A Little Crunchy

   Summer is finally here!  We are really enjoying our time off.  We've relaxed, moved half of my classroom boxes(the district is moving the other half) to my new school, and spent time with our high school kids.  We'll add a few trips in there, but that's pretty much what our summer looks like.  Last summer we ran around like crazy and remodeled our kitchen, so we're looking forward to a relaxing summer!
   I have five or six projects picked out for the summer.  I finished my first and second projects today!  I'm very excited about them because they're quick, easy, and will save our family some money.  So what did I make in about 30 minutes?  Laundry soap and fabric softener!  Thanks to Pinterest, I found several recipes for each.  D and I like powdered soap better than liquid, which is actually even easier to make.

Here's the recipe:

1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Washing Soda
1 Bar of Fels Naptha

Grate the bar of Fels Naptha.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl. 

Place mixture into a container. 

You use about 1 teaspoon for each load.  The hardest part is grating the bar of soap, but it's pretty easy.  I got a little gung ho at the beginning and grated more than the soap.

After the soap was so easy, I decided to move on to the fabric softener at the same time.

2 Cups of Hair Conditioner (I used Suave Ocean Breeze)
3 Cups of Distilled White Vinegar
6 Cups of Hot Water

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

Stir until the conditioner is well mixed.  Use a funnel to pour mixture into a container.  I used an empty Gain container and a tupperware container because I ran out of room in the Gain container.  Use about 1/4 cup in each load.

I immediately started a load of laundry to try out my projects. Stay tuned for the results!

I made both products in about 30 minutes and they will last a long time.  The best part is how inexpensive they are.  Derek recently bought Tide laundry soap (40 loads) for $12.  The Borax was $5, Washing Soda was $5, and the Fels Naptha bar was $1.  So that's only $1 less than the Tide, BUT next time I make the soap I only need to get the bar of soap.  The Borax and Washing Soda will last me a LONG time!  The laundry soap I made should last much longer than 40 loads, too.  My only hesitation on this project was knowing where to buy the ingredients.  You can find all of them at your local grocery store right next to the expensive laundry soap;)

Recently, I've been having a hard time finding a scent of fabric softener that I like.  We don't have a specific brand that we always buy, but last time I bought Gain.  It costs $8 at Walmart, but it probably cost me more at Kroger.  Compare that to $2 for the Suave conditioner.  I already had the vinegar and hot water (of course!)  The homemade fabric softener completely filled a Gain container and would have filled at least half of another if I had one.  It's empowering to create your own products because you know exactly what is in them and you're saving money. 

I've found some great websites for making your own cleaning products.  Again, they are MUCH cheaper, but the main draw for me is fewer toxic chemicals in our house.  I guess this girly-girl is turning a little bit crunchy;)

Life Lately

It's been FOREVER since I've updated our blog!  Here's a very brief overview of the last 10 months:

Summer-We had a very busy summer.  We remodeled our kitchen, traveled to visit family, and spent time with our youth group kiddos.

Fall-In the fall, I coached volleyball and Derek coached football.  His team won the district championship again!  We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year.  Derek's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews all came down to spend a week with us.  We had a blast!  We even took the boys over to College Station for an Aggie football game.  It was so fun to see the boys again after our summer visit.  J actually knows us now, so we're not just voices on the phone.  He is such a sweet and spirited boy...makes this auntie proud! 

Winter- Over the Christmas break we traveled to Delaware to visit my family.  It's always nice to spend time with our grandparents.  My family loves game nights.  We played Phase 10, (fr)Uno, and other card games....I was in heaven:)  We enjoyed our visit, even though it was VERY cold!  In February we took a few of our high school youth kids on a retreat with other PCA churches.  It was wonderful to bond with them!

