Kaci's Ramblings

Are Kindle's Safe for kids?

2011-12-22T09:47:00.001-06:00

I love to read, always have. My kids love to read, I thank God for that. Every Christmas, they want books, that brings me joy. Last Christmas I got "Code Talkers" for Austin, he loved it, still talks about it. That makes me smile.

So this year when we were considering getting them Kindles, I researched parental controls...NONE. The children can get on the internet if it is connected to a network and there is no way to secure that. Most parents also add the child's Kindle to their own account, which is connected to their credit card, which allows you to purchase content - any content - with one simple click.

While one-click purchasing is great and convenient for me, I would like to make sure my kid can't just buy $400 worth of books and magazines on a whim. So here's my solution to parental control on my minor children's Kindles for Christmas.

I set each of the kids up their own email address just for the Kindle on gmail and set them to forward to my email address. I signed each of the kids up for their own Amazon.com account using that email address. I got each child an Amazon.com Kindle gift card and set that card as the payment method for their Kindle. So when that $$ is gone, they're done. They will be able to save their money and buy their own gift cards, receive gifts cards as gifts, or anyone with an Amazon.com account may "gift" them books. So if they would like me or their father to buy them a book, we can do that and "gift" it to them.

Also, anything that they purchase or download for free, it sends an email to their email address. That email comes to my email so I know what they just got. Then, since I have the only password to their account, if I don't approve of the book they just bought, I can return the book for a refund, or simply delete it. I also don't give my kids my internet code, so to get on the network, they have to give me their Kindle to connect it and I turn the wireless off and tell the Kindle to forget the connection when I am done. So no browsing without me, and they know I check Histories.

So, although Amazon doesn't offer any type of set "Parental Control" this parent has taken control and given the given of digital literature! Merry Christmas, friends!

My Dream Wedding - Second Chances - Our Rings

2011-11-16T16:52:00.001-06:00

One thing we look forward to every year here in the Texas Panhandle, is the WRCA Ranch Rodeo National Finals. We wait and wait every year to see the guys busting their tails to do real ranch tasks, to see who is the best of the best as far a working ranch rodeo hands.

We also really enjoy the trade show that comes along with it. We spend hours, literally, cruising the aisles looking for tack (that's gear for your horses and such, for those of you not in the horse world), clothing, and treasures. We've been watching for ideas for the wedding, of course and found a huge key element...our rings.

We met a super guy named Beau Compton, and his beautiful family this weekend. Beau is an amazing silversmith and makes everything from rings to saddle kits to buckles, and does a gorgeous job at affordable prices...you will be pleasantly surprised. Our rings will be similar to this picture, with a few small tweaks and I have also requested a special surprise for my beloved on our special day. Shhhh, don't tell him, though....

Beau is a few months out on orders, so if you need something, be sure to give him plenty of time. But if you need something special for someone special, this is the guy for the job!! Check him out at BeauCompton.com

Over The Top

2011-11-14T13:28:00.001-06:00

Oh my goodness, did I have a great weekend!!! I had second row seats to an amazing experience with God!

Thanks to the fine folks at Thomas Nelson Publishers, I received two tickets to the Women of Faith, Over the Top conference in OKC this weekend. Not only did I get to take part in some amazing worship, hear a great Word from the Father, but I spent some quality time with one of my closest friends, Sharon.

I also got to hear one of my all time favorite artists, live, from the second row:

Amy Grant, still serving Him, still wonderful and beautiful after all this time. I had this song on cassette...kids, ask your moms what that is.

We also heard some amazing and uplifting words from women who have lived lives just like ours, know hurt just like ours, and have found healing in a God who loves us so big that it can be felt, seen and heard.

Here are some pictures of the speakers:

Each of the ladies above touched my life this weekend, taught me something, or gave me something I could take with me as I left the arena and began a new Over the Top life.

This last picture is the beautiful worship team.

Their CD, Rejoice, is my net review from Thomas Nelson Publishers, I promise, it's a must have for your collection. Besides, it's great for the drive to any Woman of Faith event.

Speaking of events, here are some for you, just click the picture for the website:

Awesome music, straight-talking messages, drama, and a ton of fun combine for an event just for teen girls:

Next Year's Tour:

I am trying to organize a group for next year's Celebrate Event in OKC. The kick off of the tour in August. If you're interested in going and getting group pricing, please email me or leave a comment.

Women of Faith

2011-10-25T10:16:00.000-05:00

I am so pleased to have the opportunity to attend the Over The Top Women of Faith conference in OKC next month.

