it seems we really did not have much else in common either.

Now, my next boyfriend did his homework. We worked together at a newspaper and he was privy to my changing the radio dial and could tell if I really liked a song. He painstakingly made his tape in a time when you had to use a dual-tape recorder with a fast forward and rewind button--timing was a skill. If you could manage to get a disc jockey to play a dedication on the radio and capture it at the precise moment, well, that was a major coup. Some of the songs that found their way on to that tape still ring in my ears...Sheila E's "Love Bizarre"; Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like a Knife"; and Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love?" I LOVED that tape! I lost it when a jealous boyfriend from college found it and demanded that I destroy it. It seems he was well aware of the power of the Mix Tape.

Another guy I dated in college worked at a music store and had every song that ever existed in the universe at his disposal. Now that guy could make a Mix Tape--hits from Steely Dan, Dan Fogelberg, Chicago, Boston were prevalent on his tapes.

Of course, now, music is all digital and mixes are done on computers or ipods or MP3 players (and I am the first to admit I know NOTHING about ipods or MP3 players!), but
it's just not the same.

I miss the Mix Tape. Indulge me -- if you were to make a Mix Tape, what songs would make the cut?

Suzi Homemaker recommends trendy teacher gifts

2008-11-28T15:34:00.010-05:00

'Tis the season to recognize all that your little ones' teachers have done for them thus far this school year and Suzi Homemaker has some great recommendations for teacher gifts at reasonable prices. Check out this darling collapsible market tote! These market totes will let your teachers get to class in style with plenty of room for all of their teacherly supplies. And when they're not schlepping all of their stuff to and fro school, they can use it to go green at the grocery store. I just stitched out about 30 of these for a couple of friends--this is their go-to gift this season. Limited quantities of each color are in stock, so do hurry to place your order. Did I mention they are a bargain at just $22.50 including embroidery?
Another option is the gorgeous Diva Tote, pictured here in a lime green damask print with brown embroidery in the Classic Curlz font. What teacher wouldn't love to take home their papers for grading in this trendy little number? They come in three colors: lime green (I seem to be on a lime green kick today), hot pink and black--all classy and all just $18 including embroidery.
Some other ideas for teachers include: cosmo bags for pencils and pens; travelers or mini dopp kits with a big fat initial on them; trifold makeup bags; and train cases--all embroidered and all completely special. Remember, nothing is more special than a personalized gift and it is my mission to provide such gifts at reasonable prices.
Well, it's back to the embroidery machine here at Suzi Homemaker HQ. Hope you had a fabulous turkey day!!

Suzi Homemaker placemat review and giveaway

2008-11-26T15:39:00.004-05:00

Jamie from Momto3Angels is hosting a review and giveaway on those cute little placemats I told you about earlier this month. All you have to do is visit her blog, the visit my retail site and look at all of the cute, AFFORDABLE personalized gifts I have available, go back to her blog and write a comment about which product you like best on SuziHomemaker.net and you will be entered to win a placemat of your choosing! I'm getting ready to add holiday placemats, so you may want to get one of those if you win (or maybe even if you don't!)!
Contest ends Dec. 1 so scoot on over there!

Babycapes wins iParenting Media Award

2008-11-26T14:31:00.004-05:00

Babycapes—Innovative Outerwear for Little Ones has won an iParenting Media Award in the Safety Category for its patent-pending design that makes traveling in a vehicle with infants and small children easier and safer. iParenting.com, a Disney Internet Group media property, is a premier media site focused on parents. The award-winning network includes more than 40 websites devoted to the entire family lifecycle and Points on Parenting radio show.

Babycapes are produced in West Virginia by Martinsburg-based Babycapes LLC, owned and operated by local businesswomen Elizabeth Hostler and Suzi Crowder. Babycapes combine the best aspects of a blanket, coat and bunting while eliminating the drawbacks associated with all three. It’s unique, patent-pending design allows parents to transition babies and small children from house to car seat to stroller or front carrier without unbundling or interfering with the security of the harness straps, as federal safety guidelines instruct.

“We are thrilled to receive this honor,” said Hostler, who created the initial garment after learning that strapping her own daughter, Andy, into her car seat over a bulky coat put her at greater risk in the event of an accident. “Babycapes has made our lives easier and our children safer and we are on a mission to bring it to parents everywhere.”

As part of the iParenting Media Award process, three outside reviews were performed on Babycapes, including a licensed childcare facility/school, a child safety expert and a parent. One product tester stated Babycapes was “so easy to put on…Love the convenience, and it’s so nice to adjust all kids car seats to them without puffy coats. Really keeps them warm.”

In addition to the outside reviewers, Babycapes was evaluated by the iParenting Media Awards Executive Committee and is now considered an iParenting Media Awards award-winning vendor.

Babycapes are available for purchase at www.BabycapesOnline.com and at select retailers. One size fits newborns to preschoolers. Babycapes are available in a variety of luxurious, machine-washable fabrics to suit all climates.

For more information call 304-582-8070 or email babycapes@hughes.net.

What have I done?

2008-11-18T19:14:00.004-05:00

I got this from my friend Dawn's blog--d'blogala...You’re supposed to bold the things you’ve done. Here's what I have done:

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

What have you done?

The bucket and the mop

2008-11-12T19:07:00.007-05:00

(The names and dates in this post have been changed to protect the identity of Sophie's classmates.)

Today when I picked Sophie up from school I saw something no parent ever wants to witness: a bucket and mop outside of the classroom.

"No, no, NO!" I thought to myself. I usually walk to her class to pick her up and made my approach with much trepidation. Her teacher dismissed her and I began my interrogation.

"So, Sophie," I started. "Did someone get sick in class today?"

"Hmm?" she was lost in her thoughts at the end of the long school day and thinking about what snack she was going to get out of the machine.

"Did someone get sick today?" I repeated more firmly.

"Oh, yeah," she said, unconcerned.

I knew it!

"Who?" I asked.

"Megan spit up all over the floor and had to go home," she said matter-of-factly.

I immediately ran over the class seating chart in my mind. Megan sat on the other side of the room from Sophie--we still had a chance.

"Sophie, this is important," I said as I turned her to face me. "Did you come within a five foot radius of Megan today or in the past 24 hours?"