Spring-We're just getting to spring and are looking forward to the rest of the school year.  Derek is in the middle of track season.  His long distance runners have won most of their events.  I've been busy with our youth group.  Wednesday nights are truly the highlight of my week!  Over Spring Break we went to the Houston Rodeo and saw the Band Perry perform.  We also had a lock-in.  The kids get along so well and really enjoy spending time together.  They inspire, challenge, and bless us beyond measure!  D and I are helping Nat plan some fun events this summer.  We can't wait!! 

Looking Ahead-We have some big changes on the horizon for us.  Next year I'll be moving to a new school.  My magnet program has grown so large that the district decided to replicate it on a second campus!  The second intermediate school(League City) is in our neighborhood and I was selected to move over there.  I'll be three stop signs and about 4 minutes from our house.  What a blessing!  Today we had our first meeting of the new WAVE team.  Several of our new team members are teachers at League City.  They are very kind and welcoming!  I got to see my new classroom and meet some of the other science teachers.  My classroom "neighbor" is the department head.  She's super "gold" (organized, neat, etc), too.  I can tell that we're going to get along really well.  With any move, you leave good friends behind.  Three of my closest teacher friends will be staying at the original campus and I will miss them dearly!  I've been praying for my new coworkers, specifically to be paired with like-minded, kind, caring, teammates.  God is always faithful and I know he will bring me new teacher friends who will bless me just as much as the ones I'm leaving.  As with any change, there has been a lot of anxiety among our magnet, specifically the students and parents.  Change can be especially difficult for gifted kiddos (and their parents, who are most likely gifted too.)  We covet your prayers as we prepare for and begin next school year.

We're planning several trips this summer.  D is going on a two week trip with his Teaching American History Grant group.  They'll tour Boston, Jamestown, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and several other cities.  He is super excited!  We also have a Vinson Family reunion in Colorado and possibly a Cain family reunion in the Northwest.  Besides that, we're planning to relax this summer.  It will be nice to have a break from the busyness of last summer and this school year. 

So that's what we've been up to this year.  I hope to update the blog more often in the future:)

Summer Goals

Summer is finally here! D and I are so excited to have the summer off together for the first time. We have some big plans for the summer. Probably the biggest is remodeling our kitchen. I can't wait!:) Here are some other goals I/we have for the summer:

-Clean out ALL of the closets in our house.
-Take a bunch of clothes and home goods to Goodwill.
-Get back into running. I started for a few weeks in April and May, but the craziness of the end of the year took over. I might even enter a 5K. (Derek thinks I'll be a marathon runner one day...I think that's just crazy! I don't like to run that much.)
-Visit my sweet nephews-still working on this one, but we're planning to go out there at some point:)
-Get my CDL-unfortunately we have to drive the bus to our games next year. D has to get his too, but he was planning on it anyway. He's in this coaching thing for the long haul. (I plan to be the coach's wife for the long haul;) )
-Relax and rest. We've already met this goal...looking forward to more of it throughout the summer:)

I'll probably recap the fall, winter, and spring at some point...stay tuned!

