Archives for September 2008

things i love: healthy times baby care

September 30, 2008

I have found yet another thing I love and need to share with everyone!

My son has pretty sensitive skin and is prone to little bumps on his arms and legs. So, ever since he was a baby I’ve had to try out different natural products to keep his skin smooth and soft. So far the only thing I’ve found is the Arbonne Baby Wash & Lotion. As great as it is, it’s actually pretty expensive, which has been the only downside.

But, just recently one of my friends told me about Healthy Times. We actually have a store down the street, so I headed over and bought the baby wash and lotion. For only $5, I figured it was worth trying out. We’ve been using it now for a few weeks, and I have to say I LOVE it!!! It smells sooo yummy that when he’s all cleaned up, I just want to snuggle him and breathe him in. But even better, his bumps are clearing up…and I’m not spending $30 like I was on Arbonne!

If you have babies or kids, sensitive or not, you need to try this out!!!

Enjoy!!!

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the power of forgiveness

September 25, 2008

My lesson this week?
Forgiveness.

I’ve always had a harder time forgiving myself, but as I get older and the pain from someone I love hurts even more, I find it can be hard to forgive either way.

A couple of years ago I read a book called, Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge. I wrote this part down in my journal that really stood out to me.

“Forgiveness is a choice. It is not a feeling – don’t try and feel forgiving. It is an act of will. Don’t wait to forgive until you feel like forgiving. You will never get there. Feelings take time to heal after the choice to forgive is made. We acknowledge that it hurt, that it mattered, and we choose to extend forgiveness to those who hurt us. This is not saying, ‘It didn’t really matter.’ Forgiveness says, ‘It was wrong. Very wrong. It mattered, hurt me deeply. And I release you. I give you to God.’ It might even help to remember that those who hurt you were also deeply wounded themselves.” Jesus did not retaliate when He was insulted. When He suffered, He did not threaten to get even. He left His case in the hands of God. 1 Peter 2:21-23”

I had to go back to this passage this week when I was hurt beyond words. In the moment all I really wanted to do was to hurt them back, to make them feel just a little bit of the pain that was throbbing in my heart. I wanted to hold on to it, to keep talking about it, and to have others tell me I was justified. I wanted to wallow in my tears and pain, and allow this person to see just what they had done to me.

I tried to pray in the middle of it all. It was a measly prayer, but I guess that’s all it took. Because by the end of the day, I was reminded of what I had learned a couple years ago when I read that book. I had to forgive. It was not my place to punish. I had to give it to God. And I did. As best as I knew how. So at the end of the day, I went to this person and I forgave them.

I did not expect what happened next.

Since I’ve never forgiven quite like this before, I expected tears and awe for what I had just done, but instead it was a simple moment that seemed to pass quickly. The response was “Thank You.”
And of course, after pondering that moment the next day, I decided I wanted to take it back.

I said a few half hearted prayers. And again, I guess that’s all it took. My mind was quickly flooded with thoughts of all the times I’d made mistakes, took them to God and knew I was forgiven.

My response?
“Thanks God.”

Did I ever stop to dwell on what it took for Him to be able to forgive me? That it took Him sending His son to die on the cross? Sadly, not too often.

Did I ever cry and cry and lavish on Him all my thanks and praise for being able to forgive without hesitation?
Not many.

And now I know how that must have hurt Him.
Yet, even in that He forgives.
He understands.

It’s a painful lesson.
Most usually are.

But, this week, no: this day….actually, just this moment, I will try to do the same.
This moment, I choose to forgive and give it to God.

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heaven chat

September 23, 2008

With the recent anniversary of my dad’s death, Taylor and I have talked a little about Grandpa Don being in Heaven. He’s asked several times if he can go visit him there, and I told him one day he can, but not for a long time. He’s asked a few questions here and there, such as will he have to go potty there? (This is coming from the kid who hates to go to the bathroom. He will hold it and hold it until tears of pain roll down his cheeks!)

The rest of the conversation happened the other night before bed. It went something like this:
Tay: When we go to Heaven I won’t need to go pee pee anymore, right?
Me: Nope, I don’t think so. I don’t think we’ll have to go potty anymore. (not sure of the biblical reference on this one, but it sounded good at the time!)
Tay: Okay, so I want to go to Heaven. But, when I’m ready I’ll say to you, Mommy….I’m ready to go home now.
Me: Well, once we go to Heaven, that will be our new home. And we’ll get to stay forever and ever. It will be so fun.
Tay: Oh. Okay, then I don’t want to go to Heaven. I want to stay here in this home.
Me: That’s okay. I don’t think Heaven is ready for you yet anyway. Instead he gave you this home to live in, and me and Daddy get to take care of you.
Tay: He gave me this home to live in? (He then sits straight up in bed.) I like this house, I want to stay here.

