Friday, March 27, 2009

Welcome to Ultimate Blog Party '09!

There is this really annoying commercial on Nickelodeon. It's a compilation of these guys saying the word "dude" over and over and over. Last night, we were watching Scooby Doo (yes, one of my favorite shows) and the commercial came on. My loving husband offered to throw something through the TV to turn it off. A normal family would have changed the channel. We are not normal. The kids and I promptly went into a 2 minute chorus of "dude" as many different ways and tones of voice as we could. By the end of it, even my husband was laughing. Life is just too short to get annoyed with the little things. Welcome to my world.

My name is Michele, but just call me Chele. Everyone does. I am a stay at home wife and mom. My husband John and I have been married for three years this coming May. We each have one child from our first marriages. Katelyn is 15 and a freshman in high school and Michael is 10 and in fifth grade. We are all evangelical Christians, and the children (excuse me, young adults) attend a local Christian school. John is the IT manager for a chain of collision shops. I have a candle and scented products company. I handmake all our products. I adore my husband and kids. We have such a great life!

We live in the country on about three acres of land. I love it! I'm starting a local chapter of the Mary Jane FarmGirls here. I'm really embracing my inner barn diva. I'd like to actually have more land. I'd like to be able to be as self-sufficient as possible. I'm really frugal (ok, cheap), and the thought of not having to pay anyone else for stuff appeals to me a lot. There's also another reason we want to grow our own food. Food allergies.


Yes, I have some serious food allergies. People hear the list of what I'm allergic to, and the first question I get is, "What do you eat!". I'm used to it, and it makes me laugh. There is this perception that being allergic to something means that you are missing out. I'm sorry, but I eat very well without getting ill. My list of allergies includes dairy, the entire onion family (onions, shallots, chives, green onions, leeks and garlic), most food preservatives, meat tenderizers, MSG, roses, latex, most antibiotics, grass, dust, feathers, fur, and several others. My son is also allergic to dairy. I also have a health condition that makes me get very ill if I have too much fat. I can only eat 25-50 grams a day before my body starts to register its complaints. As a result, we eat very few processed foods, very little meat, and lots of homemade goodies. Some family favorites include spaghetti, all types of Mexican food, chicken and dumplings, sticky buns, bread, all types of Chinese (I make it from scratch, like most everything else) and almost anything edible. lol I love cooking, and we try new recipes often. I'm considering entering a cooking contest. We'll see how that turns out.

This blog is a mix of Bible study, homemaking, family news, and whatever comes to mind. I have a strange sense of humor at times, and we enjoy pranking each other. I also like to talk about living with allergies. It's a challenge that more and more people are living with. Living frugally is also important to me. We have a monthly grocery budget of $360, and that includes all of our pet foods, paper products, and toiletries. We're also working on being debt free in the next three years. I try to be organized. Really I do. It just doesn't happen very often. lol It's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. I'm very open about my life.

Well, that's me in a nutshell. I welcome you to poke around the blog. I'm in the middle of doing a giveaway for my business. We just launched my revamped website. And now that I know where our camera is, I'll be taking pictures to share. The kids should be very scared. Let's just say I love taking surprise shots. lol

12 comments:

  1. Hello!
    Stopping by on my party hopping. So nice you meet you :)
    I wish you a great party and a great weekend togheter with your family!
    Best regards
    Miriel
    "The Norwegian Mom"

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  2. Thanks for stopping by my blog.....it's so fun meeting new christian bloggers! I am impressed with your monthly food budget.....I can't get near that! :)

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  3. Nice meeting you! You sound like you have such a beautiful family! Too cute! Great blog party going on here, I have one going on at my place too! I'm a little late but visiting from UBP '09.

    I'm not a mom yet myself but I'm thinking that may change one day soon! I'm trying to get the DL from moms on "the stuff they don't tell you beforehand!" haha.

    Can't wait to pick your brain! And feel free to share your advice or secrets anytime!

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  4. Hello! I'm here via UBP as well. Nice to meet you!

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  5. Thanks for visiting my blog(s). I appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to leave me a comment.

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  6. Hello! Stopping by to say hi and that you have a beautiful blog site. I got off to a late start with the UBP 2009. Hope you don't mind me partying after hours!LOL
    Jennifer
    Unique Baby Shower Invitations

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  7. Thanks for stopping by peace for the journey. Love your blog handle...saved not stupid. Funny how those sometimes seem to go together!

    From one saved not stupid sister to another...keep on, friend!

    peace~elaine

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  8. Hey, found you commenting on my blog! (Thanks BTW) I see we share the same passion for saving money! Live Long and Coupon baby!

    I had fun at the blog party, met some great bloggers. Do you need help cleaning up?

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  9. Hello! Poppin’ in from The Ultimate Blog Party…all the way from Queensland, Australia! G’Day! I hope you have time to visit my party soon.

    I'm giving away Pink Champagne Shower Syrup from Jaqua Beauty...stop on over and enter! Ends April 8. Open to USA.

    Ta!

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  10. Hello, just stopping by the from the UBP! I enjoyed your uplifting post! It's nice to hear from people who are loving life. I'm also working on being debt free and frugal living! God Bless you and your family!

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  11. Hello! Poppin’ in from The Ultimate Blog Party…all the way from Queensland, Australia! G’Day!

    Yes...still making my way through the 1500+ parties...and lovin' it!

    I hope you have time to visit my party soon.

    I'm giving away Pink Champagne Shower Syrup from Jaqua Beauty...stop on over and enter! Ends April 8. Open to USA.

    Ta!

    I want to invite you to the Mommie Daze Virtual Baby Shower that I am hosting May 15 to June 8. This is an international even and there are prizes! Stop by my blog for all the details.

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