General Deasil

General Deasil is still on break...

2011-06-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Yes our adoption is still NOT final...so I am still on break. I don't want to break; therefore, I must prioritize what to stress about. Hopefully more updates to come after the adoption is final.

Slacker...

2010-10-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

Yep that is me. A slacker. New job. Baby N-adoption in process still. Still working for CU. I will update with more once I am not such a slacker :) Have some awesome updates if I can ever get to them.

Guess I left folks hanging...

2010-04-28T06:38:00.001-07:00

So what is new? Well, MawMaw lost Willard, my good friend Rachel was in the ICU for over a month because of the stupid swine flu, we have a new baby, and the semester is almost finished. So I suppose you can say I have been a tad busy and let this blog fall by the wayside, which is disappointing as this is something I really wanted to work on. Well this and many other things.

So I have been reading a lot, working a lot, taking care of new baby a lot, cleaning a lot...I suppose you get the picture. No worries, I am thrilled to have a job, new baby, my friend Rachel back in improving health, and a family that is just plain awesome, but I am darn stinkin tired. I haven't even had time to see my bestie's new baby either and she is almost a month old. How horrible of me. I just am going to have to make time to go. Saturday? Sunday? No wait we already have stuffed planned. Is it ok to cancel? I am not sure. I think that I am rambling because I just need an outlet today.

So you want to hear about new baby you say. Well here is the funny part. Because she is through a foster situation I really can't share much about her but I can tell you she is beautiful and I will post a pic of me and her and Seth and her. She is just too precious. I pray that the birthmom will see that we love her and are a wonderful fit for her and give new baby the best life possible. Until then we will just have to cross that bridge when we get there. No worries her name really isn't new baby but until we cross those bridges, she has to remain unidentified in pictures and posts.

Ice or Snow, I don't know...

2010-01-31T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here in the NC "mountains" we had ice and snow. How much of either? I have no clue. Probably close to 5-6" of snow before the ice set in and compacted it and turned the roads into pure ice skating rinks. It was beautiful though, I must say. Limited power outages here (very thankful).

I hear many folk talk about how exciting it is to be out of school, but I look at it as time I am going to have to take out of Spring Break. Folks talk about how great it is to be snowed in, but I have cabin fever. Needless to say, we ventured out today. Our road was treacherous...the main roads looked like nothing had ever happened. Can you believe that? So here is a picture of Friday night of the snow/ice...heck I dunno what you call it...

New Year's Resolutions?

2010-01-19T10:10:00.000-08:00

Do you make them? I used to. Then I quit. Then I made one to gain weight while I was pregnant (which was the first one I succeeded at). Then I quit again. Maybe I should not call them New Year's Resolutions. Perhaps something like, "stuff I needed to do anyway but just felt the need to start since it was a new year resolution." Would that work? Really too long to say in one sentence. But here is my stuff I need to do anyway list for the year in no particular order...

blog regularly (I won't even put a time frame because hey monthly is regular too)

declutter my life (house, storage, things, everywhere, keep only the necessary items, quit holding on to things just in case...)

stay true to my frugal ways (even with the addition of another job, grocery shopping once a month, eating at home, keeping the thermostat low, keeping up the search for free firewood, doing things ourselves instead of hiring folks to do it)

add more green things to my life (recycle more for sure. cook more meals at home, waste less, find alternate uses for items prior to recycling them, buy more second hand)

spend more quality time with Seth, Charles and NewBaby (quality [not quantity], plan more family outings, go on more family vacays together -read camping, work out a better routine for the evening

work on my relationship with God (funny I put that last and he should be first, I have just let this fall by the wayside only picking it up when needed, need to examine the drama I let myself be a part of, the type of people I pal around with, etc)

I suppose what I am saying is we all have areas of our life that we would like to work on. Mine are a constant struggle balancing time and energy (which I seem to lack lately...lol) but any mother can definitely empathize with that.

Famous? No not really...

2010-01-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

Click here for April's Blog...

Through These Eyes...

2010-01-07T10:02:00.001-08:00

Nope, no plug to write this. I just happen to think Mrs. Margaret (M. Elaine Elrod) is a wonderful person. I asked for this book for my birthday from my hubby, Seth. Oh yes HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. I decided to celebrate all week :).

Now this might seem all religious and all to you. And well because it is. So we all have struggles in life and well a lot of times we always feel ours are the worst (ok at least I am being honest about myself here). Then something comes along to put things in perspective. A relative with cancer is terminal-see not having extra money to go on vacation or out to eat isn't that big of a deal. Right? I feel bad for even worrying over something so silly when there are many people way worse of than us. We are blessed. We have a house, 2 cars (although they are at the youngest 8 and oldest 12, they still get us where we need to go), two stable jobs, and enough to provide for utilities and food. We have our health. Now I would say that is blessed. After you read Mrs. Margaret's book, you will see what I mean.

Now if you don't mind, please pray for our patience in awaiting our adoption/foster placement (maybe I will write more soon) and for comfort and peace to Seth's grandmother and husband.

So if you would like to read a book from someone who walks the walk and talks the talk, hop on over to Amazon and check it out her book.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T08:55:00.001-08:00

Christmas Season

2009-10-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ok this is a SO of my other post. Each year I struggle with what to get for other folks as I want to show the real reason for the season is not how much you can buy but truly getting something someone needs in the spirit of Christ. It is very easy to get wrapped up in the materialism of Christmas rather than focusing on Christ's birth and many find it hard to resist purchasing gifts during this time. The last two years we have limited gifts to 3 for dear son. I am not sure what I will be doing this year. I am trying to do an all or mostly handmade Christmas. I just don't want it to be things that folks can't use. So in that spirit, if you have ideas of things to get folks or make folks, please let me know. I have a lot of talents but sometimes I am just unsure of where to put them.