Then he proceeded to sit straight up in bed and out of nowhere he belted out, “God? Jesus? Can you guys hear me?” He paused as he looked all around. “You can? Okay. Thanks Jesus. I love you, goodnight!”

Be still my heart. How freaking sweet is that?

And now, at least once a day he says to me….”Mom, is Heaven not ready for me yet? He gave us this home to live in?”

I just love that kid.

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what i learned from oprah…please help ASAP!!!

September 21, 2008

I don’t know if any of you saw Oprah last week, but I just had to post about it, because I can’t seem to get it out of my head. It was the show on Internet Child Predators, and just five minutes into the show I was sobbing. I don’t think I have ever seen or heard anything that has affected me the way this show did. If you didn’t see it, click here for part 1, here for part two, here for part three, here for part four, and here for part five. Once you’ve watched…read the following that was placed on Oprahs website.

Help Pass Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act

Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have. The PROTECT Our Children Act will: Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation. Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding. Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators. Act Now!

Your U.S. senators will be voting on the bill soon, so it is crucial you contact them immediately. Go to www.senate.gov to find contact information for the senators in your state. Search for your senator by name or state by clicking on the arrow from either dropdown menu. Contact information is provided here.

To send an e-mail, click on “Web Form” below his or her name, and e-mail your letter to make a difference! Call Your Senators If you choose to contact your senators by phone, be sure to tell them, “Vote yes on Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act.” Write to Your Senators If you choose to write a letter, fax, telegram or e-mail, you may use the following sample letter—and modify it how you see fit.

Dear Senator: I know that you believe, like I do, that we must do everything possible to protect children from sexual predators. That is why I am asking for your help. Last year alone, U.S. law enforcement identified over 300,000 criminals who were trafficking in movies and pictures of young children being raped and tortured. Experts say that one in every three of these criminals has local child victims. Child pornography trafficking over the Internet has given us a trail of evidence that leads straight to their doorsteps, but the vast majority of these children will never be rescued because investigators are overwhelmed, outnumbered and underfunded. As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act (S. 1738, Biden-Hatch). This bipartisan legislation passed the House 415-2, but it is now the victim of petty partisan politics. Now that we know where these children are and how to protect them, there is no excuse for the Senate to fail to take action this session. (Your name here)

Instructions for How to Copy and Paste the Letter

To copy and paste the letter into your senator’s web form at www.senate.gov, point your mouse arrow at the beginning of the text that you want to copy. Click your left mouse button and hold it down. While holding the left mouse button, drag your arrow to the end of the text that you want to copy. Release the button. The text should be highlighted. Place your mouse arrow over the highlighted text, click your right mouse button once and let go. A new menu should appear. Select Copy from the drop down menu. When you get to the message form field for your senator at www.senate.gov, point your arrow at the beginning of the message field that you want to copy your text to and right click with your mouse. Click Paste from this menu. Submit your form and help our children!

We only have until the 26th until this bill is voted on. Please help.

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just to clarify: why i have two blogs (UPDATED)

September 16, 2008

{I no longer have two blogs, as I’ve combined all into one again.}

I know, I keep two blogs, and it’s quite confusing to some. Sometimes, even I’m confused. (Doesn’t take much though, I know.) So, here’s my best explanation on why there are two…

First I keep my family blog which is mostly just my lazy way of keeping all of our friends and family up to date on our fun and crazy life. I was not so good at sending emails or pictures, so this seemed to be the solution. I tried at first to do that from MySpace, but it seemed that I got more “interesting” friends than I intended on having, and decided this blog might be a better approach. Although, don’t get me wrong, I still have the MySpace page. How else can I spy on those I went to High School with? I mean, come on now. I may be grown up, but I’m not that grown up. Anyway, The Life and Times of the Saldana Fam is all about us. Updates, pictures, stories about the boys (and soon to be girl) in my life…that kind of stuff.