Check out this video

Cowboy Wedding Swag

2011-10-07T13:26:00.000-05:00

If you're planing a western/cowboy wedding and you would like some great gear, check out this Cafepress Shop

Bride's Posse

DIY Jewelry Storage

2011-09-19T14:52:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to find a way to store my jewelry for some time now. I tried adhesive hooks stuck to the wall, and that didn't go so well. So I have been thinking and thinking and came up with this:

Sorry for the poor exposure on the picture, but you get the idea anyway. I wanted a way to have my jewelry easily accessible when I am dressing. My husband built me this gorgeous dressing table and I love it for getting ready. He hand bent every piece of iron and we found an old coffee table top for the top (I still haven't decided what color to paint it, that's why it looks so awful.

I don't want a huge jewelry box sitting on my table. Every one I have ever had, the jewelry gets lost, bunched up and tarnished inside of it. I also couldn't spend a whole lot of money on some of the beautiful Etsy jewelry storage ideas I had found. So I found a $10 curtain rod and a $5 package of window panels and thought, "I could hang this behind my table and use drapery hooks and hang my necklaces and bracelets from the curtain panel."

When I got the curtains hung, they were so pretty, I didn't want to poke the hooks all through them. So I decided to use the rod and it turned out great! Necklaces with the curtain. Any that didn't have a clasp went on the end, so they could be easily accessed.

I hung the bracelets and anklets along the middle so that my view of the mirror wouldn't be blocked. I also hung an old scarf that came with my travel bag on the end to clip my big barrette on. That is where I used the drapery hooks, to hang my bangle bracelets and watch from.

Then for the earrings, I dug in the cupboard and found an old dollar tree glass the I had gotten a few years back for decoration and hung my hook earrings around the edge and put my rings and a few collectibles inside. (The rings won't be here permanently, as soon as I find a certain thrift store piece I'm looking for, I will post a DIY ring holder as well.) I don't have many pair of post earrings, but those that I do, I poked through the curtain itself at the top where it is thickest and won't run.

So, for less than $20, I think I got a pretty and practical way to store my jewelry. If you like it, please share it. If you try it, please post a comment with a link to your pictures, everyone would love to see!!

2011-09-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

It's been quite a while since I've posted here. So much has happened and I just haven't had the time to sit down with this little blog and keep it going. But I am back and I will try to maintain my presence here.

In June we lost Mom. It was a most beautiful, but sad experience. Around 5:00 a.m., she pushed the LifeLine button and they called me stating that she needed help to the restroom, so Vaughn went with me to help. The last few days had been a struggle for her and I was very tired, I was thankful for the help. We helped her to the bedside potty and back and she asked us to stay with her for a little while. She dozed in and out and talked the whole time. At one point, my sweet husband asked his mother, "Mom, why don't you just let go?"

Her response scared us for a minute, she said that no one was there. Then she smiled and said "Hi" to whomever it was, and told us, "There He is." She once again began speaking to people and rested. A little bit later, she asked us to hold her hand, shaking from the tremors that had racked her life for so long now. We took her hands in ours and held her gently. She told Vaughn she loved him and smiled, looking into his eyes in her gentle way and in a few minutes, the shaking stopped. The violent tremor that had been my companion as I cared for her all this time, suddenly slipped away as she was welcomed Home into the arms of her Father, her parents, and her beloved, Billy Ray Lusk.

That day was the hardest day of my life to that point. The last several years devoted solely to her, my occupation, my home, my life chosen to accommodate her, and she was gone. It wasn't so bad until the wonderful men from Brown's gently took her away. As they removed her from her home, the only place she ever felt "at home," as she told us on more than one occasion, it hit me like a cannon shot to the chest. She was gone! Who am I without her? Who is a caregiver with no one to care for? What was I to do if not care for her? I had a meticulous schedule that allowed me to work, care for my home and my husband, and care for her. Now what would I do with all that time that was scheduled for her? What would become of the person I had become?

The funeral was beautiful, just as she had planned it. Pastor Steve brought the message from Mom's favorite book of the Bible, Ruth, a beautiful message about salvation and second chances. Praise God that He is a God of second chances. I am so thankful for His grace in my life and for mom's second chance; that she came back to Him 4 years ago and went Home peacefully. I pray that some damaged relationships in my life will feel His grace and second chances as well.