Simple Toys

2009-10-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been on a quest to find some simple toys for my son and new baby (did I forget to tell you about that? stay tuned for another post). I have been making a lot of things for DS and new baby lately and was just looking for more ideas and more places to buy such items. I am really hoping the rest of the family will jump on board for Christmas because we really don't need anymore loud toys. So here is a list of ideas for your little ones and places you can check out to buy them. BTW a big thank you to my ladies on TMN for helping me out with this list.
Felt Food, apron, oven mitt
Wood Puzzles
Wooden Teethers
Wood Blocks
Wood Food
Felt Puppets
Wooden ride on toy
Books
Dress up clothes
Memory Wood Tiles
Handsewn dolls
Cardboard Playhouse
Homemade Playdough
Stickers (magazines, states, clocks...)
Tag Blanket
Nursing Necklace
Wooden Tic Tac Toe
Felt Boards
http://www.landofnod.com/toys-gifts/
http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/homemade-toys.html
http://www.angelfire.com/planet/mcshelpsite/sewingstuff/freepatterns.html
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/09/10/gifts-for-children/
http://youcanmakethis.com/
Alright folks...post some more links in comments or ideas.

Do people really pull their hair out?

2009-09-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

I am thinking about starting. You know when it rains it pours right? Well, DH and I have some extreme decision making to do and well, we could use your prayers. We are at a crossroads of where to go with our family, education, and growing our family (no I am not preggers). There are so many decisions that have to be made in the next month or two. On top of all of that I am waiting to hear if Campbell is going to reinstate my full time status. As you might remember I was griping about a very swift 50% pay cut due to accreditation and I am hoping all of the wrinkles are now ironed out (and I will be back to full time); otherwise, I might be job searching again. By the end of this year my prayer request might include hair regrowth as well.

Blog Stalkers?

2009-08-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else have a problem with stalking blogs? Well, the first step is to admit you have a problem. And that is about as far as I am willing to go. I love reading these things. A new one I found was www.thriftybif.com. You have to love anyone willing to give thrifty advise. I do. In fact if she gives it on your http://www.thriftybif.com/?p=362 it is even better.

I wonder why I love it so much? A blog that has great baby stuff (http://www.spearmintbaby.com/) including decoration which is my favorite part :). I read couponing blogs, friend's blogs, stranger's blogs. Believe me, I don't discriminate. I think i just am intrigued how other people live. So with that said. Check out some blogs around your area or away from your area. Live vicariously through others and enjoy it!

Body Junction

2009-08-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Body Junction in Kings Mountain, NC will now be offering the General Deasil line. Marie is such a fantastic lady. Not only can you find my products there but you can buy supplements, vitamins, essential oils, protein products, and more! She also gives wonderful massages and has tanning facilities on site. The best news of all is she will be moving into a huge building on Battleground soon that will also include Shapes by Jody and of course my products. Stop by!

Where are you?

2009-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Upcoming events:

September 12th
Davidson, NC
A family A fair

September 19th
Harrisburg Presbyterian Church
Harrisburg, NC

October 3rd
Harrisburg United Methodist Church
Harrisburg, NC
Fall Festival

October 10th
Kings Mountain, NC
Gateway Festival

I hope to see you there. Watch for General Deasil's All Natural Products!

Majors Wellness Center, Kings Mountain

2009-08-05T17:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.majorswellness.com/
In addition to their whole body wellness approach, they are now offering my products as party of a healthy body and life program. I met Dr. Jay Majors this week and spoke with him at length about what he believes and his philosophies of how he treats patients. This gentleman is right on target. We spoke about living a more natural lifestyle and how that doing away with some non-organic things in our lives has improved our quality of life. We exchanged a lot of resources and I think both of us came out learning new information. After all isn't that what being in business is? Yes I am sure some folks are there for the money. But most businesses that succeed are here because we can educate and take care of our customers. We stay in business because we care.

www.GeneralDeasil.com
Our website has been updated to include a longer list of products we are now offering and the different places that you can find them locally. We are seeking several other places to offer our products in Concord and Lillington, NC. If you know of anyone that might be interested, please email me at Kat@GeneralDeasil.com

Family History...

2009-06-30T20:50:00.001-07:00

Nanny once said to make sure that your name meant something to people. You see, she (my fathers mother) owned Stanly Dairy in Albemarle, NC in the 1950's. I loved to hear about the stories of how my grandmother made it (in business that is). Nanny is exactly everything I hope to be. A little late, yes I know. I am almost 30. She was independent yet married to a wonderful man [check], she enjoyed learning [check], she had a passion to make sure things were done right [check], she was a successful business woman [half check], etc...

Katherine Isenhour Crowell Kerner was a very strong woman. She was educated in Greensboro at a time many women didn't go to college. She tried for years to have children and was blessed to be able to adopt my dad and aunt. She saved like a mad woman and she pursued her dreams and passions with every bone in her body. I remember one story going like this (forgive me if the details are a bit fuzzy): Sometime in the 1950's dairy farmers were wanting to water down their milk or something similar to that. Now mind you that she was a woman owner of a dairy amongst many men dairy owners. During a meeting (perhaps like a town gathering), they all began to lean toward doing this and not telling anyone. Well they except for my grandma and a few other brave souls. Now here she is standing up in a crowded area telling folks they aren't going to water down her milk. And guess what? They didn't! Her integrity with her customers was more important that camaraderie or profits.

So when I say I want to be just like her, I mean I want to keep that spunk. I want to have the drive to succeed no matter what. And I hope I can keep channeling my grandmother through me to be the successful business woman that I hope to be one day. Until then, I will pledge to make sure that my name always means something to me.

My grandmother died in March of 2004. I still think of her often and always think of questions I wanted to ask. I am sure you are wondering if her name is Kerner...what is up with the Crowell? Well the short of the long is my dad's father died when my father was very young and my grandmother remarried the man that I knew as my grandfather. My father kept the Crowell last name and it was my maiden name as well.