"What?" she was confused.

"Did you play with her today? Eat lunch with her? Sit next to her in assembly? Share lip balm? You didn't share lip balm with her, did you?" I was in major panic mode.

"No," she was still unfazed.

"Who cleaned up the mess? Did you go near the mess? Was it projectile? Did you get any on you? You said the floor--was it the floor in the bathroom? Was it properly sanitized before anyone else used it? Did you use the bathroom after Megan puked? Sophie!!!!"

My heart was racing as I thought of the ramifications this vomitous incident could have on the Crowder family--first Sophie, then Carly since they share a room, then either Max or myself. Steve usually is immune. Max puked directly into his face last year and he never got sick...oh, the horror!!! Should I quarantine Sophie? Put her in a bubble? Line her bed with plastic sheets and hand her a bucket when I tuck her in? Lost in my neuroses, it took me a minute to realize Sophie was staring at me.

"You need to relax, Mommy," she said.

She was right. It was out of my control. There was nothing I could do--the damage had been done. Another lesson learned from my six-year-old. I just needed to sit back and let the chips--or chunks in this case--fall where they may.

www.SuziHomemaker.net

2008-11-07T07:20:00.000-05:00

Max's take on the weather

2008-11-05T12:22:00.005-05:00

This morning while I was finishing getting ready for the day, the kids were lying on our bed looking at a toy magazine trying to get their lists together for Christmas. Max saw a map of the United States and said, "We could get a map then we can change the weather!"

I guess his only exposure to maps so far has been on the news when the weather forecast is on!

Gleen Green Cleaning Cloth Review

2008-11-04T17:56:00.009-05:00

I was cleaning out my kitchen drawers last week and I came across a little box that had a little Gleen Green Cleaning Cloth in it. I had purchased it several months ago and decided to give it a try. I'm always buying little cloths, like Pledge wipes or Lysol wipes, that I swipe around all of the dirt and dust in our house (I must confess that Suzi Homemaker does not have the cleanest house on the planet--I know you're shocked!), hoping that I will conquer the dirt without that much effort, but usually to no avail.

When I gave this little gem a whirl, I could not believe how well it worked! According to the Gleen website:

"GLEEN, combined with the power of water, safely and effectively cleans hundreds of surfaces. This unique 16 x 16 inch cloth effortlessly cleans windows, mirrors, marble countertops and more, with only water, for a streak free gleam. No need for expensive sprays, harsh chemicals or paper towels. Just dampen GLEEN with water, wring it out and experience easy cleaning, every time. The patented fiber technology leaves behind absolutely no streaky residue or scratches and cleans the following materials: glass, ceramic, chrome, plastic, marble, fiberglass, stainless steel, leather, granite, acrylic, vinyl, wood, porcelain and aluminum."

Well, I have just about all of those surfaces in my house, so I set out to prove them wrong! I am happy and amazed to report that the Gleen Green Cleaning Cloth lives up to the hype! I cleaned and cleaned with it by just wetting it with water and wiping down countertops, appliances and glass. Even the glass cooktop that I have struggled to keep gunk-free came clean! After a lot of scrubbing, I had to merely rinse the cloth and it was good to go again! Lo and behold, no streaks! How can this be?

I think I purchased the cloth at Weis Market for about $6--not too shabby considering all of those Pledge and Lysol Wipes are about the same and they don't last as long and aren't nearly as versatile--plus my kids mistake them for baby wipes and that is not a good thing. They also are available for purchase on the Gleen Cloth website.

Now I can rest a little bit easier knowing that I am doing something good for the environment and cleaning my house at the same time! I wonder if it works on grubby faces and dirty little butts?

Sophie is my new Favorite Child!!!

2008-11-04T12:04:00.002-05:00

Did I get your attention? Of course, I am kidding, but she did bestow upon me a great compliment the other day...

"Mommy," she said, "How come you look 32 but you're actually 41?"

"That's just the way it is, Soph," I answered. "I don't feel like I'm 41, but all of the records indicate that indeed I am. How old do you think Daddy looks?"

"45," she said, matter-of-factly. And he is 45.

Sophie's Special Banana Bread

2008-11-04T10:52:00.003-05:00

I hate to waste food, especially when it is so expensive to shop these days. I don't know about you, but we buy a lot of bananas. Some times my kids are all over them and a bunch won't last a day, but other times, they sit on the counter and get all brown and mushy. Instead of throwing the overripe bananas away, we started making banana bread.

Here is a simple recipe for banana bread (Sophie's favorite, so I named it for her) that we make here at Suzi Homemaker HQ a couple of times a month.

1. Take three medium ripe bananas and mash in bowl and set aside.

2. In another bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of baking soda and set aside.

3. In a third bowl, cream together 1/2 cup of butter and 1 cup of sugar.

4. Add two eggs and three tablespoons of milk and mix until creamy.

5. Fold in bananas and flour mixture. (You may also add 1 cup of chopped walnuts, but my kids don't like them, so I usually make it plain.)

6. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans (I know that technically you're not supposed to let your kids lick the spoons because of the raw eggs, but, heck, we did it as kids, so I let my kids have at it!).

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until bread is a dark brown. Serve plain or with butter or jelly.

It's so easy to make, there's no reason to waste anymore bananas!

Suzi Homemaker's recession-busting gift ideas

2008-10-29T15:07:00.006-04:00

I am busy stocking my online store with all kinds of new, unique and INEXPENSIVE personalized gift offerings for the upcoming holiday season. Expect a lot of posts over the next couple of weeks touting new products for everyone on your holiday shopping list.

I just finished posting some adorable personalized placemats, made of 100 percent cotton. They are nice and sturdy and a bargain at just $12.50 each! I also have some canvas wall hangings in the same styles as the placemats but they are mounted on wooden frames (couldn't get those on my embroidery machine, but you know I tried!) and I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to personalize them, but I will. I have some stencils and have tried fabric markers, but now I'm leaning toward puffy pens...I'll keep you posted...

Within the next week or so, I hope to have some children's embroidered growth charts posted and some tote bags along the same styles of the wall hangings and placemats. Also in the near future: some cute, whimisical Christmas stockings; holiday wine wraps--the alternative to the boring wine gift bags (but I'll have some of those, too!); holiday baby stuff like onesies and burp cloths; I'm also looking into some napkins for elegant table settings; tree skirts; and so much more!