Summer 2010

We've been really busy recently, so the blog has been neglected. (So let'ts be honest, it was neglected for most of the summer....sorry about that!) I taught summer school this summer and Derek attended many workshops to prepare for the year. I enjoyed teaching summer school, but I don't think I will teach it all summer next year. I felt like I helped some kids who needed a little boost to finish 7th grade. Some of them are at Westbrook this year and it's fun to see them in the halls!
The day after summer school ended, we drove up to Arlington to spend some time with our family. We took a 10 day vacation with my parents, Courtney, and Michael to the northeast. We visited our grandparents in Delaware and Pennsylvania before sightseeing in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC. It was a really fun trip! Derek especially enjoyed seeing many of the historic places he will teach his students about this year. There's something special about going back to our nation's roots. It makes you feel really patriotic and connected to where it all started. I know I'm cheesy, but I love it!
The highlights of our trip were tours of Independence Hall in Philadelphia and the Capitol building in DC. We saw the Declaration of Independence and founding documents in the National Archives. We went to tons of museums including the Betsy Ross House, Benjamin Franklin's Print Shop and underground museum, Christ's Church, the International Spy Museum, the American History Smithsonian, the Air and Space Smithsonian, and the Holocaust museum. Everyone's favorite museum was the Newseum in DC. It's an amazing museum that captures the history and future of the news. They have hundreds of newspapers dating from the 1400s to present day. There are sections of the Berlin Wall, the only Guard Tower(Checkpoint Charlie) in the United States, and the radio tower from the Twin Towers. All of the exhibits are so well done! They also have excellent movies and 4D theatres. I highly recommend it for your next visit! The best part is that your ticket is good for two days, so you can actually process all of the information you're seeing. I wish more museums would do that!
Of course we couldn't forget the Phillies. We caught two of their games; one in Philly and the other in DC. Both stadiums are really nice. It's so different to have a stadium in the middle of a big city. I know Minute Maid is, but the Ballpark is still what I compare everything to. I'm a new Houstonian. (Go Rangers!) There was a fireworks show after the game in DC. Roy O had just been traded to the Phillies, so we watch his first game. Not his best showing, but it was fun to watch him play.
Between our three cameras, we took over 1000 pictures! My mom was wanting to make a photobook of our vacation. I had to talk her out of it because I wanted to make one for her! Here is the link to the book.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0Acs3LZk2btGLnI

Obviously, it doesn't have all 1000 pictures, but I tried to choose the best ones. We had a great time!

We got to spend time with the Cains when we got back. Grandma C "rescued" Cooper from PetSmart while we were gone. He was SOOO excited to see her! We had a wonderful time catching up with the Cains;) Hopefully we'll get to see them again soon. We're talking about taking a trip to Oregon with them in the near future. We can't wait!!

Once we got back from Arlington, Derek set up his classroom and started more workshops for new teachers. We both prepared for the busy school year we had ahead of us. This year I'm coaching 7B volleyball. Derek is coaching 7th and 8th grade football, 7th grade basketball, and 7th and 8th grade track. We're already busy, but we're loving it! Coaching gives you an extra opportunity to work with kids and shape their lives. Our athletes have progressed a lot and the season is just starting. We can't wait to see how far they come this year!

I probably won't get to post again until volleyball is over, so here's your Cain summer recap. We have some exciting trips planned for the rest of 2010 and the summer of 2011, so be looking for the Fall 2010 update in a few months!

Swagbucks

You may have noticed new buttons on the right side of my blog for Swagbucks. I've been earning $5 Amazon gift cards just for searching online. Awesome, huh?! Several of my friends have been earning Swagbucks for awhile now and I thought I'd join them. One of my friends has already earned 11 Amazon cards in just a few months! I'm so impressed!! They have tons of prizes in addition to the Amazon gift cards and they're adding more all the time.

To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first. I wasn't sure if I could actually earn enough Swagbucks to do any good. Well my friends, it took me a week to earn my first $5 card! Considering how much we use Amazon, I'd say it was well worth it.

So you're asking yourself, how did she do that so quickly? Here are my top 10 tips for earning Swagbucks:

1. Sign up for Swagbucks.
You can click the button on the upper right side of my blog to sign up. It's free and you can earn 30 Swagbucks just for getting started!

2. Search using Swagbucks
Most of my Swagbucks have been earned doing searches using the toolbar or Swagbucks.com. We're planning a trip, so I've been doing lots of research on places to go and things to do. Everytime I do a search, I use the search bar on Swagbucks instead of Google. You were going to do the search anyway, so why not earn some Swagbucks?!

3. Download the Swagbucks toolbar
The toolbar is really handy! The main feature I use is the search bar. Instead of using the Google search bar already on your internet browser, use the Swagbucks one. (Remember, you can earn Swagbucks for the searches you were going to do anyway.) The toolbar makes it even easier because you don't have to type in the Swagbucks address and then your search. Fewer steps and more Swagbucks...sounds good to me!
Another feature I like is the tips from TSG (The Swag Guy). Keep checking it for new messages about codes to earn even more Swagbucks!
Recently, I've been given a few Swagbucks each day just for having the toolbar downloaded. I didn't even have to search!!