But, Le Musings of Moi is exactly what it says…My musings or better put, My Thoughts. I was given my first journal by my grandma in 4th grade, and ever since I have been hooked on keeping my thoughts and feelings on paper. I have a chest full of journals, and now that I’m all grown up (say what you want about that), I even keep one for my husband and one for my son. I’m telling ya, I’m hooked.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to grow up to be a writer. I tried every year in elementary school to get my teachers to choose me to go to the Young Writers Conference, and have several “self published” books from the times I was chosen to go. 😉 This is about the extent of my publishing though. Over all my many many years, I have resolved myself to keeping journals, entering contests here and there, and trying out some online writing courses. My favorite by far was the Christian Writers Guild.

It’s my passion to write, it’s how I get out all the stuff inside and it helps me to make sense of what I think or believe. It’s how I can connect to other people, and how I can help other people to connect to me. My goal in writing, my dream of writing, is and was never about money. (which is good, since I don’t make any off it!) There have been so so many times I thought I was the only one going through this or that, and just by speaking up (writing up?), I found that there were other people who were in my same shoes. (well, cuter shoes, actually!) It felt so freeing and made me feel somewhat more, for lack of a better word, “normal.”

So alas, Le Musings of Moi was born. In keeping this blog I found a way I could share (almost) everything I thought, felt, or was going through…and allow it to be shared with others who might just feel the same way. This is what my writing is all about. And hopefully, no matter where it takes me in the future, this will remain my inspiration.

Le Musings of Moi is a blog of my thoughts. Sometimes deep, sometimes shallow, sometimes funny (remember, what’s funny to some isn’t to others…), sometimes sad….but hopefully whatever they may be, there will be one person who reads it and finds hope…or at least just a moment of feeling…”normal.” =)

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another favorite: bookins

September 13, 2008

I recently came across this website and have started to LOVE it!!! I’ve traded in several of my old books, and in return earned points and am ordering several hardback books I’ve always wanted to have! All for $4.95! Do I sound like a commercial? 😉

Here’s the rundown from their website www.bookins.com

Bookins is a unique book and DVD trading engine. Use it to find good homes for your books and movies, and to get items you want in exchange.

Offering items is easy.

Simply enter the ISBN or UPC code from the back of your book or DVD. Our site will fill in all the details like title and cover image. Then, pick items you’d like to receive. Our system will automatically arrange for shipments. From you to one member and from a third member back to you, and so on. You never have to contact anyone, there is no bidding, and there are no hassles of dealing with different traders and personalities for each exchange.

In addition to automating the exchange process, providing postage, and tracking all shipments, we have a staff of professional customer service representatives. If there is ever a problem with a trade, let us know and we will quickly resolve it. We will also provide credit for lost or damaged items. You value your time. We recognize that, and don’t want to waste it. Let us help you find new homes for your used items. You’ll reinvent your book and movie collections, save money, and have fun watching our system work for you. The Basics You own the books and DVDs you get. Keep them or exchange them when you are done.

Books and DVDs can be exchanged for each other. Just let us know what you have and what you want, our system will take care of the rest. Convenient shipping. Print shipping labels with free prepaid U.S. postage from our website. Use regular paper. No need to go to the post office. No need to use your own stamps. It’s Easy. Our system arranges for you to get the items you select. No need to contact other members. No bidding. No negotiating. Flat rate shipping. Every item you receive is $4.49, regardless of weight. This shipping charge includes delivery confirmation. Track all shipments right on our site. Our Quality Guarantee. 100% satisfaction with every book every time, or your next shipment is on us. DVDs you receive will be playable, or we will replace them at our expense.

So, click this link Bookins and check it out.

Happy Reading!

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writers block & random thoughts

September 11, 2008

Woah mama!

Let’s talk about some serious creative writers block. I thought for sure that when my boys left for four days, and I was all alone for the first time in 4 years, that I would be non stop writing and feeling all inspired to create a masterpiece.

Um, ya…didn’t happen.

Instead, I shopped, watched my girlie shows, went out with my girlfriends….and didn’t have one creative moment in me the entire time. Now, suddenly it’s a week since my last post, and still all I hear is this: cricket, cricket…

Soooo not fun, and soooo not entertaining. I’m sorry, I know it’s quite disappointing to me as well.

But, I do have a lot on my mind, and since I’m sure you’re dying to hear….

Politics. I am feeling kinda smart and all grown up getting into this. Don’t read me wrong though, I won’t be picketing or joining any political groups, but I do love to have an opinion on things!!! And the more I learn, the more my opinion grows.

