as Jules is going

Assist Those Affected in OK

May 20, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

You can help at least one family affected by the Oklahoma Tornadoes!

I know many of you are looking for a way to help those affected by the tornadoes today.

I just got news of the Kerr family who will be returning home on July 1st to Nothing. Nothing but rubble. Their house was demolished while they were away on a long-awaited cruise. They have nothing but what they had with them.

They desperately need your help!

A family member of theirs {whom I know personally} has offered to collect items for them, {the address is available on the wish list} so, I have created an amazon wish list to attempt to send aid their way.

These are just examples of things I'm sure they will need. Feel free to send other items {or brands} as well. The family consists of a husband, wife, and teenage daughter. I will let you know as soon as I get clothing sizes!!!!

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Filed Under: Cool Ministries, The Ones about Jules Life {Randomness}

Rothacher’s Harlem Shake

May 17, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

Watch more Rothacher Family videos on our YouTube Channel!

brought to you because My Husband Rocks

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Filed Under: The ones about the Rothacher Home

Summer Snackage {Thoughtful Thursday}

May 16, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

The other day I had sliced open a cantaloupe for my daughters' snack. After the melon was empty I was reminded of some kind of cute snack I'd seen on Pinterest or some other place that clever people post creative ideas. A melon filled with jello.

Cool. Maybe I had jello! nope. I had no jello. I did however have cheap popsicle...yep. I tried it.

I cut open about 10 unfrozen popsicle, I chose orange...because no one likes that flavor in our house. I pored them into 1/2 of the empty melon. I covered it in plastic wrap and set it in a flat-bottomed bowl and placed it in the deep freeze.

And here are pics of my kids eating it.

Or at least trying to. It was kinda a flop. It tasted okay and was kind of like a slushy. But then I tried to slice up the cantaloupe it was wicked hard & I had to call on the strength of the hubs.

I was envisioning the kids eating it like watermelon or something but it was more like a slushy mess on a plate that required a spoon.

What was your newest inventive food? Did it Flop or Fly?

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Filed Under: Baking and Cooking, Homemaker, Thoughtful Thursdays

Teaching Preschool Finances 101

May 14, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

After learning how to better handle our finances we decided it was past time to teach our children the same concepts. But with little to no extra cash laying around for allowance we chose to created our own "fake economy", as my hubs likes to call it.

To learn more about "bread-ties" and what they have to do with preschool finances, budgeting, and developing responsibility in your preschooler, click over to the Homemaker's Challenge where I'm sharing how we are trying to teach our kids about finances.

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Filed Under: Homeschool, Parenting, The Ones about Homemaker's Challenge, The ones about the Rothacher Home

Phone Free Work Zone

May 13, 2013 by Jules Leave a Comment

I walked into the living room yielding a razor in one hand and a wet washcloth in the other.

I was maybe 6th grade with immature blonde hair on my pasty legs but with a self-perceived maturity level of a college women. I looked straight into my mamma's eyes and said, "I am Going to start shaving!" Pretty gutsy huh? A 10 or 11-year-old speaking to her mother with such gusto. Such confidence. Such...wisdom?

Bwahahahaha

This had been a long heated discussion among my mom and I. I was determined to hack those precious baby hairs down. I mean, ALL my friends were! She was determined to teach me true beauty, healthy hygiene, and responsibility. You are too young and you don't need to shave, she would say, If you start shaving, there's no going back.

This boost of confidence that came that evening, came as I watched my mamma answer a phone call from one of her good friends. I knew she would chatting a while and I would have at least some leeway in the normal expectations she had for me. And Thus...the razor! The glare. The smirk. The postponed lecture. The razor burn.

I tell you this silly story of disobedience to explain why my boss has the "Phone Free Work Zone" rule. I thought you were a stay-at-home-mom you might be asking, making you your own boss? That would be correct. I have chosen to work during the day without using my phone. I don't think that's an extreme rule. I mean, most places of employment don't allow cell phones to be used during work hours, why should SAHM be any different?

There have always been jokes about kids getting away with murder when mommy's on the phone but its only funny because there's some truth in it. When people are on the phone, those who are actually with them kinda get the shaft. If you have a teen, you know this often goes with texting as well. Its just a natural thing to pay attention to the electronic. I don't know why. So rather than try and figure out how to constantly tell my friend, "Excuse me while I go beat my child" or "Sorry, I need to go make lunch" or "___ pass poop...again" I just don't use my phone while my kids need me...which is like all the time right now.

Don't get me wrong, I have exceptions every-once-in-a-while when I have to make appointments, when my kids are napping, or my hubby is home. But for the most part friends, this is why I don't answer the phone during the day. Text replies are super delayed. And the habit all day make my phone easily forgotten when I'm "off work" {L.O.L.} Some times I may miss awesome lunch invites or time-pertinent questions but I'd rather miss those than these moments with my kids. Its hard some days but I think its totally worth it.

Disclaimer: I do partake in online work through out the day. I have found that texting, typing, and such can always be saved or dropped much easier than phone calls.

Sorry friends, family, and other random peeps who call me. You're gonna get the voicemail 90+% of the time. Texters...yep, delayed responses. Facebook messagers and emailers- I promise I check my inbox daily...most of the time. Thanks for your understanding.