Let's give this a try again!

Hi everyone! I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything, but I'm still trying to figure this blogging thing out. Please, bear with me, I promise I have lots of interesting things to share with you.

I had my three month check-up back in April and everything is looking good. Alot of my pain issues were addressed as " give yourself time to heal and recover". I know this but it has been a long road to this point and I'm a very impatient person. I just want to feel like my old self!

I've started to make my hand and body scrubs under my Backyard Garden business name. I also started a lawn service business for my sons to take care of! All Backyard Garden! I love staying busy and its pretty quiet around here when the childcare closes. My husband is working out in North Dakota with all of the oil business out there. He works heavy equipment and is building roads in housing developments.
Hopefully, this work keeps up and he can work thru the Fall this year.

My daughter, Jen, hosted a Mother's Day Brunch here this year. It was alot of fun! She does such a great job when she plans a party! My Mom, sisters, sister-in-law, 3 of my daughters, nieces, and my  granddaughters, attended. I made an eggbake, fruit platter, and coffee cake. The girls brought the makings for mamosas, beautiful flowers and cards, and I received a dozen roses from my daughter's step-mom! She thanked me for sharing my four girls with her the last 18 years! This was so very nice of her to do this. I really appreciate her too!

Here are couple of pics from our brunch......

My Mom, my sister, Sue (front row).

Me, my sister, Margie (back row).

Me, my daughter, Melissa (front).

My daughters, Jen and Chrissy (back).

I hope all of you had a wonderful Mother's Day! I know I did!

Please check back soon as I hope to post at least once a day!

A DAY IN DAYCARE-ALONE!

Today is the first day that I will be handling the daycare by myself in a long time! My husband has school for work and my daughter has a Dr. appointment. I only have a small group today and no infants so this should be a breeze. So far we have had breakfast, did some block play and had a little dance session (exercise, but don't tell them!) Right now they are playing independantly and so far no arguing or tattling!

I'm hoping to learn how to post videos and pistures sometime soon. I'd like to show some of the crafts I've done, my craftroom, and my daycare set-up. I would love to show some of the activities that we do here everyday with the kids. I need to get permission from my daycare parents first.

We just finished our St. Patrick's Day rainbows and pot o' gold. Turned out so cute. We even have the token black stripe in one of the rainbows!

Well we are now finished with the morning snack, so time to join the group for some more music and games!

Update on Dishwasher Soap

Just tried the first load of dishes with my homemade soap. The dishes, glasses and silverware  look really good! I added Lemishine Rinse Aid in the little compartment made just for that. I was really impressed with how clean the dishes felt, no residue at all! So now that I've tried it myself, here's the recipe:

2 cups 20 Mule Team Borax
2 cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 cup Lemi-shine Original  (2cups if you have hard water)
1 cup Kosher salt

Mix together and store in a covered container. I added a silica gel packet (old one that was in with my new shoes) to keep it from clumping. Use 1 Tablespoon per load! Put about 30% in the pre-wash and the rest in the wash compartment. You can also use plain old white vinegar as your rinse aid, instead of the Lemi-Shine Rinse Aid for more savings!

I found all of the items at the Super Wal-Mart near us.
Borax            3.38
A&H             3.24
Salt               1.68
Lemi Shine   3.66
Total            11.98  plus tax .88  =  12.86    about 85 loads- about 15 cents per load

Here's to clean dishes and a little cha-ching in the pocket!

Child Care Choices | Facebook

Child Care Choices | Facebook: A Childcare Provider:
A willing partner for working moms,
she comforts, pampers, soothes and calms.
With all the love she has to share,
she's great to have when mommy can't be there.
She loves to rock a fussy child,
corrects the one that gets too wild.
She hears her share of tearful pleas,
and comforts those with skinned up knees.
With little children she plays games of peek,
for bigger ones it's hide and seek.
She is an expert at each game,
but somehow loses just the same.
She helps them learn the alphabet,
and gives them hugs when they're upset.
She gently tucks them in their beds,
with dreamland tales for sleepyheads.
She is a true and trusted friend,
who helps them learn and play pretend.
Although she's paid, it's plain to see,
she serves them with a love that's free.

I had a very busy weekend and actually acommplished a few things!

I love Pinterest and have a ton of things pinned, now I need to start trying some of the ideas! So, I've decided to start with the Thrifty board. I made dishwasher detergent, very easy by the way, and purchased the items needed for HE laundry soap. Can't wait to do this! Theses items cost just pennies per load and I'm able toput them in cute containers I can decorate using my Cricut. It's a win, win!

I also tried doing some hand srubs and made one that I like and really makes my hands feel wonderful. It costs Waaay less than anything I've used in the past. I plan on making some for gifts and to sell. Again, I will be able to package them very cutely.

What did you do this weekend?

Hi Everyone!
I'm on my way to becoming a blogger-I think! I welcome any and all suggestions to help make this a fun experience. I want to blog about a number of subjects and hope to help others and to learn new things myself!

Some of the things I'm looking for are to be able to talk to others about crafting and gardening. Also anything to do with childcare, which is my business. I'd love to here from parents of children that attend a daycare and from other providers.

I am also a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed in July of 2010 with Stage IIIC ovarian cancer. I had surgery to remove the cancer, debulking to remove anything that could be hiding any cancer cells. This was done at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Wonderful doctors, nurses, staff and facility! I received 18 weeks of chemo, Taxol and Carboplatin, in St. Cloud, MN at the Corborn Cancer Center. Again, WONDERFUL people! I finished chemo on January 10th, 2011.

While at the Mayo, I was diagnosed by Genetics as having the BracaI gene. This is a mutation that makes the chances of getting breast or ovarian cancer much higher than someone's chances that does not have the mutation.

So, in August of 2011, I decided to have bilateral mastectomy as a preventive measure. I needed a large surgical hernia repaired anyway so, why not do both at the same time, right? I don't really recommend having that much done at one time!

Anyway, that said, I would love to hear from other cancer survivors about anything they wish to share. There is alot that goes on after treatment that friends and family try to understand but its hard unless you are going through it to really understand.