Here is my pledge to you: I will keep my prices low so you can afford to give truly special personalized gifts to your loved ones this holiday season without breaking the bank. If you think of something you want, but cannot find it on my retail site, just email me at suzi@suzihomemaker.net or leave a comment on my blog and I will try to help you out!

101 uses for embroidered cosmo bags

2008-10-28T14:48:00.015-04:00

I just finished up an order for my e-friend, Julie, from Inkredible Stamping. Julie is an Independent Stampin' Up Demonstrator-Manager. She contacted me a while back to embroider some cosmo bags (from mint. sweet little things) with her cute little logo on them for her team in which to put their scissors, adhesives and other supplies. I did several bags for her at the beginning of the summer in the now extinct Lime Zebra pattern pictured above.

She just placed another order and this time mixed the colors up (since the lime green zebra sadly is no more), so I changed her logo around to match the trim on the bags. I had to blog about them because they are really darling and they demonstrate yet another use for these cute little bags.

The cosmo bags make great affordable gifts--an important caveat given our current economy. Around the holidays, when I'm doing some local craft shows, I usually stitch out a bunch with simply "Crayons" or "Busy Kit" stitched on them. Then I stuff the bags with little notepads, a package of crayons, a glue stick, stickers and little scrapbooks I make out of brown paper lunch bags. Last Christmas, I made a bunch of the kits for Sophie to give to her friends.

Cosmo Bags also can be used as everyday makeup bags that you can just toss in your purse in case you need to freshen up while out and about. I've also used them to tuck personal hygiene products (a.k.a. tampons and pads) in so they don't spill out embarrassingly when rummaging through my purse for the 30th time in a day.

So, if you are in need of a cute, unique gift this holiday season and don't want to spend a ton of money, keep these little cuties and Suzi Homemaker in mind! Remember, nothing is more special than a personalized gift!

Suzi Homemaker product review/giveaway on Blessings Abound

2008-10-28T13:54:00.003-04:00

I have met the most wonderful lady via eversations! Jacqueline from Blessings Abound emailed me a while ago about the possiblity of doing a review/giveaway on her blog. She is such a wonderful and amazing woman that I absolutely agreed! Jacqueline is a stay-at-home mother to four children, whom she also homeschools, a devoted wife and a Christian. All of her correspondence was so uplifting, I really enjoyed working with her! So I hope you will take the time to visit her blog and learn more about her.

While you are there, check out the Suzi Homemaker review and giveaway. Jacqueline reviewed a number of my products (including handmade blankets, cosmo bags and brand new train cases) and is featuring a $25 virtual gift certificate toward merchandise from Suzi Homemaker as part of the Bloggy Carnival. Just visit my retail site, check out all of my reasonably-priced merchandise, then go back to her blog and leave a comment on what you would use the gift certificate toward. There are also chances to earn extra entries. So check it out and good luck! Contest ends on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 11:59 p.m. Alaska time!

Panty lines: The bane and bum of my existence

2008-10-23T13:31:00.005-04:00

I just want to take a moment to thank all of the wonderful people that I came in contact with today that took the time to tell me that the belt from my long sweater was twisted inside my thong and that part of my left butt cheek was exposed.

First of all, some of you (especially my mom and sister) may be shocked to learn that I, a 41-year-old mother of three, wear a thong. I have struggled with panty lines my entire life--they are the bane of my very existence! I cannot stand the thought of having that line of demarcation spread across my fanny. Besides, wearing briefs or bikinis just exacerbates the appearance of flab above and below where the undergarments fit.

I do realize there are some benefits to wearing the briefs, the extra room allows me to tuck in the "built-in pencil pouch" I gained by having three Cesarean sections (I'm thinking of adding a zipper to this pouch to allow for extra storage). And I do wear briefs when I'm wearing athletic pants to cut down on the amount of jiggle. But with jeans or other five-pocket pants, I wear a thong. And, up until today, that was my business.

So, once again, thanks to the staff at my daughter's school who watched as I chased after Max and Carly, bending several times to catch Carly before she rang the bell on the admin desk for the umpteenth time, and to the teachers that had taken the children out to enjoy a brisk autumn day who greeted me, as usual, with a smile, but provided no information on the appearance of my nether-region. Thanks to the ladies at the bank. And a big fat thank you to my buddy at the Post Office, for it was right after I left your company, ass akimbo, that I discovered the error of my ways while getting back into the car.

I hope you all had a great day! And, next time I see you, I will hold my head high and my sweater low.

The innocence of youth

2008-10-20T21:10:00.004-04:00

My darling, Sophie, is such an accomplished reader at six-and-three-quarters! Each weekday she brings home a Wonderful Exciting Book (W.E.B.) from school which she is to read aloud and then Steve or I will read it back to her (along with her constant companions, Max and Carly). It is so amazing to watch and listen to Sophie read, as she sounds out unfamiliar words. (I do not recall being able to read and comprehend stories so well at her age--the times they are a changing!!!)

This evening she was reading and stumbled upon something troublesome to her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "This book has a bad word in it! Do I have to read it?"

What on earth could the word be?

"No," I told her. "You don't have to read any word you don't feel is nice. Let's see if we can substitute another word."

I looked at the page and saw the word, "stupid."

Oh, my sweet girl!

"That's not a very nice word is it?" I asked.

"No," she said.

"How about we use 'not a good idea' instead?" I suggested.

"Yes," she smiled. "That's better."

This further reinforces our decision to move to the country. I so vividly recall walking outside our townhome development in our old neighborhood and hearing five-year-olds cursing and having the police come to shake down residents on a semi-regular basis. Isn't that sad? We wanted our children to be children as long as possible without being exposed to everything that is evil and bleak in the world. Sophie was just three and Max not quite a year when we decided to hang it up.

I wanted my kids to know the innocence of youth that I knew growing up, and not be exposed to violence and foul language. So we gave up having three Starbucks in a three-mile radius, a big promotion for me, gourmet grocery stores, restaurants with cuisine from around the world, movie theaters with stadium seating in 14 theaters, a shopping mall with big-name stores such as Old Navy, Gymboree and Lord & Taylor--and on and on. It really doesn't compare to preserving the innocence of youth.