Mom's little dog, Missy, came to live with us. I know that some days she is still very sad and misses mom as much as we do, but she is getting better. I am still slowly learning to do things again: to go to the store and only get one basket, to look at grapes without crying, that it is okay to go on living, and to find comfort in the fact that she is no longer suffering. My daughter finds peace sitting in Mom's garden, she says Mom talks to her there. Mom and Bethanie enjoyed many long talks, and they were so very close. I find peace in knowing that Mom's garden has become a special place to my little girl as well. Zach lived in the house with Mom and, just like she wanted, he lives there still. It has taken him some time, but he has moved into the living room just this week. Finally making the house his home, not just the back bedroom where he stayed while she lived in the front.

Many things have to change when life changes. We have to have faith like she did, that God has all of this in His strong, capable hands, and that it will all work out for His glory. I will post again soon and continue to update you all on the changes that have come this summer.

Thank you all for reading my silly little ramblings and for being a part of my life.

Sewing - Breaking out the new machine!

2011-05-04T08:46:00.005-05:00

For my birthday, my wonderful husband got me a new sewing machine. I am so blessed and so honored by his wonderful gift. Only thing is, I haven't even threaded it yet.

So I've decided I'm going to break it out today. I am going to start the pattern for Vaughn's shirts. Since he is such an odd size, I thought I would try my hand at making him custom shirts. The pattern is Simplicity 5366. It will make some alterations to the basic pattern, as I don't want the yoke to be so long and I want it attached, not flappy.

I will start with a muslin mock-up so I can make the changes. Just baste it together so I can try it on him and mark and pin adjustments. Then I will cut it apart and use the muslin pieces for the pattern made specifically for him.

I will try to remember to take pictures and post them so you can see the process.

Caring for Parents: Blessings in the Strangest Places

2011-05-02T09:59:00.003-05:00

In caring for Mom, I have taken over her meals. This has been difficult for she and I both. She wants to eat junk all day and I want her to eat well. She wants to eat TV Dinners if she has to eat "food" but they are high in sodium, carbs and sugar.

You see, Mom has diabetes, CHF and COPD. So I have to limit her carbs, sugar and sodium. So finding meals that are easy to store, fix, and that meet her nutritional needs has proven difficult. Until now...

This weekend I was doing my weekly grocery trip and I had to get some baby wipes for the daycare. While in the baby aisle, I found Gerber Lil' Entrees for toddlers and Healthy Meals for preschoolers. I also found some cereal bars for toddlers and preschoolers there too. All of these are low in the important things and packed smack full of good stuff!! They come with an entree and a veggie. The portions are the perfect size for her and fit excellently on the toddler plate I use for her meals. I simply add a fruit cup in the remaining section and a cup of milk and she has a perfectly balanced meal!

The best thing...SHE LOVES THEM! They have tons of flavor and there are several different kinds so she's not eating the same thing every day. They also don't have to be frozen, saving room in the freezer and making storage easier.

If you try this and like it, call the 800 number for Gerber, they love getting compliments and finding out that their meals are great for more than just kids and they will send you some great coupons.

Just so you know, Gerber has no idea that I am posting this, I am just hoping to help someone out.

Have a great day!!

Staying Organized as a Caregiver

2011-04-28T09:51:00.004-05:00

Many of you know that my mother-in-law was recently placed on in-home hospice. I am her primary caregiver and let me tell you what, if anyone needs hospice care in the Amarillo area, Odyssey is wonderful! They have been super kind and communication is wonderful.

As with any caregiver situation, caring for the elderly, kids, anything, you need organization to keep communication lines open. AT mom's house I have a binder. Inside this binder I have tabbed dividers and all of the most important information. At the beginning I have her patient information and medication information. You can download copies by clicking the links below:

http://www.4shared.com/file/lJpPMlaX/Patient_Information.html

http://www.4shared.com/file/yXOi6biw/Medication_Information.html

Then I have a tab for her POA, DNR, and Advanced Directive. Then I have a tab for hospice, I have hospice information there. Any handouts they give me, contact numbers, a list of who our caregivers are, etc. The next tab is "Final Arrangements". Just as it sounds, this tab has paperwork from/for the funeral home, copies of the poems she wants read, anything that makes everything easier when she goes Home. Then I have the "Calendar" tab. In this tab I have printed calendars for the rest of the year. This is where I write who is coming what days, any appointments, like taking the dog to the groomer, etc. I also write a smiley face on the days she has a real good day and a sun on the days we go outside.

The next tab is the most important, it's the daily log. Where I keep track of her blood sugar, insulin, temp, weight, blood pressure and meals. I also write out in the margin if she has had a bowel movement that day. You can download that form by clicking the link below:

http://www.4shared.com/file/Ten8_6uN/Diabetic_Log.html

The last tab is "Misc." and behind it I have a spiral notebook. In this notebook, I can write notes to the nurses, and they to me. They can leave items on the shopping list, or ideas, suggestions or whatever. Helps keep everything in order.