Reusables for your Disposables

2009-06-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

So the old "new" thing to do was to buy these great inventions that would save us time by allowing us to clean quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately these old "new" things required buying disposable pads, cloths, and dusters just to be able to use the product. Well not any more! I have put together a line of reusable items to clean with to be greener and more economical. Sure you can cut up a bunch of old towels to clean with, but the bright cheery colors of these very items are sure to please your eyes when you start to clean. Oh and the best part of them? They are reusable and washable!

Wet or dry reusable Swiffer Original Pads (for others w/ tuck areas on the mop head)

Reusable Microfiber Cloth

Reusable Microfiber Sponge Wipe (double sided with a polishing side great for removing fingerprints from fridge and windows)

Reusable (in a kit including handle or alone) Dust Wand Covers

Are you puzzled?

2009-06-04T06:52:00.003-07:00

Charles is! He loves puzzles right now. I know this is a very short post but it does include a picture if that counts :) He has several ones that he loves but right now letters are his favorite. He even knows to sing the ABC's while he is putting the puzzle together and gets most of the letters correct! Awww he is so cute!

Fresh Gourmet Cooking...Who me?

2009-06-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

Take your very own fresh chicken broth, add pepper, then fresh green beans.

I like mine mushy and so does Seth so we cook the ever livin' tar out of them.

Stick some fresh flowers on the table and WALA!

I love digital photography!

2009-06-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

Look at all the fantastic things you can do with it...

You say, "But oh wait! Who are those kids?" Well they are second favorite to my own. I think they will be pleased to be famous :O)

Natural Living Health Fair- June 6th Harrisburg NC

2009-05-31T09:17:00.000-07:00

Remember if you are going to be in the Harrisburg area on June 6th to come check out the Natural Living Health Fair hosted by Nutty Brown. Stephanie does a wonderful job of putting this together. There will be a ton of vendors there including myself. This year I will have reusable green bags for $1.00, samples for $1.00, and at least 1 of every product I sale. I will also be presenting my latest creation, General Deasil's All Natural Carpet Cleaner/Stain Remover Spray. You want performance but don't want to give up cleaning power? Well this is it. This combines some of my best ingredients in a gentle formula perfect for getting those stubborn koolaid, wine, and pet stains up and great for keeping by the laundry station to get out ketchup, grass stains, and kid stains. 16 oz trigger spray bottle for $5 as usual! Priced right so every one can enjoy going green.

Famous?

2009-05-30T08:40:00.001-07:00

My 5th blog review in 1 week from a satisfied customer ;)
http://tscrapper.blogspot.com/2009/05/fridays-favorites-blog-review.html
Woohoo!

Will You Marry ME?

2009-05-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Maybe this will be a weekly blog? LOL. It is finally Friday and I couldn't be happier. I thought perhaps I will dedicate this posting to improving your marriage (as if I am a great resource or something-tehe). As much as we might like to think that our marriage is great as is, everyone's can use help at some point or another.

When we were little, our parents and teachers would read us fairy tales of happily ever after. The butterflies were ever present, google eyes, and the romantic gestures never ended. Let's face it folks. Marriage is hardly that. Marriage can quite simply be summed up as learning to fall in love with each other over and over again. It isn't the constant state of being IN LOVE but rather the pursuit to continue falling in love.

So what kinda things would make one fall in love all over again and again? Well working at the marriage. It doesn't just happen. Let's try to erase those fairy tales, the visions of romantic movies, and those fantasies where things just happen. Let's get real.

I made a list of little things I could do to improve my marriage...
Go to church together
Write letters to Seth
Set up a schedule to take care of the house
Exercise together
Spend less time on the computer when Charles is asleep so that we can connect better
Call him once a day to let him know I am thinking of him
Setting down to eat meals as a family at the table
Hugging when he gets home from work
Talking about our days together

These are just some of the things that I have resolved to do. Here are some of the things I have resolved not to do:
List what all I have done during the day (if he can't see it and appreciate then I'll hope he notices a different day)
Complain about my day right when he walks in the door
Nag him about cleaning-I just ask once
Argue in front of Charles

I hope that this might inspire someone else to work on their marriage a little bit harder, a little bit longer. After all who wants to be in that 1/3 that gets divorced?

Happy 31st Birthday Seth!

2009-05-22T05:24:00.000-07:00

I am actually on time for this one! It is dear hubby's 31st birthday! Well if he reads this, which I doubt he does, he will know that I really am hoping to finish the man cave soon. That is his birthday present. Here is a before picture...

Now picture it with gray walls, a white door, dark gray carpet, shades, a valence, a new sleek silver fan, 2 recliners, his TV, and storage for all of his man stuff. Ahh much better. More pictures to come :)

Happy Birthday Charles!

2009-05-22T05:07:00.000-07:00

OK so I am a few days late. Oh well. Let me tell you about the awesome cupcakes that we enjoyed! Mrs. Sharon Hawkins created the oh so decadent Sesame Street Cupcakes. We had two (three if you count the unauthorized) parties for Charles. At the one in Bunnlevel on Saturday, he was well rested and well behaved. Some of his friends including Hannah, Luke, and Mason were there to help celebrate.

We drove back to Kings Mountain Sunday morning straight to Grammy's house for her mothers day lunch. The unauthorized party started shortly after finishing it even though we had one planned at my house complete with 24 more delicious cupcakes. Charles's mood is starting to drop fast since it is past nap time. Jenna and McKayla were so cute trying to open his presents...but what can I say, because he was the same way with them.

After Grammy's Mothers Day lunch, we went back to our house to celebrate with what I thought would be Seth's family and some friends. Turns out that his family didn't end up coming due to the above circumstances but I did have the Smith's over as well as the Rawlings. Charles loved playing with Madison, Charley, and Kinley. So you say where are the pics...here you go :)

This is a comparison from his first birthday...Look at how much he has grown!

