Obber Gobber

You LOVE Me Anyway

2011-06-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have been hearing a song on the radio lately that I sing along to. I haven't paid much attention to the lyrics, except for the bridge...it is awesome (in a very convicting way)! I heard the song again this morning and as I was singing along I realized that the lyrics are "You love me anyway" and I had been singing "You loved me anyway".

I wish I could explain why I sang the word "loved" instead of "love", but it is an interesting realization because the You in this song is God. God does love us in the present, not the past tense.

The song is by Sidewalk Prophets and here are the lyrics from the bridge:

I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway

I encourage you to listen to the entire song and be reminded of God's love for you!

Trip to the zoo

2011-03-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

After 7 wonderful years of marriage, my husband and I decided to celebrate by taking our 18 month old son to the zoo (I know...we're weird like that). This was his very first trip to the zoo and we were excited. You see, L loves animals...he can say over 15 animal noises and identify even more.

We spent almost 2 hours at the zoo. We got to see lions, tigers, giraffes, elephants, hippos, a bear and many more animals. You want to know what L's favorite part about the zoo was....being outside and getting to run around! He also loved getting to see so many other kids. We're not sure how much he liked seeing the animals, but he had fun nonetheless.

Here are some pictures to document the wonderful experience:

Where have I been?

2011-02-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

Forgive me for not posting for a couple of weeks...I wish I had a good excuse, but I don't other than I have not felt like I had anything worth sharing.

Oh, and L got 3 teeth in 2 days. Yeah, can you believe that? He has been super clingy for the past two weeks and that is the only explanation I can come up with. Two of the teeth are in such odd places that I am waiting to record them in his baby book until more teeth come in and I can identify their exact location.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for how to deal with teething toddlers? I usually don't realize he's teething until the tooth/teeth have already broken through and at that point I start the Tylenol. I do have some baby teething gel/ointment, but I'm not sure how well it works. We also have the water-filled teething rings that you put in the refrigerator, but L doesn't really care for those.

Just one of those chapters that will close and I will look back and miss my clingy teething toddler.

Whew, that was a lot of work!

2011-01-20T16:12:00.000-08:00

After a lot of thought I decided to pull all of the merchandise that I had in shops in Baldwin City and Lawrence. I have spent the last couple of days adding it to my online store and I'm glad to finally be done! Check out the Obber Gobber store to see the new products. Here are a few samples:

Update on Menu Planning

2011-01-17T14:11:00.000-08:00

I love menu planning! I love that I don't have to exert any brain cells toward deciding what to fix for dinner on any given day! I have successfully menu planned for the entire month of January (two weeks at a time), which doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is for me! I plan on rotating the menu every two weeks, so I essentially have dinners planned for the next 4 months. I realize that once the seasons change and Summer arrives we will have fresh garden produce to integrate. I will be ready for the challenge!

Obber Gobber store update

2011-01-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

Several changes are being made to the Obber Gobber store. First of all, I am discontinuing selling pacifier clips. I have a lot in stock that I will give away at baby showers, so don't be surprised if you still see these around.

Secondly, I have added four onesie/burp cloth sets to the store. The onesies I have done in the past have been freezer paper stenciled, but the new ones are appliqued to match the burp cloths. You can check them out here.

Moving forward I am going to focus most of my time sewing nursing covers. I love everything about them, especially picking out the fabric. I currently have five nursing covers for sale and I hope to add more very soon!

I Don't Have Time

2011-01-07T09:11:00.000-08:00

All of our tupperware is in one drawer with the containers stacked neatly and the lids are lined up in no particular order. I noticed a week or so ago that all of lids were organized based on their size and shape. My wonderful husband had unloaded the dishwasher and I assumed this was his handywork.

After dinner last night my husband was putting the leftover food into tupperware containers. He opened the tupperware drawer pulled out a small container and thumbed through all of lids. He was not able to find the one lid he was looking for. He then questioned the disarray of the lids and noted that he had organized them just a couple of weeks ago. I responed with "I don't have time to have a system." He promptly pointed out that I am the most organized person he knows and "you don't have time not to have a system."

I tried explaining the following to my husband while I helped him find the lid he was looking for:

L loves the dishwasher. I usually unload the dishwasher right after lunch while he is playing in the living room because it is much faster and easier to do it without his help. If he happens to be around when I get to the silverware then I let him help me (he hands me silverware one or two items at a time...so cute). I oftentimes open the dishwasher as slowly and quietly as possible so that he doesn't hear it and come racing into the kitchen. I'm usually unloading so fast that I only care that the dishes make it back into their respective cabinets and I am not concerned with the order or organization.

Can you relate?

I have learned over the past 15 months (since becoming a mom) that sometimes I just don't have enough time. I have learned to accept "good enough" as good enough and I am trying everyday to make the most of the time that I am given.