I also think a lot about how to get labor going. I researched this on Baby Center, and here were some things they came up with:
Sex…uh, really????? Did a man make this one up?
Castor Oil. Not into pooping quite that much.
Spicy Foods, Raspberry Green Leaf Tea, Pineapple….definitely up for trying!
Foot Massage…bring it on!

And then there are the things I think are funny that only moms can relate too…like crossing our legs when we pee. If you’re not a mom, you wouldn’t understand. But, let me just explain, we’re not being girlie or cute. It’s a necessary action.

What else?

Oh, there’s still the unnamed solution to quieting my child who screams at 3am that there is a booger in his nose. And by the way he’s freaking out, you would think he’s dying a slow death. It would be a simple solution if we could just remove the booger. But the thing is there isn’t a freaking booger in his nose. Nope. Never a killer booger. Fun fun.

And, still of course pregnant in my thighs, and as I contemplate this over chocolate, I can’t understand for the life of me why….

See how much fun it is inside my head these days?

I’ll try to do better for the next one. 😉

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i’m good enough, i’m smart enough…

September 3, 2008

No no, it’s not self pity. Really, I promise. I feel great! I’m good enough, I’m smart enough….and doggone it….people like me. (please tell me you’ve seen this Saturday Night Live skit….)

But wait, no, that’s not working. If only it was that easy.
Ever have those days where you just don’t feel like you’ll be good enough? Oh, well of course most of you don’t. It’s just me. I knew it. It’s just me. See, I’m just not good enough…

Well, like, I’ll read something somebody else wrote, something super funny and well written, and right after the moment of enjoying it has passed, a thought like this crosses my mind….”Oh poor sad me. Why can’t I write like that? Why can’t I be funny and witty and pretty….” Well, something like that anyway.

Or, I’ll have an off day as a mom. (I mean, rarely this happens of course….) And I’ll think, “Aw man, I’m a bad mom. I’ll never be as good as so and so….”

Or I’ll forget to call a friend or two, or a family member or three….and I’m right back there again. “Why can’t I just be good enough….”

Ew, I’m annoying myself as I write it out. I’m pathetic in the self pity stage.

I guess as I’m trying to grow in the acceptance and grace thing, I should take an attempt at turning that towards myself as well. (Especially when I’m not receiving it from the ones I love.) In fact, I think most women (especially moms) should learn how to do that. My advice…to myself of course, is to ignore all those judgers and unhappy people who will never be content with what I’m able to give right now in my life, and know that I am doing my best and that is good enough.

So Stewart Smalley…show us how it’s done. And if that doesn’t work, try typing out all your thoughts in a blog, and you’ll see just how pathetic your “not good enough” thoughts really are. That should pull you right out! Or better yet, pray. Ya, I’m heading there now.

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political mumbo jumbo

September 1, 2008

I have strong political opinions! Who knew? Apparently not I nor my husband.

The other night as we were at dinner celebrating our anniversary, I asked an innocent question about being pro life vs. being pro choice. Well, this opened a can of worms and soon we were debating back and forth. One of us was way conservative and the other apparently more liberal in terms of this topic. (not telling which was which…I’m not quite ready to be judged.)

Anyway, two hours later, my dear sweet husband sat back in shock. How could we have been married this long, and he had not known how different we were in this area? Five years of marriage, and he finally learned something new about me. Everything I then said the rest of the night was met with a smirk and a nod, like “Aw, yes. Of course you feel that way. I understand now.” And I’d be like, “I just said I wanted some ice cream, how does that make you see things more clearly?”

On our way home from dinner, he couldn’t stop. “Okay, well lets see what your stand is on this…” And he’d bring up gun control, then the war, then taxing the rich vs. the poor…. He couldn’t stop, and he couldn’t believe my opinions. Wait, I couldn’t believe I had opinions!!! It was so fun. And even more fun to watch the shock on his face the more we talked.

We’ve never talked politics in depth. I know, it’s strange. I guess there were other issues that seemed more important. (my anxiety, housework, toddler not eating/sleeping….you get the picture! BIGGER ISSUES!!!) I’ve never been much into politics or debating them at least. And I just assumed, as well as he I guess, that we were the same on each issue.

I feel smart now. I had a political debate. And I think at the end of the night, I won. I stumped him. In a court of law, I proved there was a cause of doubt, and he lost. And it felt oh so good.

I’m sure most of you are already smart and already know just where you stand.
Good for you! If you don’t, I had fun checking out this website….www.speakout.com.

Okay, that’s all. Nothing too exciting…just goes to show, you can always learn more about yourself and your spouse!

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