The yummy cupcakes from Sharon.

Enjoying, cake, Cheetos, and more!

His present from MiMi and Papa.

Blog Loser Club +1 new member...

2009-05-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

So, this past week has kept me on my toes. Campbell University ended its Spring semester bringing with it grade entries and graduation. I am going to be teaching a new class so I have less than two weeks to read and comprehend an entire text book. Charles had several parties (I will take care of that is a separate post since it deserves one all its own).

On the remodeling home front, Seth has asked for his room (AKA man cave) to be redone. The colors: gray and yellow (Kodak yellow specifically). OK not exactly my choice of colors but hey it is the man cave and they don't call it that for nothing. Perhaps I can give folks a before picture soon before too much more is done so that you can see how awful this room actually is. Perhaps in fact I will edit this entry to show. I will show them again as we make progress, but jut for a little fun. The kitchen is nearing completion (Hallelujah-light beams in from the windows) and I am trilled. I only have the quarter round shoe and the cabinet crown to add only on the right side of the kitchen; lift the sink out (again) to grout and seal; and put touch up paint in several nicked areas that I did...TA DA then it will be done. Oh wait. No it will not. I decided we needed pendant lighting so I have bought these awesome three pendant lights to go over the little bar area. I also decided that the current fixtures could use a bit of updating so I am going to take them down and spray paint them to match the pendent lighting. OK then I will be done. Oh shoot...no I won't...I have to finish the island. Oh and I saw a fabulous end piece that goes on one side of the refrigerator for storage...I just *might* build that. Maybe I should quit saying it is almost done and just go with it is a work in progress?

On the store front, I am busy busy busy getting ready for this natural living fair and several orders that have come in via email over this past week. My customers are awesome. I am just in love with the fact that they want to do their part to help the environment. They are like me. They can't do everything to help it but they can make steps to lessen their burden on the environment. (so call me a Tree Hugger...see if I care) I actually probably would care. I am probably a tree hugger (most days) or at least I try to be. I probably wouldn't actually hug a tree though. So do your part in this world. Make your footprints smaller. Make your impact by not making an impact.

Quirks...

2009-05-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Every thought about what weird or strange quirks you have? I started to think about mine and boy is there enough to fill a whole post with them. So here goes in no particular order:
1. I cannot sleep without any sheets/bedspread (something might get me)
2. I will not eat both ends of a hotdog even though I eat one of the ends to start
3. I never eat a Pop Tart from the outside in but rather break it into fourths and eat from the inside out
4. When eating cereal with marshmellows, I eat the cereal first and marshmellows last
5. I don't wear socks
6. I usually wear flip flops for almost any occasion
7. I cannot go more than a day without cleaning out my ears
8. I follow over 75 people's blogs
9. I like beanie weanies cold
10. I vomit at the sight of vomit
11. I secretly wish we lived in a cabin with a composting toilet, solar panels, no dryer, no heater (except for wood), and fans only for ac in the middle of the woods (guess it isn't a secret anymore)
12. I hate to touch wet hair (example just got out of the shower and a piece is on my arm-ick)
13. When driving, I often ponder worse case scenarios-just in case
14. I clean my stove at least twice a day
15. I like to check the doors to make sure they are locked-several times
16. I cannot sleep with sock on
17. I always sleep on my left side
18. I have never flown and probably won't
19. I can't lick Popsicle sticks because of my friend's dad telling me I would get a splinter
20. I worry about fire way too much because of this friend's dad as in we unplug things when we travel-everything
21. I have a bad phobia of tap water probably because 22. I like to read the water reports
23. I absolutely HATE for my food to touch on a plate
24. I cannot use the same plate for the main meal and dessert unless I clean it
25. I cannot sleep past 8:30 and believe me I have tried
26. I cannot go to the dentist without nerve meds
27. I cringe when folks call my son Charlie...if I wanted him to be called that-I would have named him that
28. I can whistle through my tongue and 29. I am a tongue roller
30. I like to drink pickle juice
What are some of yours?

Photography Fun...

2009-04-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

No doubt, I have been looking forward to photographing this little one again. In January, I was blessed to be able to photography this handsome little newborn. I am thrilled to be able to photography him again. This time he and his mommy are making the long trek to Kings Mountain.

After grading papers, resumes, interviews, and other miscellaneous assignments this week, this is a welcome and needed break.

So what else has happened in this so called life of mine? April and I did over a mile of walking this morning-yay us. Yesterday Charles and I went to Crowder Mountain State Park and although we didn't do much walking around, I can see that it will be a great place to hike this year. It almost seems as if Wednesdays are becoming our day to explore Kings Mountain. I need to be better about bringing my camera along so that you good folks can see what I am talking about.

Well perhaps I will be able to post a few sneak peak photographs this week for you to see what an adorable child this is. Until next time...

-Kat

End of the Semester Blues

2009-04-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today I managed to stay busy all day long. As if some days I sit around and eat bon bons...shame on you for thinking that. We started our day at 7am as I got up and graded resumes, posted corrections, graded papers, and checked email. Charles got up around 8:30 and then we headed to Grammy's so mommy can get some work done today. I stopped at J Olivers for some coffee and to do some more work. April, a friend from the coffee shop and church called, so I stopped by her house for a few. After that, I went to get some Ramen Noodles...have I mentioned I have a strange affection for them with no seasoning? Ahem...anywho...after eating, I cleaned up the living room and kitchen, mopped, spackled, and sanded. Then I went back to grading papers, checking email, catching up replying to email, and more. I feel like that is all I have done this week. Did I mention that this is the last week of classes for this semester? I suppose I should be excited but it is very difficult knowing how much needs to be done in this short of period of time. So if I disappear for a few, don't worry. I will be back.

Yardsale City!