I hope this helps someone out!

Wedding Dress: The Little Things

2011-04-20T15:23:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are joining me because you are also making (or thinking about making) your own wedding gown, I thought I would highlight some of the little touches that make your handmade gown personal. Today I have found something small, but oh so memorable. The label.

Designer dresses, of course, have the label that states the designer, the dress style, etc. But what about your dress? Monde Design gives this history of the wedding dress label: In the 20’s and 30’s, couture gown designers started designing personalized labels for their clients, and attaching them inside the gowns. Now brides can use this special touch to make wedding gowns truly their own. When the tradition of labels for wedding gowns started, it was seen as the last time a bride would use her maiden name. So the bride’s full maiden name and wedding date were sewn into the gown.

In their Etsy Store and on their website, Monde Design offers many styles and sizes to choose from, all completely personalized. They even offer custom embroidered hankies for the father and mother of the bride.

I like this idea because I believe it may make the dress more special as an heirloom. Future wearers of the gown may opt to have their own labels made and sewn into my gown to commemorate their big day as well.

I plan to sew the label into my gown as a pocket leaving a place for mementos. Inside the pocket I will have a hankie that Monde Design is going to make for me, telling the story of the gown. This way future generations will know the background of the dress and can also leave their own tokens for the next generation.

If you decide to do something like this with your handmade gown, I would just love it if you would leave your idea in a comment for others to read.

Book Review: Max On Life

2011-04-20T12:59:00.003-05:00

With everything going on, I totally missed posting this. I had it ready for midnight the 18th, but life happens and that's one great thing about this book. When life happens, many people in this world turn to Max Lucado for advice on how God and the Bible would instruct us to handle them, and now there is a new resource for the answers to many of those questions.

Max Lucado's new book, Max On Life, is very well put together. A beautiful book, in type and presentation. The layout makes it an easy read, as well as making it easy to turn to just the section that fits your need.

In the book, Mr. Lucado addresses the most common questions to cross his desk during his career, touching everyone somewhere. Be it parenting, hope, hurt, or even sex and relationships, Max has an answer to a question you have asked.

I truly enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to share it with friends!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wedding Dress: A Huge Blessing

2011-04-15T15:55:00.005-05:00

James tells us in the Bible that we have not because we ask not. So I asked. I am in an amazing online community of Childcare Providers who help each other out in so many ways every single day.

With my dress, I figured the lace alone was going to break my budget for fabric, so I asked for help. I asked if my friends in Providers Playground would help me out by looking at thrift stores and yard sales for a used wedding dress that I might use to make the lace foundation for the skirt of my dress.

I got an unexpected answer much quicker than I could have imagined. A beautiful woman, another home childcare provider, from Canada emailed me and said that her handmade wedding dress had been sitting in her closet for the last 28 years and that I can HAVE IT!!! Wow. She said, "Well, I always knew that some day I would meet someone who needed it., lol. I just didn't want to donate it to a shop, I wanted to know who was actually getting it."

I was literally in tears. She had two boys, so no daughter to pass it down to and has held onto it all these years waiting to bless someone. I get to be honored with the joy of receiving that blessing. How beautiful is that?

Thank you again, my friend, for blessing me this way. I can't wait to show you the finished product. I am having a custom tag made into a tiny pocket inside the dress, with my name and wedding date on it. The pocket will hold an embroidered handkerchief with message about the story of the dress for whomever it gets handed down to. They, too, will be able to add mementos to the pocket for the next wearer of the gown. You can bet that your name and generosity will be mentioned.

Some people never know how they've blessed others, but I get the honor of telling you thank you. You have blessed me!

Wedding Dress: Shoes and Underwear Already???

2011-04-12T12:42:00.002-05:00

In speaking with some experienced sewists (that's the new PC term for seamstress), I have learned a few things. When I make the dress form AND the muslin for my dress, I need to be wearing the same shoes and underclothes that I will be wearing with the dress. This helps to make the dress fit exactly right. Insert huge sigh and what-have-I-gotten myself into face.

In learning and reading more and more about making a wedding dress, I am again having strange dreams about the actual dress construction, not really the wedding. I dreamed again that the sleeve came unraveled. Why am I worried about the sleeves? I tried to find the Susan Khalje book Bridal Coture: Fine Sewing Techniques for Wedding Gowns and Evening Wear but it's $90 used, the cheapest place I could find it. I am a member of a GREAT sewing message board, though, and the ladies there are helping me as much as possible.