So the choice for us was simple: To stay in that environment...not a good idea.

Babycapes Giveaway on 5MinutesforMom.com

2008-10-17T10:32:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's true, another opportunity to win a Babycape--this time from blogging giant 5MinutesforMom.com. Janice wrote the sweetest review and included the most darling photographs of her youngest, Olivia, in an embroidered pink sherpa suede Babycape.

To enter to win, just visit 5MinutesforMom and write a comment about Babycapes--it's that easy! The contest ends Nov. 8. As an added bonus, we are offering a bonus to 5MinutesforMom readers, just enter the the code "5 Minutes for Mom" in the comments section at checkout on BabycapesOnline and you will receive a free hat, valued at $18. This offer is good through the end of November with your Babycapes purchase.

Uh, Donny...did you forget about us?

2008-10-17T09:22:00.001-04:00

So, after Elizabeth and I sent out a blast email to just about everyone we know asking them to watch CNBC's "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" last night, the show with our segment did not air! Bummer!

We had so much fun in D.C. the other day!

We arrived at noon and were welcomed by Stephen Clark, President of Liveshots DC. Stephen was so nice to us! He took us to a waiting room and brought us ginger ale for our nervous tummies and offered us cookies and biscotti. He asked about Babycapes, and was genuinely interested in the product and our story.

The studio was beautiful and was housed in the same building as the Washington bureaus of NBC, Fox News and CNN, to name a few of the biggies. After about a half hour, Elizabeth was taken back to have her makeup done and then we played The Waiting Game for about an hour-and-a-half. Finally, Elizabeth (I'm now going to refer to her as "E") was taken into the studio for filming and I got to watch everything on a lovely flat screen TV in the waiting room. Shauna Tesser, one of the producers, came on speaker and was giving E some suggestions for doing her 30-second pitch. Shauna knew all about the product and told E that she would be pitching her idea to Donny and an angel investor--okay, we weren't looking for an angel investor, but as long as Babycapes gets exposure, what the heck!

I'm not going to tell you what happened, except to say that Elizabeth did a great job of pitching Babycapes--I am so proud of her! She had been rehearsing her pitch and wound up switching it up at the last minute because of Shauna's suggestions. Hopefully, the show will air tonight. I checked the website and they have not listed the guests for tonight's show, so we may know later on today.

I'm kind of glad the segment didn't run last night because Jim Cramer of "Mad Money" was on and he was really depressing--kept telling everyone to move back in with their parents...I wouldn't mind that, Mom runs her home like a Bed and Breakfast...

So, sorry for the confusion everybody. We may be calling on you to vote again, as there will be an online poll of which of the three products pitched was the best--we, of course, believe it's Babycapes, but feel free to judge for yourself!

Babycapes heading to D.C. to be on "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch"

2008-10-15T08:51:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited! We got the call from the producers of CNBC's "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" to go down to D.C. today and film a segment on Babycapes for the show which will air tomorrow night!

I'm trying to wolf down a sandwich and am hoping that it doesn't come back up! We have been working so hard for this!! This could be the Big Break we have been waiting for! Elizabeth and I so believe in this wonderful product and this is a tremendous opportunity for us to make some money for our families!!! Who would have thought a chance meeting in a consignment store would lead to this wonderful product, burgeoning business and a great friendship?

Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!! We'll keep you posted!!!

Babycapes giveaway on MomDot.com

2008-10-11T09:44:00.003-04:00

We have partnered with the ladies at MomDot.com to give away a luxurious Babycape. (At right, is my little Carly in her cape--she LOVES her Babycape!)

To enter, visit our retail site at BabycapesOnline.com, look at all of the beautiful styles we have to offer, then go to MomDot.com, read the contest rules and leave a comment about Babycapes. There also are plenty of chances to earn extra entries by blogging or twittering about the contest.

This is your chance to keep your little one warm, stylin', comfortable and safe while traveling this winter. Contest ends October 23! So what are you waiting for?

Striking a balance without dropping the ball--or the baby

2008-10-08T11:31:00.007-04:00

My husband and I are perfect complements in our child-rearing practices. He's the laid-back, easy-going parent and I tend the be the high-strung, neurotic one.

He thinks it's perfectly okay to let our six-year-old watch our four- and two- in our unfenced yard on the street, while he ducks inside to catch a few holes of golf on TV, whereas I'm the one who's always hovering and shouting, "Not too high!", "Get away from the road!", "I'm not going to push you as high as Daddy does, I don't want your head to hit the playset!", or "You know our doctor said to never let you guys on a trampoline so I would appreciate it if you would get off now!"

I know our neighbors think I'm wound too tightly (especially because of the trampoline paranoia--the contraptions are ALL over the neighborhood and most of them don't have the netting on the sides!) when it comes to our kids, but I can't help it. I just want them to be safe. Not that my husband does not, he just feels that they will be fine, because he did the same things when he was a kid and nothing bad ever happened to him.

He's perfectly comfortable taking all three out to a crowded event. He always leads the way, paces in front of the kids, surveying the scene, looking at everyone and everything but our children while I'm pulling up the rear with my internal BPS (Baby Positioning System) keeping track of all three kids at once. It's exhausting for me, but it's my job.

Whenever I venture out by myself, I always say a little prayer that God will keep them all safe long enough for me to run and get my hair done or to do an unencumbered trip to the market. (And I'm not ragging on my husband--he is a GREAT father and he loves the kids and I trust him and all--I just cannot reiterate enough that I am NEUROTIC when it comes to my kids!) This past Sunday, I went to the grocery store and left the kids with their Daddy. They were in the basement playing and my husband was in his Man Cave in the next room watching football.

Better shut the garage door just in case Carly tries to make a run for it while Daddy's shouting at the Redskins. And better lock the front door just in case someone attempts a home invasion while I'm at Martin's.

When I came back from the store about an hour-and-a-half later, the garage door still was closed, so I opened it and began unloading the groceries. I was heading out for my second trip when I heard Sophie yelling outside, followed by Carly just wailing. I ran outside and Steve had Carly in his arms and the other two were in their wagon.