2009-04-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

Ok so everyone knows just like last Saturday that we either have yardsales or go to them. Well today we went to what was supposed to be a pretty big event. And I suppose if you have a less than 12 month old baby, this event would have been exciting, but we don't so it wasn't. I did manage to score 2 Elmo toys, a set of sheets for Charles's bed, and a pair of swim shoes for Charles. So all in all, we drove about 45 minutes to this "HUGE" yardsale to spend less than $10 bucks. Oh well. I will try and find some more sales for next weekend but for the rest of the day it is pawn shops, Wal-Mart, yard work (planting about 10 new plants), cleaning, and a spaghetti dinner at Boyce Memorial AR Presbyterian Church. (Not that anyone cares..LOL)

Save the Date! June 6th 2009

2009-04-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

In a very exciting email, I have just learned that I will be participating in another Natural Living Fair in Harrisburg, NC on June 6th, 2009. Why should you come? Well, we are planning to have sample bags, products to try, demonstrations, and more. We have folks that represent natural cleaning, cloth diapering, baby wearing, doulas, air purifying, massage, acupuncture, energy efficiency, natural body products, vaccine awareness, gardening, chiropractics, and much more! It will be held in the town square in Harrisburg near Town Hall. If you have an idea of an area you would like represented, let me know and I will work with Stephanie to see if we can get them at the fair. I am always excited to share the natural living lifestyle with others, so come out and see what it is all about-we don't bite :)

I feel like a kid in a candy store today. Preparing 9 orders in one day is tiring, but so exciting. I am glad things are taking off both on Etsy and my website. I am still working on my graphic design website, but really excited that things are really coming along. Getting work done this week has been a bit more difficult since Grammy has been under the weather. Speaking of weather, have you looked outside today? It is gorgeous. I am looking forward to a very busy day and hope that your day is as productive as mine.

Time for Thursday...Got a buck?

2009-04-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I suppose you can't call this a daily blog if there are days missing (Wednesday) whoops. So instead, I will just focus on the fun stuff.

Did you know yesterday was earth day? (Oh yep, here she goes, dagum tree hugger) Shouldn't everyday be earth day? Or at least we should try and treat it that way?

WARNING: Your chemical laundry detergent may contain:Phenols, optical brighteners, phosphates, EDTA, artificial fragrance, ammonia, sodium sulphate, and a chemical foaming agent. Really do you want your clothes to smell like a mountain forest? Is it necessary? Did you know that some of those chemicals cause skin allergies, pollute the water system, and are highly suspect carcinogens? Why not switch to a natural laundry detergent? Something that makes your clothes smell clean and not like a spring meadow. So you want to try some General Deasil's All Natural Laundry Detergent? Many of my All Natural Products are available in a trial size for just a buck and a little bit of shipping. Just ask Kat@GeneralDeasil.com. Even more exciting, I have just finished working with Creations to develop a wonderful All Natural Stain Stick to pretreat those stubborn stains that just won't go away priced the same as the national brand. See being green doesn't have to be expensive.

Want to do a price comparison on General Deasil's All Natural Laundry Powder?

48-96 Loads $7.00 (full size loads) (who uses the small anyway?)

.07-.145 cent per load

Outside bag is compostable after label is pealed off.

Leading P Brand Natural Elements

50 Fl oz. States 32 loads $4.99

Small Load uses 1.5 oz =33 loads=.151 per load

Large =2.5 oz =20 loads=.25 per load (and even for yall coupon savvy even with a buck off coupon, the per load is still .20 cent)

Don't forget you need to recycle that huge plastic bottle.

So today I will challenge you to add one green thing to your routine per week. Switch to cloth towels over paper towels, cloth napkins over paper napkins, take your cans to the recycle center, switch to a water filter system and leave the bottles at the store, change one of your cleaning products to an all natural product, make one less trip out in the car, plant a vegetable, use reusable bags over paper or plastic...do something!

Tired Tuesday

2009-04-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

A basic of all basic posts.

Please send a prayer up for several folks and events for me...

Stellan-baby boy had heart surgery today

Gary and Brenda Porter-very difficult time with their family (Brenda has cancer, their father died, and their daughter in law went into early labor probably due to the stress)

Relay for Life Spaghetti Supper-pray for a fundraising success and good Christian fellowship

Lord give me the patience to accept the things I cannot change and wisdom to know the difference. Amen.

Do you know who your lifeguard is?

What does a WAHM do?

2009-04-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

So, I often hear comments such as:
"Man, you have it so easy."
"I wish I could work from home with my kids."
"What I would give to not have this commute."
"What all did you do today (read the house is still a mess)?"
"How does she work if she went out for coffee?"
"How can she work if she is traveling?"
Well, I think these are all good questions, but let me give you an insight to my day starting at 12:00 am. This a pretty typical day...