So, I am on the search now for my shoes and undergarments. The shoes I am looking for are a pair of purple satin heels. Size 8, no straps, at least a 3 inch heel, open toe would be great. If you, my friends, readers, and wedding dress journeyers...could help me look?

Also something else I've decided...when I make the mock-up, I plan to make it out of a similarly weighted material to test the fit and then remove the train and give it to someone in need to wear from prom or a quinceañera.

Thanks for joining me. Hope you'll stick around. Any tips, hints or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Exciting Book Review Coming Soon

2011-04-10T10:39:00.002-05:00

I am so excited! I got a wonderful new book yesterday from Booksneeze and I just can't wait to tell you all about it. BUT...it's not out yet and I can't talk about it until the 18th. So, now, I'm not waiting all by myself. Check back the 18th, you will enjoy this book!

Denim Wedding Gown Rants, Raves, and Questions

2011-04-05T14:21:00.007-05:00

Oh my, have I been getting some crazy emails. Not just from those critics that think my wedding is faux pas, but also by some serious denim gown critics.

Somehow some serious fashion critics have stumbled upon my humble little blog. These proclaimed "professionals" have made statements such as vomit, hillbilly, and Hee-Haw in reference to my planned wedding gown. I've been asked what my beloved thinks of my plans to wear a denim gown. I have been asked what my family thinks. Oh my, I have been asked if it is some sort of media stunt.

So here are answered questions. My sweet husband not only knows, but he will be wearing blue Wrangler jeans, a frock coat, wild rag, a cowboy hat and hopefully a pair of handmade boots. My family, as far as I know is on board. This is my day and as long as I am happy, they are happy. Media stunt? Ha! I will be lucky to have the 100 people I am planning on at my wedding, much less a media circus. No, I am not trying to get attention...I am simply planning the cowgirl wedding I have always dreamed of. This is Texas. I own horses and will soon own cattle. For both my husband and I, a day at work or night on the town almost always includes a pair of jeans and cowboy boots, so will my wedding day.

I am not a traditional girl, so why have a traditional wedding? This is my only wedding, it should mirror our unique personalities. It should resound with echoes of who we are. It should make people say, "Yup, that is so Vaughn and Kaci." Hillbilly, eh, probably not. Redneck, probably. Hee-Haw? Really? That might be a fun reception theme though *wink*. Vomit? That's a little harsh, don't you think. I saw pictures of some pretty crazy weddings in my research, but I would never speak harshly in referring to someone's dream wedding day. If you don't like it, it's simple, don't read my blog and you probably aren't invited to the ceremony anyway. If you do, thanks! If you're merely curious, follow along, the next 20 months will be full of wedding planning and information.

My Dream Wedding - Second Chances - Daydreaming

2011-03-28T13:48:00.003-05:00

This is so much fun. Having all this time to plan, not being in any rush and being able to take my time and take care of each detail. I think I've pretty much decided on exactly how I want my dress to look, and the general idea for the bridesmaids dresses.

Any of you who are following my dress planning ideas, remember that your street size is not the same size you will need in a pattern if you are sewing your own dress. Before you go shopping for patterns, take your measurements. (Here are some tips on that from Threads magazine.) Take the measurements with you and look in the back of a pattern catalog for your pattern size. Promise yourself, before you go, that you will not freak out, fall apart, or hyperventilate in the fabric store because your pattern size is several sizes bigger than your street size (especially if you are ample in the chest and/or hips). It will be okay, your dress will be beautiful, and you will be gorgeous and radiant on your big day.

I finally have it, in my head, the picture of my dress. It's kind of like when the traditional bride goes shopping for her gown...she tries on dress after dress until that one takes her breath away and leaves her standing in front of the mirror with tears streaming down her face. When you're making your gown and you find the right pattern or combination of patterns, and you can see the finished product in your mind's eye, you get the same feeling. So here I am, decided on my pattern, standing in front of the mirror in my mind, knowing that this, like my beloved, is the one. This is the dress that I will wear in front of God and my loved ones to pledge my love eternally to this man. This is the dress that will be available for my daughter and granddaughters to wear if they want it. This is the dress that I will make with my own hands.

I wish I could show you a picture, but that will have to wait until the big day. I will allow you in on the process, the making of the gown, but no one but my MOH's and my Mom will see my gown until my wedding day. I can't wait to see it finished. I can't wait to see his face when he sees it.

I wish you were here, Mom, to help me make this thing, but maybe I can drive up a few times and you can help me....I love you for believing that I can do this even if I am not always sure.