Daily Schedule

2010-12-30T07:11:00.000-08:00

Schedules are one of my favorite things...along with hot chocolate, crisp Autumn days, and my family! One thing I have discovered since becoming a mom is that sometimes schedules get thrown out the window. Another thing I have learned is that as soon as you get a schedule nailed down, it changes. I am experiencing that as I type.

Let me say that I love nap time (I should add it to my list of favorite things)! Nap time is when I get most of my work done. It is amazing how much I can get done in such a short period of time when I am not doing double duty and I'm able to focus on one thing at a time.

I am content with the 1 1/2 to 2 hour morning nap and the 1 1/2 to 2 hour afternoon nap that L usually takes. Lately he fusses more during nap time and it takes him longer to fall asleep in the afternoon, which means he wakes up around 5:00 pm and that is a little late.

I am beginning to accept the reality that L no longer needs a morning nap. *gasp*

With all of this being said, here is a look at our future weekday daily schedule (this is a rolling schedule):

6:50 am - Alarm starts going off
8:00 am - L wakes up and we eat breakfast
8:30 am - Off to work in my home office
12:00 pm - Lunch
1:15 pm - Put L down for a nap and back to work for me
4:00 pm - L wakes up and gets a snack (Am I being too optimistic that he will nap for almost 3 hrs?)
5:00 pm - Shut computer off and go fix dinner

My husband usually gets home between 5:45 and 6:15 pm and we try to work out before dinner. L usually goes to bed around 8:30 or 8:45 pm and it's off to bed for us around 10:30 pm.

Is it perfect? No. Does it work for us? Most of the time. Would it work for everyone? Probably not because all families are different with their own priorities and obligations.

Happy ~~napping~~ scheduling!

Reading Books

2010-12-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

L loves books. My mom, who is an elementary teacher, says that she has never seen a kid like books as much as L. He would sit for hours and listen to books if he could find someone willing to take on the challenge. He never tires of lifting flaps, making animal noises, touching shiny tractor tires, etc.

One benefit of being a WAHM: I get to read to L whenever he wants. Now, don't get me wrong, I cannot literally read to him whenever because I would spend my whole day reading about Boo Boo, baby's bellybutton and vroom vrooms; however, the opportunity is there and if I worked outside of the home then I would not be able to pick up a book and read for 5 or 10 minutes here and there throughout the day.

There are times when L wants me to read to him and I can't because I have work to do (this should sound familiar to all moms). He doesn't understand why I continue typing at my computer rather than picking him up and reading to him the book that he carried over to me.

I should also mention that although I have the ability to read to L, I do not always have the desire to read to him, but that is an entirely seperate topic that would require its own blog post.

It is the opportunity that I have every day to interact with L that I am so thankful, and it is up to me whether or not I take advantage of or waste these precious moments.

Menu Planning

2010-12-21T07:59:00.000-08:00

I am a planner and a list maker. With this in mind, one would assume that I could tackle the chore of menu planning...but I can't!! I don't know why, but I struggle with menu planning. For some reason it is so overwhelming and I almost always give up promptly after I begin to try.

I have typed up lists of meals that I make so I can refer to the list on days when I can't think of anything to prepare for dinner. I have typed up a rotating 3-week menu that I have never used. I have printed menu planners from different websites and blogs, but nothing seems to help.

One day a week I go into the office and on that day I sometimes throw something into the crockpot so that dinner is ready when we get home (usually around 6:30 pm). Check out this blog for some amazing crockpot recipes...this lady has tried cooking almost everything in her crockpot. This blog is also helpful if you want to take a regular recipe and cook it in a crockpot rather than a stovetop or oven.

I would appreciate any tips or tricks you have for menu planning. How do you plan? When do you plan? Do you plan all three meals or just dinner?

2011 is right around the corner...maybe I will have to make a New Year's resolution to menu plan!!

New products in Obber Gobber store!

2010-12-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

Today I added a beautiful nursing cover to my store. It is my favorite fabric (out of the three that I have made) and I loved it so much I ended up making myself one! You can take a peek at it here.

I also added two new pacifier clips: a purple one with white polka dots and a white one with navy polka dots.

Thanks for stopping by!

Time Well Spent?

2010-12-17T06:09:00.000-08:00

This week was a particularly difficult one for me. L struggled to take good naps and he wanted my undivided attention when he was awake. I am thankful that usually he does a great job playing by himself, which means I get more work done. (Wow, I just reread that sentence and it makes me sound like a terrible mom!)

There was one moment this week when I was about to crack and so I sent an instant message to my wonderful husband explaining everything to him and asking him to pray for me. He responded with telling me that I am an AWESOME MOM and that L is just fine. I told him that L might be fine but that doesn't mean that I am fine.

Making the decision to answer emails and put proposals together instead of playing with L is not one that I enjoy making, but one that I have to make daily.

I share all of this knowing that even if I didn't have an "8 to 5" job that required me to be in front of (or at least near) my computer for most of the day that I would still struggle with having things to do besides playing with and training L. I would have a long "to do" list of all the chores and projects I would hope to get accomplished every day.