1:30am
Charles wakes up with night terrors, Seth and I spend 30 minutes comforting him and getting him back to sleep. 2:00am Seth drops off to sleep in 1 second, I lay awake for another 30 minutes to an hour winding down from the heart racing moments of hearing your baby scream. 5:00am Seth's alarm goes off for the first time. I wake up and go back to sleep. 6:15am Seth's alarm goes off again. I wake up and go back to sleep. 6:25am Seth's alarm goes off again. I wake up and go back to sleep. 6:37am The door to the house slams. I wake up and go back to sleep. 7:15am Charles wakes up for the first time. This week, I put him back into the crib since he is crawling out of the bed and still tired. He falls back asleep. I get up and throw on some clothes (literally) and pull back my hair. Note: I didn't brush my hair or teeth and I didn't shower (ewww...yes I know) 7:45am Charles is up for good. I go and get him out of the crib and change his diaper and clothes. Today his sheets are wet because he took off his diaper in middle of the night, so I have to find some time to wash them. I put his clothes on him while he is getting irritated that he can't go straight to the kitchen to eat. 8:00am We both go to the kitchen and I put him in his chair since he fell of the bar stool last week. He complains as I am fixing breakfast of course because it is never fast enough for a two year old. I get his milk ready and cereal. I realize I need to wash the tray to his chair-crumbs still remain from last night. 8:15am I sit down to check my email from Campbell and Hotmail. Charles finishes the cereal and is still hungry. I fix him a banana. 8:25am I sit down again to check my email from Campbell since I have 14 new emails mostly from students that waited until Sunday to try and submit an assignment and are panicking because I do not take calls after 9pm. Charles is done with his banana and wants down. 8:35am The living room WAS clean. Well not anymore. Charles has taken almost every toy and put it in a different place. Ahhh total chaos but this is a few minutes that I can definitely devote to the computer because he is so busy tearing up the living room. 9:ooam My Campbell email is finally checked and approximately 75% responded to. I finally check my Hotmail. YES! I made two sales! I will need to find time today to make those and mail them. Charles falls off his rocking horse and bites his lip. It is bleeding. He wants to be cuddled and hugged so we do until he says, "all done." 10:00am Charles starts announcing, "Emmo TB pease" and "Emmo potty pease." I figure well if this is all of the TV he watches today, not a big deal. Perhaps I can get some work done. I put on the DVD and start Campbell work. I manage to grade an entire assignment (gasp) before noticing that Charles is standing on the back of the love seat. I panic. Oh my goodness! I am such a bad mom. I run to "rescue" him all the while he laughs. I scold him for scaring me and put him back on the love seat and give him a pillow and blanket, crossing my fingers and hoping that he will sit still for 15 to 30 more minutes. 11:00am I have another assignment completely graded. Oh my students will be thrilled. I am hungry and just realized I haven't eaten breakfast. No wonder! Well, I can't eat anything at this point in front of Charles as he will start crying no fair. So I fix Charles a snack. I heat up some Chicken Ramen noodles minus the flavor packet. Ahh, I was starved! (Not really if you have ever seen me in person, but I sure felt like it.) 11:25am Snack time is over. Hoping Charles will start to exhibit the rubbing of the eyes soon so that we can start nap time. Elmo is over and he wants to watch it again. I don't think that is a good idea. We go and play blocks for a few and then switch to play kitchen and cook some blocks for a change. 11:50am YAY! The eye rubbing has begun. Not too much longer before nap time. 12:15pm I put Charles down for a nap. Ah peace. Up-not yet. Charles has climbed out of his bed. Ick. Go put him back. 12:30pm No noise from his room. I need to start working on the General Deasil sales. I need to make a Tush Rinse and a batch of lip balm. Ah yes you ask. I do make everything the day of usually. It is just better that way. I make up the Tush Rinse and then I start melting the beeswax for the lip balm (not the vegan balm-no worries). It takes a little while to melt all the ingredients to the correct temperature but in the end, the product is far superior to anything you can buy at the store. I package the items, print some labels, calculate postage, print some postage labels, and take the items to the mailbox. 1:45pm I need to start working on the summer classes that I am teaching. Let me start with BADM 300. I pull up my templates and start working. I actually like this part most of the time. It involves me figuring out the best way to arrange the materials, reading all the materials, finding the supplemental links and resources that I want the students to read, designing assignments, and creating a syllabus. Shoot, I think I hear Charles... 2:20pm I would have liked to have gotten farther but Charles woke up. Uh I forgot to think of what I can cook him for lunch. Uh I forgot to clean up his tray after breakfast. Lets try the bar. Ok. I sit Charles at the bar and cook him some microwave meal. He looks at it like it is poop or something. I struggle to find something he will eat. I am thinking will he starve if he doesn't eat. Shouldn't he be hungry by now? 2:45pm Charles announces, "all done." Ok done with lunch. "Emmo potty pease." Ugh...I am so tired of hearing this. I think I hear Charley (the neighbor's three year old) outside. Yep, so we go outside and play for a while. Hey I get a break too right? Oh well so we get eatin by skeeters and dirty from collecting sticks, rocks, and grass. I am tired. Gosh why am I so tired. I don't feel like I have gotten anything done today. 3:45pm We come inside. I worry about Charles getting burnt. Worry worry worry. I guess it is my job. Charles wants to watch Elmo. I give in. After all, it is only his second time for the day. Maybe I can get some work done and cook some dinner. Ahhh I do get some work done. Did I mention I am also donating some items to the local Relay for Life? Yeah I forgot. I need to get those ready before tomorrow morning when I have to drop them off at the coffee shop. 4:30pm Seth calls and he is off of work! Praise God. I am tired and I still have a million things to do and the house is an utter wreck. I make a half attempt to re-pick up all of the toys while Charles finishes Elmo, sweep the floors, and vacuum...Ugh the sink is a wreck! Oh well that is going to have to wait. Charles is wanting something to eat. No surprise. He didn't eat much lunch. Oh what to do...Seth wants to talk while he drives, Charles is screaming in my ear. Sigh...where is the peace and quiet? I need to get some work done!!! 5:15pm I start dinner. Charles is screaming because is thinks he should eat now. I don't bend rules for those that refuse to eat lunch. He will learn but in the mean time I have a headache from it. 5:30pm Dinner is ready and Seth walks in the door. He drops off the mail and heads to the bedroom to change and take care of business. Charles continues to scream. I get his plate ready and realize the tray is dirty and so is the bar...Geeeeezeee...so I clean both so I will have something for him to sit at tomorrow. Charles is on the floor hitting his head (yep this is typical). I serve Charles before we get dinner. I serve my plate, then Seth's. I cram my food as fast as I can. I have stuff to do. I am tired. I am irritable. Go figure. 6:00pm I am done eating. The kitchen is a mess. Charles is whining. Why? Well because I ate fast, I haven't cleaned up and as far as I can tell just because he can. I run water in the dishes and try to put away the left overs. I send Charles to play with Seth. I have to get some work done. 6:30pm I guess we should go work out. After all I am growing, and it ain't taller. Sigh, I feel like I have been up forever...I change clothes and pack a bag for Charles. I check my Campbell mail again. I realize I haven't responded within the 24 hours that I committed to. I have to do this before we leave. 7:00pm We leave for the gym. I can't focus on working out hard. I have a million things at home that need doing. I worry that Charles isn't having a good time in the nursery. I am walking on the treadmill and Seth is running. I am jealous that I am too out of shape and fat to run. I say in my head, one day I will be able to again. I think about all that I am needing to get done for the Dean, for my classes in progress, grading, website design work, finishing the kitchen, what to do to meet with friends to make sure I don't go insane this week...I look up at the clock...Oh goodness. 7:45pm We get ready to leave. Child care ends at 8:00pm. We get back to the house. Time to give Charles a bath. Seth does this hoping to give me some time to catch up. I get about 10 minutes before having to get his diaper, pajamas and bed (oh my I forgot I have to change his sheets). Honey run some more water. I change the sheets and get all of the above ready. My dear son is a prune. We go to the living room and play a bit to get some final energy out. 9:00pm Charles is in bed! YAY! Or so we think...we will have to listen to make sure he doesn't escape again. Time to do work. Seth is read to take over the desktop so I am going to get out my laptop and work on the couch. Always a bad idea since I always find something more interesting than work on TV. I stay up until 11:30 working on school stuff and fall asleep on the couch. Seth is still up at the computer. 12:00am Seth gets me and says it is time to go to bed. I go in the bathroom, brush my teeth, change clothes and hop in bed...yep no typos here...I still haven't showered. I will do that tomorrow. I hope. I look forward to tomorrow when I think I will have more time to complete my work.