4. Swag Codes
I know you're familiar with codes that you enter when you check out at online stores. You can get free shipping or a percentage off and it makes you happy because you're saving money. Well, Swagbucks has the same type of codes that help you earn more Swagbucks! Check the Swagbucks blog, TSG tips on your toolbar, Facebook, or the Swiget often for new codes. Once you have the code, go to the Swagbucks site, type in the code, and click "Gimme" to earn even more Swagbucks. Just don't wait too long because the codes expire quickly!

5. Facebook
Swagbucks has a Facebook page where people tell what they've searched for to earn Swagbucks. They have lots of great tips to earn more Swagbucks through surveys or codes! If you see people thanking TSG, go to your favorite code site quickly to find that code! You can also use Facebook connect (on the top right corner of the Swagbucks website) to share Swagbucks info with your friends.
Be honest...you go on Facebook about 4 times a day. Why not search for it using your Swagbucks toolbar and earn Swagbucks for it?!

6. Daily Polls
You can earn 1 Swagbuck a day for answering a poll question. Today's question was, "Does anyone use a fax machine anymore?" Two clicks and you've earned a Swagbuck. It's fun to see what question is asked each day. You can also submit your own question. If yours is chosen, you earn Swagbucks!

7. Mega Swagbucks Fridays
Fridays are like hitting the jackpot with Swagbucks. Instead of earning 5-20 Swagbucks, you're earning more like 20-50 for a search. You're also earning Swagbucks more frequently, so get out there and search on Fridays!

8. Surveys
You can earn 50-300 Swagbucks for a few minutes of your time. I answered a survey about internet usage and earned 250 Swagbucks in 15 minutes. That's way more than I would've earned for 15 minutes of searching. You can earn Swagbucks for filling out profile information on your interests, which helps to find surveys for you. I know that not everyone has a summer off like me, but you can still take surveys even on work days. Pause your favorite TV show during the commericals and take a survey. You'll earn free stuff AND you don't have to watch commercials. Definitely a win-win!

9. Shop and Earn
You know how you can earn American Airline miles for buying products from your favorite online stores? Well, you can earn Swagbucks the same way! Go to the Shop and Earn tab and find the online store. Click on the link and buy items from your favorite stores. You can earn 2 Swagbucks (or more!) for every dollar you spend. You can also save your favorite stores, so it's even easier to earn Swagbucks for shopping online. Another win-win, you get the item you were going to purchase AND earn Swagbucks to get more free stuff.

10. Swiget
Do you see that Swagbucks tool underneath the Swagbucks button on my blog? Well, you can use it to earn Swagbucks, too. You can search and earn Swagbucks, read the Swagblog(which has tips on codes and searches to earn even more Swagbucks...check back often because they update it several times a day!), see prizes that you can earn, and shop to earn more Swagbucks. All of those are great features, but my favorite one is the code. Simply click on the Code button and it will tell you if there's a code out there. Awesome! Put the Swiget on your blog to help your friends find the codes, too.


Swagbucks has been really fun and rewarding. One of my friends is planning to use her Amazon gift cards for Christmas gifts this year. Sounds like a pretty great idea to me! I know what you're thinking, "So you're telling me that I can buy gifts for my loved ones (or myself) by earning Swagbucks for doing things I'd already planned to do? How do I get started?!" Just click on the Swagbucks button in the upper right hand corner of my blog. You'll earn Swagbucks just for signing up AND you'll be helping me earn more Swagbucks by using my referral button. Another win-win!