"What happened?" I yelled.

"Carly fell out of the wagon...oh, God, she's bleeding!" Steve exclaimed.

"I want my Mama!" my little one cried. Then I looked at her and saw blood all over her face.

I quickly grabbed her and ran inside to survey her injuries. Big fat, bloody lip, blood gushing from her nose (that nose has hit the pavement so many times my Mom has told us to start saving for rhinoplasty in her teen years), scraped up cheeks, tears streaming down her face, sobbing uncontrollably. I got a towel and started cleaning her up.

I could hear Sophie and Max giving Steve the riot act.

"I told you to stop the wagon, Daddy!" said Sophie. "Carly was trying to get out!"

"I know," he said. "It's all my fault."

Max started yelling at Steve, "You hurt my baby sister! You made her bleed!" and then he started crying. Steve was tending to him, all the while taking all of the blame.

They all came in to the kitchen to check on Carly, who, at that particular time wanted nothing to do with her father. Steve felt horribly and I know it was the last thing he wanted to happen. No need for accusations or I-told-you-so's.

Carly was a little beat up, but from what I could tell from reading every child-rearing book on the market, she did not require any stitches. She fell asleep while I held her and watched her nose swell up, telling myself if the right nostril closes completely I will take her to the ER. Are her pupils dilated? Hard to tell with her eyes closed. Should I wake her up to make sure she doesn't have a concussion? When she woke up a bit later, she didn't seem to be in any pain, but still wanted nothing to do with Daddy.

Now, mind you, this was an accident and it could easily have happened to me (except I probably would have made all the children wear their helmets in the Radio Flyer--might need to look into one with a face mask for Carly...). I just wish there was some way to strike a balance between mine and Steve's parenting styles...you know, so I can loosen up enough so that my kids don't grow up thinking I'm no fun and that they wouldn't think Steve somehow irresponsible because this accident had occurred on his watch.

I had hoped this would not have a lasting effect on Carly, nor the other two, for that matter.

My fears were put to rest yesterday morning. Carly had woken up in an especially good mood. Steve took her in to her room to get her dressed. She has this morning ritual of lying on her changing table while we change her Pull Up and get her dressed. She always stands up and turns to the mirror and starts putting on the "Carly Crowder Show."

This particular morning she had a different greeting.

"Hi! I'm Carly Crowder," she said as she turned to face the mirror. "Hey! What happened to my nose!

My new friend, Peri

2008-10-01T15:14:00.007-04:00

Meet my new friend, Peri--Peri Menopause.

I recently turned 41 and thought I was a bit young for my new acquaintance, but, alas, she has struck up a relationship with me at the same time she greeted my mother and sister. I thought I could stave off her appearance since I had my children relatively late in life, but that did not derail her.

I'm not sure what to make of my new friend. She seems a bit obnoxious--finds it amusing to keep me up at night, thwarting my quest for a good night's sleep (tho she cannot shoulder all of the blame for this, as my children delight in waking me up throughout the night). She likes to crank the heat up, leaving me sweaty and flushed at inconvenient times. She also manages to get me all fired up and filled with murderous rage over the littlest thing, such as a dirty sock thrown on the floor. Need I mention the facial hair that recently appeared around my mouth--in particular the little billy goat hair on my chin that pops up during social occasions and the two little hairs that keep resurfacing on the bulb of my nose? (I must remember to always carry a pair of tweezers).

Peri has emboldened my already tumultuous relationship with my old friend, Flo. Flo's monthly visits now come more frequently (I have yet to pin down her schedule) and her stays are getting longer. Flo, once mild and manageable, now makes the Vietnam War look tame. She has yet to meet a personal product she couldn't take in a fight--not even the new Ultra.

Peri and Flo, I must ask of you--what is UP? Are we not sisters gliding through this grand dance of life? Did I not serve you well, bearing three children and nursing them until their cheeks and legs were so fat that the youngest earned her nickname "Biscuit" because of the oh-so-delicious doughiness of her thighs? Have my annual doctor visits and monthly self-exams gone unnoticed? Did I not keep up my end of the bargain?

If I ply you with chocolates, chamomile tea, the finest of wines, myriad fans, black cohosh or other herbal concoctions will you retreat?

And, Peri, I don't want to seem an ungracious hostess, but how long were you planning on staying?

Suzi Homemaker's sure-fire stain remover

2008-09-29T12:42:00.004-04:00

Recently my sister, Vicki Homemaker, came to the Sew DoJo with a problem all of us have encountered at one time or another--a stain on one of her favorite shirts. Vicki lamented over the fact that this particular shirt was an expensive knit from Chico's in a very complementary shade of blue and that she had only worn it a couple of times before she spilled something on it, rendering it only suitable for what we call "makeup-free, not-for-public-consumption chore days."

Well, Vicki had come to the right place.

We went through several of my design catalogs searching for the perfect "stain remover," and settled on "Fashion Lady," as pictured here. I just embroidered the image over the stain and now Vicki can wear her shirt--with makeup--out in public again.

So the next time you get a stain on one of your favorite shirts, just send a shout to Suzi Homemaker and she'll make the old new again!

Custom embroidered Trick or Treat buckets from Suzi Homemaker

2008-09-27T16:00:00.004-04:00

I just yesterday loaded the most darling Trick or Treat buckets on my retail site, SuziHomemaker.net. The bags are 100% cotton canvas, are large enough to accommodate a candy haul from the largest of neighborhoods and a bargain price of just $16 (includes personalization with this particularly ghoulish font pictured on Max's bucket at left).

I stitched out Max's bag and took the picture, loaded it on my site and set about finishing up some shirt orders, when Sophie came in and wanted to know when her bag would be done. Of course, I had to do it right away because I am Suzi Homemaker Keeper of the Peace and Enforcer of All Things Fair and Equitable When It Comes to My Children. Sophie chose the bag with the bat on it and then Carly got the one with the spider on it. The kids loved their bags so much they carried them around all evening and Sophie wound up sleeping with her bag.

Check back on my retail site early next week as I will be loading some Halloween tees and sweatshirts, including the "Don't scare me I poop easily" style--last year's hottest seller at the fall festivals.

Bad blast from the past

2008-09-21T12:20:00.004-04:00

Something happened the other day and I am having a hard time processing it.