So yes this post is boring, but it is a typical day at Kat's house as I attempt to work from home, take care of my son, remodel my house, and start my own business. It is a very hard job to do and while I am very blessed to be able to enjoy the extra time with my son, I also miss the friendship of colleagues, the motivation to get ready in the morning, and getting out of the house. I am fortunate to be able to work from home but it is 100 times harder than anything I have ever done outside the house. Sometimes I even feel like the time I spend with Charles isn't true quality time. I know he thinks otherwise but still very easy to doubt yourself. It is true that I have no commute, and I don't have to get ready in the morning, but there are trade offs. For me, I need some alone time to be able to do work and to revamp so I am a better mother. I am thankful that my mother in law is able to watch him two days a week so I can be a better mother. Tuesdays and Thursdays are a bit different since I do try and get out of the house for at least an hour. I make sure that I engage with several friends on Tuesday mornings at the coffee house and then I work from there for a change of pace on Tuesdays since they have WIFI. On Thursdays, I might meet friends in Charlotte for dinner. They are always so nice to pick a spot with WIFI so I can work before dinner. Sometimes getting out of the house means I will get more work done. I hope that helps folks understand what exactly I do as a WAHM and why my house isn't always spic and span, why my work gets done at odd hours, why my kitchen is still not finished, why I always have soap supplies on my counters, and why I look like I haven't kept up my appearances...Yes one day, I will put myself on that to do list, but for the time being, my baby comes first.

Uh Oh. Politics and Religion?

2009-04-19T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we tried a new Church today. Boyce Memorial ARP. I am happy to know they aren't affiliated with the PCUSA. I am sure you are thinking well there are just certain things that one shouldn't discuss such as religion and politics, but I disagree. Now I think that there are certain areas of both that should not be argued over but could be debated (example sprinkling vs submersion). I personally say, who cares? Isn't it what you are doing in your heart that matters in the end? Do you think Saint Peter will say, "oh no, you were just sprinkled-To hell you go?" Naw. Now just as I say this, I will also say that there are things that should be discussed such as we believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We believe that Christ was born from the virgin Mary, that he suffered and died for our sins, and that he arose from the dead. Non-believers deserve to hear about the Word of God too. If we don't talk about religion and politics-how are we to share the Word? Oh don't give up on me now, because I am not a "Bible-beater," but I do love my Lord and want to share fellowship with other Christians. Am I as educated as I would like to be? Absolutely not. I have many things in my Christian journey left to learn. I hope that we have found that Church to grow in and learn more about the Word of God. (A big thank you to the congregation that gave us the warmest welcome we have ever had at a church we were "sampling." I feel that we may not have to do much more looking at all.) Perhaps tomorrow, I can give some insight to what a WAHM does all day with her time?

Saturday Yard Sales

2009-04-18T14:19:00.000-07:00

Well...most of you know I can scope out some pretty darn good deals. I think I take after my Daddy on this one. Yall all know that if Frank can't find the deal then the deal can't be had. I like going to them, but having one is a whole different story. Well, we had a yard sale this morning. You know, the we are going to get up at 6am but hit the snooze until 6:30am and put out all of our stuff shuffle. So we did. Did I mention that we decided to do it yesterday? So much for planning. But, anywho we ended up making somewhere in the way of...well after you count the $10 I spent on a hanging organizer, and $8 I spent on a fold up chair, and Lord knows how much on the fresh lemonade and donuts, we ended up with a profit of about $150 in 5 hours. So if I am computing that correctly, and I don't pay Seth, I just make $30 an hour. Not bad. So you say you like random pictures? Here you go: Charles is turning two in May-this is his fake invite (what I mean is we ain't posting our address on the web even though yall can find it if you do enough research on your own)...

See not all of this blog is about business :)

Are you giving me lip young lady?

2009-04-15T10:55:00.001-07:00

Why yes I am. I am telling you that you best take care of those lips. Summer time is right around the corner and with it comes a season full of chapped lips, wind burned lips, and sun burned lips. So what right? Wrong.

Did you know that the lip, ear, and nose are the most common places for skin cancer to begin?

Step 1: Just because your lips need protecting doesn't mean they can't look good.
At night take a damp wash cloth and GENTLY rub your lips.