Whether you are doing "work" for an employer, your family, yourself, your church or whoever, you face the dilemma every hour of every day...to work or to play?

In regard to choosing work or play, my husband made the following statement last week: "I will never look back and wish that I had played with him less." How true that is for all of us!!

Mom = WAHM

2010-12-13T08:39:00.000-08:00

I mentioned last week that I was going to share different aspects (tips, tricks, challenges, benefits, etc.) about being a Work At Home Mom (WAHM). I first want to express my sincere belief that just being a mom means that you are a WAHM. Whether you are the mother of one child or ten children; whether your child/children are babies, toddlers or teenagers; whether you have a full-time job, part-time job or hobby...you are a WAHM!

Work is simply defined as: "To exert one's self for a purpose;" (from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44). Being a mom and trying to raise Godly children is a pretty good purpose!

There is so much "work" to be done when rearing children and managing a household. Being a wife and mom also means that you are a cook, housekeeper, teacher, nurse, playmate, chauffeur, bookkeeper, seamstress and much more.

With all of this being said, er written, I hope that you are able to benefit from my ramblings regardless of whether you are a WAHM by the world's definition or a WAHM by my definition.

Double Wink and Co.

2010-12-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

A very good friend of mine, whom I shall refer to as Clementine, and myself have started a project called Double Wink and Co. This project involved opening an online store that you can find here.

If you have someone on your Christmas list that is especially difficult to buy for...check us out!

In case you are wondering where the name came from...well, little L does a really cute thing when someone winks at him...he winks back with both eyes and it has been dubbed the "double wink" and he will now do it on command. This makes Clementine and myself giggle every time and we just had to use it as the name of our new store.

WAHM

2010-12-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

I am a Work At Home Mom....I don't know if I've mentioned that before. Just like most everything else in life there are positives and negatives to this situation. I get to be at home with L almost every day, which means I don't miss much of his growing up. This also means that I am VERY busy during the day, juggling time spent with L and time in front of my computer working.

For working mothers who report to an office every day, being a WAHM sounds like a dream come true. Don't get me wrong...I am so blessed to work for a company that does allow me the flexibility of working from home and I am so thankful for this opportunity. However, it forces me to be super organized, be an expert at time management, and sometimes I have to choose between answering an email or responding to an emergency and playing catch with L.

In the upcoming days, weeks and months I will try to add posts on tips and tricks for being a successful WAHM and include some struggles and challenges that I face.

Maple Leaf Festival!!

2010-10-15T13:51:00.001-07:00

The annual Maple Leaf Festival is this weekend in Baldwin City, KS!! I have lots of inventory that I am hoping to sell. My stuff is inside the Antiques on the Prairie store located at 6th and High. You will find onesies with matching burp cloths, monogrammed burp cloth sets, pacifier clips and nursing covers.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weekend!

New Items

2010-08-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have added nursing covers to my product line! Here are a few pictures of what I have to offer:

I have also done onesie/burp cloths sets:

Pacifier clips in stores!!!

2010-08-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Obber Gobber pacifier clips are now available in a children's shop in Baldwin City, KS located at 715 8th St. and also in the Lawrence Antique Mall! I am hoping to introduce a couple of new items in the next few weeks...stay tuned!

Custom Onesies

2010-07-12T12:43:00.001-07:00

Custom onesies are now for sale in the ObberGobber stores!! Right now we have an owl and an electric guitar, but many more will be available in the future. Let me know if you have any ideas or specific needs and we will work together to create something suitable.

Another store opens!

2010-06-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

I have also opened a store using Storenvy: http://obbergobber.storenvy.com

Open For Business!

2010-06-21T09:43:00.001-07:00

I opened my Etsy store last night and I have added to it today. Right now I only have pacifier clips for sale, but I plan on adding baby blocks today (hopefully) and custom onesies in the next week or so. I am very excited!! Check it out: http://www.etsy.com/shop/ObberGobber

And so it begins...

2010-05-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

One day I got the desire to sew things and sell online. Not sure where this crazy idea came from, but it manifested and has now been acted upon. Okay, it might have come from reading Proverbs 31:24 which says, "She [referring to the wife of noble character] makes linen garments and sells them[...]"

The name of my company is Obber Gobber. Funny sounding, I know! Obber gobber is what my husband called helicopters at a very young age and I thought it was cute. What is it that I'm making and selling you ask? Pacifier clips and fabric blocks for babies. So, please keep me in mind when you are invited to a baby shower!!

I am in the process of creating an online store and I will also be selling my goods on Etsy.com. A shout out to the wonderful (not to mention talented) friend who has come up with a SWEET logo for me and has been super helpful answering questions and giving advice as I move ahead on this adventure.

Keep checking back and I will announce when the online store opens for business and when new products are added!

Thanks for your support!