I have been doing a lot of social and business networking of late, trying to promote my blog and my two businesses. I recently signed on with LinkedIn to try to connect with other business people who might be interested in doing business with me. I hesitated joining for a while because I was afraid someone from my past might try to re-connect with me.

You see, I have a dark secret.

I was in an abusive relationship while I was in college. For two years I allowed myself to be controlled by an awful man who seemed to take immense pleasure in belittling me. I often look back and wonder how I got involved in such an unhealthy relationship, but the truth is, it happened so gradually that I didn't even realize how bad it was until it started taking a tremendous toll on my health--both mental and physical.

I don't know how, but I managed to get out of it. It was a long, vicious cycle of breaking up, him promising he would seek help, preying on my then non-existent self-esteem, getting back together only to have his behaviors resurface again and again. I wound up fleeing, running home to my parents, like a wounded little bird. My last contact with him occured after my sister encouraged me to go on a date with a man whom she knew. I hesitated, but finally relented. That man treated me better in one evening than I had ever been treated by my abuser. I decided that I wasn't going to put up with it anymore and broke it off with my abuser for good.

It was no happy ending--yet. In my weakened emotional state I wound up going from one bad relationship to another, always being the doormat for the person with whom I was involved, never sticking up for myself. Not wanting to rock the boat, I endured abuses on a smaller scale. Finally, I sought treatment--six years of weekly therapy turned my life around. I had finally decided I would not tolerate anything but the best of treatment from a man--I DESERVED the best!

I had gotten involved with another man and after a couple of months, he started exhibiting controlling behavior. I was out of that relationship in no time. I told myself I DESERVED better and was perfectly content being single. Then, shortly after that, I met my future husband. My husband got the Real Me. Strong, confident, witty, with my own opinions that I'm not afraid to voice. The exact opposite of my former, abused self. He jokes that he sometimes wishes he would have gotten a little bit of the old me--but I know he is only joking.

My husband and I have been happily married for seven years, have three beautiful children, and are enjoying a healthy relationship. We have our ups and downs, but we respect and love each other and work through the rough patches.

So, what did I do when I received this request? If you're not familiar with LinkedIn, you receive emails from people inviting you to join their network. I did go to his page--out of curiosity and a little bit of incredulity. I was presented with the option of accepting the invitation or clicking on a button that says you don't know the requestor.

I clicked the latter. Maybe the Other Suzi knew him, but not this one. He doesn't DESERVE the privilege of knowing me.

If you have witnessed abusive behavior in your partner, please seek help. HelpGuide.org provides a wealth of information on domestic abuse as well as other forms of abuse, including alcohol and drugs. If you feel you are in physical danger immediately call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-787-3224.

Suzi Homemaker Review and Giveaway on My Life With Little Girls

2008-09-18T14:33:00.006-04:00

It's time for another product review and chance to win $25 toward merchandise from none other than moi!

I know I had said I was going to slow down on the giveaways, but Regina from My Life With Little Girls was so sweet in her request that I thought I would help her out. She is a relatively new blogger and this is her first review and giveaway so you better scoot over there and get while the gettin's good!

Just visit her blog, then visit my retail site (take your time, look around, make note of all of the new stuff I've added recently, make out your Christmas lists, tell all of your friends about all of the cute stuff), then go back to her blog and write a comment about what you would use the money toward should you win. The contest ends at noon CDT on Oct. 2, so scoot on over there and submit your comment. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

It is getting close to the holiday season and I do need to start earning some money to pay for presents for the fam, so I may need to slow down on the reviews for a bit and start actually selling some merchandise. I try to keep my prices reasonable, so I hope that you will keep Suzi Homemaker in mind when it comes to gift-giving this year!

My daughter's going to juvie

2008-09-16T19:22:00.005-04:00

I am at my wit's end. My littlest one, Carly, is on a fast-track to pre-school juvie! She has become what I have feared most--a bully! (At right is a picture of her in her panty do-rag, ready for lock-up.)

My daycare provider called me today to let me know that Carly was on a bullying rampage, taking out every baby who got in her way. After being sent to the "Time Out Chair" on several occasions for pinching, poking and swatting at other kids, she did the unthinkable--she forcefully pushed a little guy, still getting used to his sea legs, into a cubby with both hands, resulting in the dreaded Incident Report.

OMG! What has gotten into my little angel? She has always been stubborn and headstrong, always trying to keep up with her older brother and sister and never shying away from letting us know when she's unhappy, but it's just lately that she has been resorting to biting, pinching and hitting.

She is two, but my other children never behaved this way. In fact, she's been biting, hitting and pushing them, too. They are almost afraid of her. Is it Little Sister Syndrome? Is she frustrated because she has trouble using her words to tell us what's bothering her? I just don't know.

My daycare provider is going to consult a Behavioral Therapist and ask her for advice on "re-directing" Carly. Does she need therapy? For the most part, she is a happy, loving little girl. It's just at odd moments she gets a wild hair up her Pull-up and acts out.

I hate to think she's becoming the Preschool Pariah and that I'm going to have to lower my head in shame at drop-off and pick-up while enduring knowing, disapproving glances from the other parents. I don't want her to get the reputation of being a miscreant--that's a hard rap to shake at any age.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to handle my little girl before she spirals out of control and winds up in military preschool?

Vote for Babycapes on StartUpNation.com

2008-09-16T09:35:00.004-04:00

Babycapes LLC is a contestant in 2008 StartUpNation Home-Based Business Competition in the Glamorous and Innovative Product categories! My partner, Elizabeth, and I have been working so hard on this product for more than a year now and would really love your support—plus we would love to win this award!

If you have a moment, please visit StartUpNation.com and cast your vote. All you have to do is click on the “Vote” button and we’re good-to-go!

Also, we’re putting the finishing touches on our brand-new website: BabycapesOnline.com --it’s not quite finished, but should be complete by the end of this week.

Please forward this to anyone and everyone you know, ask them to vote, and help a couple WV moms reach their goal of making Babycapes a household name and help turn us into Godzillionaires!!!!

Vote and vote often! You can vote once a day!

Thanks in advance for your support!