Bonus Tip 11-Put a Swagbucks referral button on your blog and Facebook, so your friends can help you earn more!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Swagbucks! Happy earning:)

A Grandparent's Love

Ted always had a soft spot for Court and I. We were his first "granddaughters." We were two lucky girls to have a grandpa like Ted next door as we grew up! Through the years I've learned that it isn't blood that makes you family. It's love, devotion, commitment, loyalty. Ted epitomized all of these and more. He was a wonderful, loving man. Always ornery, especially to those he loved most. He always was the life of the party. He didn't know a stranger. He was involved in our lives, even after we both moved from Byron Lane. There are very few memories of my childhood (really my life in general) that don't include Ted. We spent lots of time at their house coloring in coloring books, playing in yard, celebrating birthdays and holidays together. His son gave me my first piece of Aggie gear: a bib that said "Future Aggie Class of 20??" He was there for all of our milestones...our births, first steps, kindergarten, middle school, high school, college, graduations, weddings, and many more. We were both very honored that he and Mary Helen sat as grandparents at our weddings. I'm not sure what he's telling her here, but I'm sure she'll never forget.

You Love Me Anyway

I can't believe that it's been over 6 months since we've last posted. We've had SO many changes in our life, which I'll share soon. (No, they don't include a baby Cain. Maybe soon, but not now:) )
I've been struggling recently with a few things. It's a very stressful time of the school year. I'm sad that the year is coming to an end because I will miss my kiddos a lot. At least I'll get to see them next year:) My grandfather died right after Christmas and I still haven't really allowed myself to grieve. (Working on that one.) One of my former coworkers lost her father this week. Several friends are hurting from different situations. It just seems like one thing after another....
The biggest burden on my heart is that we're searching for a church again. It's always tough and we left a church last week knowing that we wouldn't be back. It was one of those situations where we didn't even have to discuss it. We both just knew. We'd only been a handful of times. Everyone was very friendly and we were starting to feel comfortable. You know when you really want something so badly that you block out the little voice that's pointing out the flaws in your plan? That's where I was.
I don't know why it was so tough for me, but I was really heartbroken over the whole thing. I'm so thankful for a husband like Derek because he is such an amazing leader of our household. He truly seeks God's will for our family. What a blessing! I am one lucky girl to have him:)
I know that God has plans for us. I know that we will find a church home. I know that if we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him. I've discovered that I'm a micromanager. I didn't realize that, but I am. (I'm sure that's not as surprising to you as it was to me.) I've learned that it's difficult for me to let go and trust other people, much less God. In his heart a man plans his course, but God determines his steps.
I've been focusing on truly seeking God's plan. It's not easy for a Type A girl like me, but I'm working on it. In my efforts to find some praise and worship songs for our Christian group at school, I found this song by Sidewalk Prophets. They have several songs that I like, but I heard this one for the first time and I can't stop listening to it. It's called You Love Me Anyway. Here are some of the lyrics:

Still You call me to walk on the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future's so far, my heart is so frail
I think I'd rather stay inside.

But You love me anyway.
It's like nothing in life that I've ever known.
You love me anyway.
Oh Lord, how You love me.
How You love me.

It took all of my strength to simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?

But You love me anyway.
It's like nothing in life that I've ever known.
You love me anyway.
Oh Lord, how You love me.

I am the thorn in Your crown.
But You love me anyway.
I am the sweat from Your brow.
But You love me anyway.
I am the nail in your wrist.
But You love me anyway.
I am Judas' kiss.
But You love me anyway.

See I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out to You
So ashamed of my life....
But You love me anyway.
Oh God, how You love me anyway


Go listen to the song on You Tube. It's great! I hope it touches your heart as much as it touched mine. God will never give us more than we can handle. Sometimes He has to break us to make us more like Him. This world is not our home. We must cling to the One who promises us eternal hope. This world will constantly disappoint and hurt us. We constantly fall and sin. But God constantly loves us despite our failures and shortcomings. Thank goodness for the cross!!
My prayer every day is that I will be a light in a dark world and show others who God is through my actions. Oh Lord, how You love me even though I'm the thorn in Your crown, instead of the shining light that I should be! Show me Your plans and the path You want me to walk.