Step 2: Put on some General Deasil's All Natural Lip Balm (don't worry if you are Vegan-yeah we have that too).

Step 3: Go to bed.

Step 4: Wake up.

Step 5: Put sunscreen all over face, including lips and ears.

Step 6: Reapply General Deasil's All Natural Lip Balm

Oh yes and did I mention you have your choice of Natural, Vegan Natural, Cool Mint, Vegan Mint?

Now for some fun pictures...yesterday I got to take some pictures of some of my favorite youngins (second to my own). Litha came up in the morning and although we didn't get out early enough for the early morning sun, these turned out pretty cute if I can say so myself. Luke is such a flirt and Hannah is in the "I don't like my picture being taking" stage but I managed to snap a few cute ones anyway.

Natural Skin?

2009-04-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about something that is really important. Something that protects you even when you aren't nice to it and keeps you covered even when your clothes don't.

SKIN!

Let me skip the product placement for a few to tell you a few interesting facts about skin:

Your skin is the largest ORGAN of your body.

Babies' skin is only 1mm thick, adults' skin grows to 2mm thick, and as we age it thins again.

Skin makes up on average 16% of your body weight (http://www.faceart.com/makeup/tips/articles/skinfo/Fascinating_Facts_About_Skin.php)

The skin on eyelids and lips is only 1mm thick or less.

Now that you know a little bit about skin, how about how to take care of it.

Now do we all agree that breathing up chemicals is nasty? What if I told you that up to 90% of house dust is skin. One might say well that doesn't sound very dangerous. Gross but not dangerous. Well I think that is subjective. How many folks read what is in their soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, bodywash, toothpaste, hair gel, face cream, lip balm, and any other products that they use on their skin. Well if you have read a label lately, I would be willing to bet that you feel pretty icky about what is in all of those products. Oh just humor me. Google some of the ingredients. You will see. SLS. Triclosan. Methylisothiazoline (MIT). Try some of your own bottles. These are things that I used daily until I started reading labels and being concerned for my family's health. These chemicals go on your body and are absorbed by your skin, which sheds into the air and onto the floor and is stirred up as dust so that you can rebreath it. YUM.

I still think that dust is gross; however, at least I know my dust doesn't contain as many chemicals as some folk's dust. Choose to be green. Choose to use natural products. Choose to help protect Mother Earth. Choose to make better decisions for your family. And while you are doing all that choosing, take a peak at www.GeneralDeasil.com to see if we can help you with any of those needs.

On a more fascinating to me note, my friend Litha is coming to visit our house in Kings Mountain today with her two kids, Hannah and Luke. I will probably post some pictures tomorrow once I do some editing (yep photo session). This evening I get to visit some more friends in Charlotte and enjoy a dinner out. Oh don't worry about Seth, he will get his day. In fact he already has it scheduled. Some concert that I assure you will last far further than any one of my dinners. So I am leaving you with a picture of the sunset from the other day. Yes random, I know. I love photographing them.

Tax Day!

2009-04-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

Or should it read, last day to send your taxes before we penalize you with interest and penalties but we will hold your state tax refund as long as we need day? Ah, you have to love the good ole state of NC.

In recent news, my website is now up and running! You can use the purchase online link but for the time being it goes straight to Etsy. No worries, local delivery is still available after you pay for your General Deasil goods. I have been working this morning on my photography and graphic design website as well. I guess the photography portion is more of my hobby whereas the graphic design of creating a website, cards, logo design, and what not is more up my alley. I just love taking newborn and infant photos. I think that is my favorite part of doing this. I love to be able to give the parents a beautiful memory that they can tuck away or display for years to come. For that matter, I just love taking photos. I don't think it will ever become a full time job for me and I still enjoy having others photograph my family (you children are always more cooperative with others) but I sure enjoy getting out and clicking that button.

I would love to purchase some more props for photography or make some. If you have any ideas or items you think would be appropriate, let me know via the comment section. I am also looking to buy a zoom lens for my Nikon D40. I love to capture nature so having an extreme zoom lens that doesn't break the bank would be wonderful. Again, if you have any suggestions, please comment and let me know. It doesn't have to be new but needs to be in good shape so I can get little birds and such in good focus.

Ah yes and does anyone have any good suggestions for areas to create photo loops/scrolling photos?

Last on the agenda today is learning Skype. Well trying to learn Skype.

QUICK POST!!!

2009-04-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

My new website is partially up! YAY!
www.GeneralDeasil.com
Try it-make sure it works, tell me what you think...yes honestly!
Unfortunately my shopping cart is not fully up yet but I will let all know when it is.
A big thanks to all of my repeat customers that have made this day possible!

A Blog about Blogging...

2009-04-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

So I have blogged on MySpace, Facebook, Blackboard, and beyond, but don't you think it is about time to blog in one spot-how about blogspot instead? So here goes with my treehugging, green, ecofriendly, all natural blog.

Today I started putting together my own website. I have no experience with creating websites, I have no experience setting up an e-commerce store, and I have no clue what I am doing. Any takers to help? I started by purchasing my domain names. I also purchased a hosting site. I decided better to purchase both of the domain names that I needed rather than wait and the other not be available. So I pulled up Microsoft Front Page and started to fiddle. Do you know how annoying it is for someone that has no clue what they are doing to keep erasing the small part that they are able to figure out? Oh well. By the end of today, I have created what I hope will work once the registrar has updated my DNS. Oh yea...I am learning the terms. Slowly but surely. Well what do you think of what I hope it will look like when I finally get it loaded to my site? I am not sure I will keep Etsy.

In other news: It was Easter this past weekend. Charles certainly enjoyed the egg hunts in Bunnlevel. We went to the church first in the morning and hunted at least 50 eggs and then on to Mimi and Papa's house for another egg hunt. We enjoyed a cookout and some good ole fashion fun.