WV moms combat bulky coats with innovative outerwear: Babycapes

2008-09-06T17:05:00.014-04:00

No responsible parent would ever knowingly put their child in harm’s way while traveling in a vehicle, but this winter, many parents will do just that merely by dressing their children for cold weather.

Martinsburg, WV, mom, Elizabeth Hostler, was shocked to learn that she was putting her daughter, Andy, at risk every time she put her into her infant seat.

“You want your child to be warm and comfortable, but, most importantly, you want them to be safe,” said Hostler, who also has a seven-year-old son. “Every time I went to put Andy in her car seat during the winter it turned into a battle. She hated being confined to her seat in a heavy coat. When the car warmed up, Andy would just wail because she was so uncomfortable and helpless to do anything about it. What I didn’t realize was that she also was not safe.”

Hostler had read an article that children fastened into car seats over bulky garments could be at risk in a crash as the force of a collision could cause the coat to compress and actually eject the child from the seat.

The non-profit organization Car-Safety.org generally does not recommend a child wear a winter coat while in the car seat, since the car seat harness straps must remain tight on the child’s shoulders regardless of any clothing.

“I thought there had to be a better, safer way to travel with my children,” said Hostler.

With limited sewing skills, Hostler immediately began constructing a garment out of a fleece blanket. The goal was to provide protection from the cold, while keeping Andy comfortable and safe while strapped into her car seat or stroller.

The garment she created was much easier to put on and take off. Putting Andy in her car seat also became much easier, as Hostler could flip the garment to the side, adjust the straps and then drape the garment over the car seat. If Andy became too hot, Hostler could easily lift the garment off. Hostler also realized that Andy was more secure in her car seat since there was no bulky barrier between her and the harness straps.

Every place Hostler went with Andy and her “cape” people commented on the ingenuity of the garment, including Suzi Crowder, mother of three and owner of Suzi Homemaker Custom Embroidery, whose youngest daughter, Carly, is just a few weeks older than Andy. Crowder encouraged Hostler to obtain a patent for the garment. The two joined forces and together made several practical and innovative modifications, including a clever back opening and interior foot pocket, and that is how Babycapes began.

Babycapes are simple to put on or take off, even while holding a squirming child.

From your arms to the car, there is no need to remove Babycapes. In the car, babies can move freely. When the car warms up, Babycapes can be removed or replaced without unstrapping the child.

When you arrive at your destination, easily remove the child from her seat and place in stroller. The front cozy feature works as a bunting to cover up and protect wiggly toes. And Babycapes innovative design is great for babies in front carriers as well.

One size fits newborns to preschoolers. Babycapes are available in a variety of luxurious, machine-washable fabrics to suit all climates.

For more information email sales@BabycapesOnline.com or visit BabycapesOnline.com.

The carrot, the egg and the coffee

2008-08-27T14:13:00.009-04:00

A dear friend of mine emailed this little story to me today and I thought I would share it...

The Carrot, the egg, and the coffee

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose..

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take
an egg and break it.. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?'

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat?
Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial
hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my
shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain.. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

This sounds like my mother. My Mother is the consummate coffee bean.

My Mom has always encouraged me to think positively. Most of my life I resisted positive thinking, always affecting the "woe is me" attitude. Very much a carrot.

Through bad relationships, bad break-ups, missteps at school and work, natural and not-so-natural disasters, flooded basements, financial difficulties, and on and on, my Mom has always been there like a strong cup of coffee encouraging me and kicking me in the carrot-orange pants to get me back on track.

My husband, also, is a coffee bean. That man has overcome so much adversity (including living through several fires, being abandoned by his father when he was six, losing his mother just prior to our marriage) in his life, you would think he would be a carrot or an egg, but, no, he always has a smile on his face, is never in a bad mood and always manages to put a positive spin on things. He, too, has done his fair share of pulling me out of the dumps.

I have probably been more of an egg of late. I no longer wither and go limp, I lost that attribute long ago. Now I get hard and angry.

It's the times when I listened to my Mom and husband and approached a problem in a positive manner without wallowing in self pity or anger that I've actually been able to turn the situation around.

From this day forward I will strive to be a coffee bean with every fiber of my being (I resisted the urge to write "fiber of my beaning").

This morning provided the perfect opportunity to stretch my new-found bean-ness, if on a smaller scale. I dropped my little Carly off at her preschool (aside: the other two are staying at my parents' for a few days), and when I went to leave, she accidentally slammed the door up against the side of my face--OUCH!

Shake it off, Little Latte...I went on my way.

A little while later I was stitching out an order and noticed that the little bag I was embroidering had slipped a bit so I reached in to adjust it and darned if I didn't stitch through my finger--YOW!!! I started thinking, "It's going to be one of those days when everything goes wrong."

Whoa. Back up. That's exactly how an egg would see things.

What would a coffee bean do? (I can see the bumper sticker now, "WWACBD?")
After the small adversities I faced this morning, I decided I would channel my inner bean and go purchase some scratch off lottery tickets. I won $27.

I think I'll go buy a cup of coffee.

Another Suzi Homemaker giveaway

2008-08-27T12:14:00.003-04:00

Okay--this is getting ridiculous! I keep giving stuff away...what's wrong with me? I've had a number of requests for reviews/giveaways from mom bloggers lately and I can't seem to say, "No."

The latest request was from Amanda at A Window to My Crazy Life . She has reviewed a couple of products for me and is now hosting a $30 giveaway. Just visit her blog, then visit my retail site (take your time, look around, make note of all of the new stuff I've added recently, make out your Christmas lists, tell all of your friends about all of the cute stuff), then go back to her blog and write a comment about what you would use the money toward should you win. The contest ends at noon CDT on Sept. 4, so scoot on over there and submit your comment. Winner will be chosen by random.org.

It is getting close to the holiday season and I do need to start earning some money to pay for presents for the fam, so I may need to slow down on the reviews for a bit and start actually selling some merchandise. I try to keep my prices reasonable, so I hope that you will keep Suzi Homemaker in mind when it comes to gift-giving this year!

P.S. I do know that there will be two more contests in the very near future, so I will keep you apprised of those!

Suzi Homemaker goes to the Democratic National Convention

2008-08-22T20:00:00.003-04:00

Kind of, sorta.

Actually, I am finishing stitching up a rush order for the Federal Aviation Administration Emergency Operations division. They wanted some shirts to take to the Democratic National Convention with their logo and "DNC '08" stitched on the right sleeve. I was more than happy to oblige.

Make sure you tell all your friends where you got your cool shirts, FAA dudes! But leave out the part that says Suzi Homemaker is a Republican!!! Kind of, sorta...

A Wrestling Addicted Mommy helped out Suzi Homemaker

2008-08-22T14:32:00.004-04:00

I wanted to write a public acknowledgement and thank you to Gina (a.k.a. A Wrestling Addicted Mommy), who took pity on poor bloggily-challenged Suzi Homemaker and made her a fancy new banner (see above) and button (pictured at left).

Gina took time out from her own blogging duties to craft these little cuties (did you notice that rhyme?) for me so my site wouldn't look so lame. Let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend and thanks, again, Gina!

Back where you belong

2008-08-21T12:17:00.003-04:00

I want my boobs back.

I have been either pregnant or nursing my entire marriage--a little more than seven years. My youngest is 28 months old and she's still going strong.

My friends always told me that most babies will quit nursing on their own--lose interest, usually between nine and 16 months. My kids apparently missed that section in their handbooks. I think my oldest would still be nursing if we hadn't had to put the kibosh on it when I was pregnant with my second child.

In fact, when I was in the hospital after my son was born, he was having trouble latching on and my then 27-month-old said, "No, it's easy, Max...let me show you..." and she started going for my nipple.

So why, you ask, don't I put an end to it? Well, part of it's nostalgia--I know this is my last child and the last time I will experience the closeness you get from holding a child to your breast. Part of it, I'm ashamed to admit, is vanity: I'm afraid what my boobs are going to look like once they lose the fullness from the milk. And they don't look that great now.

I never thought I would consider plastic surgery, but my chest is a mess. If I want to wear a knit top to bed, I need to wear a bra or I get disgusted every time I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror. My boobs don't just hang, they kind of migrate toward the middle of my back. Ick. I don't want anything added--no implants, or transferring of fat from my tummy to my bust--just move the things back up to where they once were.

A friend of mine whose husband is in the military told me that Tricare--the military health care system--will pay for one cosmetic surgery for either active duty or retired military or their spouses. I asked Steve about it (he's retired Air Force), told him I deserved that surgery if there was one to be haggled over. Afterall, I'm the one who put in the time nursing all three kids. He started talking about having some scar removed or having his gynecomastia (translation: man-boob--which he doesn't even have anymore since he's lost a little weight) removed.

I quickly put that argument to rest.

One morning I was getting out of the shower and toweling off while Steve was at our double vanity shaving.

He glanced at me briefly, then resumed shaving.

"Maybe we should look into that surgery."

Gearing up for Back-to-School

2008-08-17T13:49:00.004-04:00

My embroidery machine is constantly humming here at Suzi Homemaker HQ as I'm gearing up for back-to-school. Not only am I working on uniforms for The Country Day School, but also I am getting together a bunch of great new products (from my favorite vendors as well as some new ones) to send your kids back-to-school in personalized style!

Parents--please don't send your child to school with a brown bag lunch--that is so 1982! Pack their lunch in an oh-so-stylish personalized snack square or lunch box from my friends at mint. sweet little things. Back-to-school? How about back-to-COOL with a matching backpack and pencil case? Did I mention most of these necessities are on sale, too?

New to Suzi Homemaker is an assortment of goodies from Room It Up, including monogrammed messenger and laptop bags, storage cubes and monogrammable notebooks--are you kidding me? These items are especially appealing to the hard-to-please tween. Later this week, I will be posting more items for the home, such as over-the-door organizers, hanging sweater organizers and handy hold alls for all of your bags.

Within the next couple of weeks I will be posting some sassy shirts and sweatshirts for Halloween and gift items for the upcoming holiday season. It's hard to believe summer is almost over!

Suzi Homemaker's Fresh Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2008-08-16T19:57:00.007-04:00

We just finished a very light and refreshing meal here at Suzi Homemaker Central! This week's bag of produce from Redbud Farm included a huge allotment of tomatoes and a few cucumbers, as well as fresh basil (I cannot get enough of this stuff!) and three super star sweet onions.

This recipe is so simple, it's ridiculous, but it was so tasty, I had to share!

4 large tomatoes, diced
3 cucumbers, peeled and diced
3 super star sweet onions (or use 1 large Vidalia or other sweet variety), chopped
8 large basil leaves, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (or use garlic salt)
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons ExtraVirgin Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

Mix everything together and serve as a side salad or as a topping on grilled chicken, fish or steak. We had ours as a side salad to roasted chicken breasts and put it on Wasa sesame seed flat bread. I had mine with a nice cold glass of Barrel Select Chardonnay from the Cellar Club at Breaux Vineyards.
What a great summer meal!! Enjoy!

Max-ism #412

2008-08-13T17:32:00.004-04:00

My son, Max, has a way with words.

At four, he is wise beyond his years.

This afternoon, my husband, Steve, came home and immediately heard Max calling to him from the basement.

"Daddy! I need you to come wipe my butt!"

(His timing was impeccable. I narrowly escaped Butt Patrol--yeah!)

A few minutes later, Steve came upstairs and said, "That was the funniest thing I think I've ever heard."

When Steve walked into the bathroom, Max was holding up his right hand, fingers covered in poop.

"Oh, no!" he cried. "There's poop on my fingers! My fingers are RUINED! Mommy gave me these fingers!"

Another review and giveaway from Suzi H

2008-08-12T14:05:00.003-04:00

I LOVE my blogger moms! They are so nice and when they email to ask to do a product review and giveaway, I'm more than happy to oblige!!!

The latest contest is from Kristle at Stir Crazy. Just visit her site and click on any of the links to my retail site www.SuziHomemaker.net, review the goodies and then write a comment on her blog about what product you would like to win. Kristle also is offering ways to get additional entries, so be sure to visit her blog.

Contest ends on Aug. 27, 2008. The winner will be drawn by Random.org.

There are lots of back-to-school items on my site that are on sale, so $30 will go a long way in outfitting your little one(s) for the first day of class!